Metro Pulse/Music/Guided By Voices

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Who:
Guided By Voices with The Faults

When:
Thursday, March 1 at 9 p.m.

Where:
Moose's Music Hall

How Much:
$10/$12 at Tickets Unlimited Outlets or 656-4444

Robert Pollard continues to evolve

by John Sewell

Anyone with even a smattering of knowledge of the indie rock world knows that Dayton-based Guided By Voices is among the top echelon of indie bands. Alongside Superchunk, Yo La Tengo and Sebadoh, GBV has lorded over the collegiate rock scene since the mid '90s. At the helm of the band is lead singer/lyricist Robert Pollard, a relentless rocker with a poet's mastery of language, deft melodic skills and a penchant for intoxication.

Perceived as an unlikely candidate for rock stardom, Pollard is actually form-fitted for the job. With almost 25 years of experience in bands to his credit, the 40-something Pollard utilizes a craftsman's approach to songwriting, which, coupled with a stubborn work ethic and infinite drive, has resulted in an expansive, challenging body of work.

Success as a musician didn't come early for Pollard, who supported himself and his family as a 4th grade teacher until providence struck in 1994. Once bands like The Pixies and Nirvana had paved the way for a new crop of rough hewn rockers, the stage was set for GBV to receive some much-deserved recognition. They signed with über-hip indie label Matador Records to much hype and ensuing worldwide fame. At age 36, Pollard could leave his teaching post and pursue his rock 'n' roll dreams.

What sets GBV apart from the other post-punk success stories of the late '90s is Pollard's (the sole remaining member of GBV, circa '94) breadth of musical influences. Where other bands used The Ramones or Black Flag as a jumping off point, Pollard's musical style encapsulates the best of over 30 years on rock history. GBV's appreciation for decades of great sounds gives their music a classic quality that overrides any narrowly focused scene affiliation.

"My favorite three bands would be the Beatles, the Who and Wire," Pollard enthuses. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it? I listen to music from like 1967 to 1980—that's my favorite period."

Pollard's three favorite bands seem to exemplify the different facets of GBV's music: the Beatles for infectious melodicism, the Who for the raucous emphasis on big power chords, and Wire for the absurdist and sometimes juxtaposed lyrics. All of the aforementioned bands combined melody, passion and a keen artistic sensibility—an approach that has also served GBV quite well.

In the late '90s, GBV shifted allegiance from Matador to TVT Records. And the TVT recordings, 1999's Do The Collapse and Isolation Drills (due in stores on April 3), are something of a departure for the band. GBV's earlier albums seemed unfinished—like skeletal designs for excellent songs—whereas the newer offerings feature longer selections, dense instrumentation and the big radio sound of great classic rock.

Pollard explains that the lo-fi sound of the earlier recordings was created by necessity—the band's recording finances were severely limited. "We have better budgets with the bigger labels, so we can spend more time in the studio," says Pollard. "I think we'd done the lo-fi, fragmented thing long enough and it was time to grow a little bit. I didn't want to be just some insane kind of mad scientist guy—I wanted my songwriting to mature. Also, I wanted to write songs that would translate to the live performance."

The mastery of language in Pollard's lyrics is proof positive that he's a man of letters—even if his inspirations have evolved over the years. "When we first started, I was into children's literature, fairy tales and things like that," says Pollard. "But now I'm kind of into theosophy and biographies, things like that. I don't get most of my inspiration from literature; I get it from just meeting people and hanging out with them. I like to read about people and find out their ideas and their attitudes about life. I want the dirt—I've been reading a lot of Albert Goldman [an iconoclastic, critical biographer of John Lennon, Elvis, Lenny Bruce and others] 'cause I want to hear the dirt."

One of the most prolific rockers of today, Pollard just can't stop cranking out good material. So far this year he's already written 50 or 60 songs, recorded a collaboration album with former GBV member Tobin Sprout (as Airport 5), and completed another solo record of his own.

Pollard says that though he's considered quitting the rock 'n' roll game several times as the band's lineup shifted, GBV is now a firm unit with no intentions of slowing down any time soon, if ever. As a creative force, he's just beginning to hit stride. While most rockers approaching middle age become caricatures, Pollard just keeps getting better. His intellectually motivated music stands the test of time much better than the usual hackneyed teenage angst.

"Sometimes I get tired of the youth culture that surrounds rock," says Pollard. "But our music has really transcended age barriers. I've had people tell me that their grandmother likes us or that their two-year-old sings our songs. I dig rock, but I think what's going on in music today on MTV or whatever is really boring. I mean, kids are gonna listen to whatever they crank out for them. So I'm just hoping that things go full cycle and people start listening to rock again.

"I mean, you've just gotta face the fact that rock is—at least from a commercial standpoint—geared toward kids. We've always had a college crowd and that's good, because at least that group is thinking."