Guided By Voices

By the time Robert Pollard “retired” Guided By Voices in 2004, the prolific songwriter had fronted countless iterations of his fuzzy, name-making musical outlet. But only one of those recorded the twin, lo-fi titans of Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes—thus the cries of joy that resounded through indie-land when Pollard announced he’d reunite that “classic” GBV lineup for Matador Record’s 21st anniversary celebration. As is Pollard’s editing-averse nature, the one-off reunion sprawled into a full U.S. tour, where he and his beer-swilling mates will continue to make the stadium-sized hooks of their seminal recordings feel positively intimate. While the tour was technically meant to have ended already, a smattering of added summer dates has thankfully put their last show ever on indefinite hold.

Updated 06/07/2011