Biography of Guided by Voices

Throughout the '80s, the Dayton, OH, guitar-pop group Guided by Voices released a series of independent albums; most of them never made it out of their own hometown. Led by vocalist Robert Pollard, the group featured a fluctuating lineup that recorded their albums in their spare time and rarely performed live. While their records are frequently muddy, full of tape hiss, and always lacking in clarity, their hooks are simple and catchy, and their songs are quite brief; their sound evokes Wire and mid-'60s British pop.Guided by Voices became a hip name to drop in 1994, thanks to numerous accolades from Kim Deal, the leader of the Breeders. The group landed a slot on Lollapalooza's second stage and their album Bee Thousand received rave reviews. All the attention led to the reissue of all of their albums, as well as a record contract with the influential independent record label Matador. Alien Lanes, the group's first release for Matador Records, appeared in March of 1995. Exactly a year later, Guided by Voices released their second Matador record, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine