In case there was any doubt as to whether Guided By Voices were still a band:

After a fifteen year hiatus, the "classic line up" of Guided By Voices finished off its year-long reunion tour by recording an album of 21 new songs, making a deliberate effort to return to what bandleader Robert Pollard calls the "semi-collegial" approach of iconic GBV albums like Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. Let's Go Eat The Factory is some kind of return to form: sprawling, variegated, and yet still recognizably and coherently Guided By Voices in both its literal and mythic senses. To celebrate the release of Let's Go Eat The Factory, Guided By Voices will be making a rare appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman on January 3, 2012.

'Let's Go Eat The Factory' is available by mail order from Rockathon on January 1, 2012, and will be in stores nationwide on January 17. The record will be available digitally from iTunes at midnight tonight (12/20). Listen to the album now at NPR.

photos by Alex Broadwell

9:00 P.M., 9/9/2011 --Earlier this summer, it was announced that Guided By Voices's headlining stint at Hopscotch would mark the band's "final-ever" live performance. Strangely, the mood here at City Plaza is generally indifferent. I suspect that this might be because: a) people aren't convinced that this is really the end, being as this isn't GBV's first trip to the retirement home; b) people are beginning to accept that frontman Robert Pollard has reached Danny Glover-like levels of being "too old for this shit"; or c) going into the festival, the band didn't really play up the fact that this was going to be their final show. Whatever the case, the lo-fi legends don't appear to be bothered by the surprising lack of fanfare they're receiving. Assuming this really is the end, GBV might not have gone out with a bang, but they didn't exactly exit with a wimpier either." [Slant Magazine]

Some pictures from that North Carolina show are in this post. More of them below...

Continue reading "Guided by Voices played their final show (maybe, who knows) @ Hopscotch Fest (pics)"

photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Neko Case

Bob Pollard of Guided By Voices

James Blake

The 2011 Pitchfork Festival continues through Sunday at Union Park in Chicago. Some of it is streaming online. A set of pictures from Friday continues below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork Fest 2011 ---- Day One in pics (part 1) "

by Klaus Kinski

The thing I like most about Robert Pollard is that even though I barely have the time, attention span, or finances to keep up with his ever-expanding, post-GBV projects, I know I am guaranteed a whale of a time at his live shows. Die-hard familiarity of his music is simply not essential to the enjoyment of one of his shows (though, comfortable shoes and beer kinda helps). The man is a personal deity of air-tight live entertainment. The Boston Spaceships gig at the Highline Ballroom on 10/1 was no deviation from a flawless track record of incredible Pollard experiences. They hit the stage pretty much right at 9:30pm and completely dominated. High kicks, mic swinging, hilarious yet often times unintelligable stage banter, a RIDICULOUSLY awesome rhythm section, and a crowd more than eager to drink, push, shove, pogo, and sweat all over each other made for a fun time. I had to leave the show earlier than I wanted to in order to check out another (really awful) show across town and this kills me as the Spaceships ended up doing two encores packed with classic GBV tracks. Besides some familiar die hard fans and friends, also spotted in the crowd were GBV alumni including guitarist Doug Gillard and drummer Kevin March (who you may have also seen here). A few more pics from the show below...

Continue reading "Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships @ Highline Ballroom"

by Klaus Kinski

DOWNLOAD: Boston Spaceships - Go For the Exit (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Perhapst - "Quote" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Perhapst - Incense Cone (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Perhapst - Aren't You Glowing (MP3)

The last time Robert Pollard played a gig in NYC it was at the Bowery Ballroom on 11/13/2006. Partly because of a lack of funds and mostly because of sheer stupidity on my part, I missed that gig. Since then, Bob has been busy as hell releasing records, starting his own label (GBV Inc.), having a gallery show of his famous collages, getting ready to publish a book and, most recently, preparing to unleash his new band Boston Spaceships onto the scene with a record and a tour. Tickets for a 10/1/2008 Highline Ballroom gig go onsale Friday at noon.

The core members of Boston Spaceships include Pollard, Chris Slusarenko (Takeovers, Guided By Voices, Svelt, Sprinkler) and current Decemberists drummer John Moen (also Jicks, Elliott Smith, Dharma Bums..... more on him in a second). The band will joined by Jason Narducy (Bob Mould) and Tommy Keene for the tour. Their debut record Brown Submarine comes out on 9/9/2008 on GBV Inc.

Though you'll notice some subtle prog flourishes and acoustic strums, Brown Submarine is a pop punk album, made by and for kids who've worn out the grooves on their Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, Wire and dBs records. While Pollard has stretched out post-GBV , experimenting on each of his diverse and unique solo records, Boston Spaceships rock hard, have fun and drink Miller Lite.

Drummer John Moen also fronts a band called Perhapst. Perhapst has a self-titled record out now which Moen plays most of the instruments on. Plus, on a couple of tracks he is joined by Stephen Malkmus - not singing though, just bass and guitar. For shows:

The [Perhapst] live band will consist of Chris Funk (guitar, bango, keyboards), John Moen (vocals/guitar), Eric Lovre (bass), and Jonathan Drews (drums). Drews is from Sunset Valley, Lovre from the Dharma Bums, and Funk from The Decemberists.

Perhapst don't have any upcoming dates. Neither do the Decemberists, but Boston Spaceships have a bunch. All of them, and the Brown Submarine tracklisting, below.....

Continue reading "Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships & Perhapst - new albums, 2008 Tour Dates, MP3s & members of the Decemberists"

DOWNLOAD: Big Dipper - Shes Fetching (MP3)

$493??? Well, it is for charity, so that's good. For a more affordable donation, the David Kilgour autographed poster is still available for less than $50. David Kilgour plays Cake Shop tonight, tomorrow and the next day. Keep checking Merge's auctions through Christmas - they'll also be selling posters autographed by Robert Pollard, M. Ward, Oakley Hall, Spoon, The Rosebuds, Superchunk, Portastatic, and Destroyer. Or just screw charity, and check out Merge's holiday sale.

Robert Pollard is having an art show at Studio Dante in Manhattan in December. Listen to Spoon on NPR. Big Dipper is releasing an anthology. Polvo are reuniting for ATP. Every single Merge tour date, below...

Continue reading "signed Arcade Fire poster @ $493, Robert Pollard art"