Guided by Voices - Sweating The Plague - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Styles We Paid For is Guided by Voices' third album of 2020 and it stands as a testament to this Year In Isolation, reflecting these dark days through Robert Pollard's prism, with the band sounding as confident and authoritative as ever. The fifteen tracks were recorded remotely during quarantine from five states (Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Tennessee) to comprise GBV's ninth album since 2017.Pollard's searing vocals hold center stage, with endless melodic invention and impeccable phrasing. The massively crescendo-ing opening track InchMegaphone RileyInch seems to be inspired by a diabolical politician-in-chief, and like an indie-rock Nostradamus, presciently highlights the InchJumbo VirusInch, while in the final couplet of the album closer InchWhen Growing Was SimpleInch Pollard urges InchDon't drink and drive / stay at home and eatInch. Other album highlights include include Big Rock standouts like the incredibly hooky InchMr. ChildInch with the band in full arena rock power swing, while the titular protagonist is mentioned by name no less than sixteen times; the touching beauty and lyrical relevance of InchStopsInch and the majestically elegant InchIn Calculus StratagemInch, a bubbly pop rock joyride in InchCrash at Lake PlaceboInch; the subtle current-day technological observations of InchThey Don't Play The Drums AnymoreInch and the sleek InchElectronic Windows To NowhereInch (written by a man who owns neither a smart phone or a computer). It's notably heavy in it's worldliness, lyrical content, texture, and approach-and rides out like a cinematic journey of the bizarro world one find oneself in.While other bands have been napping, GBV have achieved their second consecutive hat-trick (three albums per annum), and have further cemented their status as rock legends for achieving more in this bleak year then most bands do across their entire careers.

Scalping The Guru is an archival Guided by Voices , envisioned and sequenced by Robert Pollard as a cohesive album, featuring select tracks from four GBV EPs released in 1993-1994 by Domino, City Slang, Siltbreeze and Engine Records. These hard to find records are essential for fans of Vampire On Titus and Bee Thousand, with classics including InchMy Impression Now,Inch InchMatter Eater Lad,Inch and InchBig School.Inch They feature the line-up that includes Robert Pollard with Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, Jim Pollard, Dan Toohey, Greg Demos, and Larry Keller. Recorded on four-track cassette by Tobin Sprout, with some songs lovingly fucked with by Mike Hummel.

Guided by Voices' last album Thick Rich And Delicious (October 2025) was lauded by NPR's All Things Considered and picked #1 on Magnet Magazine's Best Albums Of 2025. The single InchWe Outlast Them AllInch from this latest, Crawlspace Of The Pantheon, is an anthemic victory lap on album #44 from the indie rock stalwarts. Robert Pollard told Rolling Stone Inch 'We Outlast Them All' could be our 'We Are The Champions' but it's not necessarily about us. It's about anyone who perseveres over a long period of time.Inch On Crawlspace Of The Pantheon InchI worked much more diligently on this set of lyrics. I chiseled away at lines and sections and phrasings... I wanted them to have an overall emotionally conceptual feel. At times it feels somewhat autobiographical.InchGuided by Voices will not be on tour in 2026. Pollard recently told Magnet InchWhy would we stop playing live and make these kinds of records? I don't know. We do what we wanna do.InchInchPollard is the greatest rock lyricist of all time.Inch -Dennis Cooper