GUIDED BY VOICES - SPACE GUN
"Pollard is still remaking his rock heroes in his own image...it's pretty great." - Rolling Stone
"Pollard is a singular figure in rock 'n' roll history." - Magnet 8.5/10
"Guided by Voices are quietly in the midst of a late-career renaissance." - All Music
GUIDED BY VOICES - HOW DO YOU SPELL HEAVEN
"Pollard's unprecedented creative spark shows no signs of going dark" - Magnet 8.5/10
"An instant classic." - The Fire Note
GUIDED BY VOICES - AUGUST BY CAKE
"A work of sprawling ambition" - Crack Magazine
"A surprising rebirth for one of indie rock's most challenging veteran acts" - ABC News **** "The potential for the roller-coaster to go flying off the tracks is, as always, part of the fun." - AV Club
CIRCUS DEVILS - LAUGHS LAST
ESP OHIO - STARTING POINT OF THE ROYAL CYCLOPEAN
"One of the most exciting developments in the recent Pollardverse" 9/10 rating -Magnet
GUIDED BY VOICES - PLEASE BE HONEST
"Please Be Honest is a decidedly lo-fi album, hearkening back to the days of Vampire On Titus, or even the immortal Bee Thousand. Like so many GBV albums, it's hard not to marvel at the deceptive simplicity of Pollard's songwriting." - AV Club "Much of Please Be Honest is filled with mid-tempo material, but unlike his recent work, Pollard seems obsessed with guitar textures and vocal effects here, making Please Be Honest an intriguing success.
" - Exclaim! "If a smokestack tenor spewing a cloud menagerie is your kind of daydream, the faulty superhero came through once again." - Magnet Magazine "A true craftsman at his best." - Uncut "Keep them coming please Mr. Pollard." 9/10 - Louder Than War "Amped-up sound produces gratifying results across the board.
" - Magnet Magazine "Still capable of surprises; songwriters bow ye heads in penance." - Ear Buddy "You'd do well to put an ear to the sky as they whiz by you." - MXDWN "Raw, impressive, and something that you can slide through your living room playing air guitar to in your underwear. Robert Pollard is not an artist that needs to change his style to keep up with the times - he has made his own name with his classic style and a perfect blend of ripping guitar and classic drums." - Indie Band Guru "Of Course You Are is a succinct reminder of Robert Pollard's lyrical penmanship." - Pop Matters "He might be one of the best writers of pop hooks that pop radio ignored
" - ABC News "Catnip for the faithful; nectar for strayed sheep; ample safe grazing for the uninitiated. What a man.
" - Magnet Magazine "I found myself beaming at my computer screen like an ear-budded idiot.
" - Overblown "A record choc full of quantum sized pop hooks and sublimely beautiful lyricism.
" - The Ash Gray Proclamation "This could prove to be a bit of a golden year for an artist that undoubtedly has a lot more music up his sleeve.
" - 9/10 Neon Filler "How does he do it? Once again the insanely prolific Robert Pollard has delivered another nugget of ear candy
" - 8/10 Soundlab "Even though this is far from being alone powerful lure in a theoretical musical glass this result personally see it as half full and not half empty.
" - Rocking! Greece "I Sell the Circus is his most consistent, strongest and infectious solo album to date, topping even the recent GBV 'reunion' projects.
" - 10/10 Soundlab "Weaves eccentric charms into its tight compositions, and in that way has marked the start of an interesting new path for Pollard and these players." - 7/10 Pop Matters "I Sell The Circus is an automatic shot of adrenaline that pulses in the name of classic rock that salutes old school working bands like Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy. Ricked Wicky have paid their dues and I Sell The Circus is Pollard's loud announcement that he is alive and kicking!" - 4/5 Fire Note "The album feels like a coherent collection of raw, fist-pumping rock, showing a curious array of familiar influences from The Cars to Big Star to the Who." - Bearded Magazine "Pollard puts down some of his best writing and clearest singing in years" - Stereo Embers "This is an album for anyone born and raised with the inherently youthful and yearning spirit of rock ringing in their bones." - Paste Magazine "Might be the best Circus Devils album yet." - 5 stars ***** Fire Note "More Lies is an album where you should expect the unexpected" - 8/10 - Line of Best Fit "Teenage Guitar is a little weirder, a little rougher around the edges, but takes more chances and rocks just as hard. Here's hoping Bob lets this alter ego out of the house a little more often." - 4/5 - Fire Note "Cool Planet’s strongest facet is by far its structure and composition." - Music OMH "Cool Planet proves yet again that Guided by Voices can still matter today." - Paste Magazine "Another dazzling display of wholly justifiable arrogance" - Sunday Times "Pollard's aesthetic uses the imperfection in the method and turns it into an act of grace." 9/10 - Soundblab
ROBERT POLLARD - OF COURSE YOU ARE
RICKED WICKY - KING HEAVY METAL
ROBERT POLLARD - FAULTY SUPERHEROES
RICKED WICKY - I SELL THE CIRCUS
CIRCUS DEVILS - ESCAPE
TEENAGE GUITAR - MORE LIES FROM THE GOOSEBERRY BUSH
GUIDED BY VOICES - COOL PLANET
GUIDED BY VOICES - MOTIVATIONAL JUMPSUIT
"Each listen reveals moments easily missed the first time around, and they become the moments where Pollardís underappreciated genius shines brightest." 4 stars **** - Music OMH
"Itís not just the newest Guided By Voices album; itís their best album since the reunion and one of the bandís best albums period." 5 stars ***** - Fire Note
"Electrifying." 8/10 - The Line Of Best Fit
"Play it again" 7/10 - NME
ROBERT POLLARD - BLAZING GENTLEMEN
"This year alone he's released at least 30 borderline classics across 5 albums." 7/10 - The Line Of Best Fit
"16 lightly fried examples of his gift for surrealist pop / classic rock synthesis" 4 stars **** - Mojo
"Chalk this one up as a hit." 4 stars **** - The Skinny
"Certainly stands among his best" - 8/10 Magnet
ROBERT POLLARD - HONEY LOCUST HONKY TONK
"On Honky Tonk. Robert Pollard is reaching new heights and depths with his songcraft..." - The Line Of Best Fit
"A man who has said so much already but still has so much left to say." - Pitchfork
".... an album whose creator sees no end to his personal diamond field of songwriting..." - Sound & Vision
"It's a consistent and, at times, deeply thoughtful record that is pleasantly familiar while offering occasional surprises." 4/5 Stars - Music OMH
"One of Robert Pollard's strongest solo outings to date!" 4.5/ Stars - The Fire Note
"All it took was 20 records with Guided by Voices and 19 solo releases for Robert Pollard to really find his voice." - Chicago Reader
"Robert Pollard is one intriguing, totally insane dude." 8.0 rating - Paste Magazine
TEENAGE GUITAR - FORCE FIELDS AT HOME
"A delightful mixture of oddities and delights" - When You Motor Away
"Teenage Guitar gives Robert Pollard an entire new canvas for his creativity and art!" - The Fire Note
"A careful mess of creative synapses firing off in quiet and loud, frantic and pretty ways." 8/10 - Pop Matters
GUIDED BY VOICES - ENGLISH LITTLE LEAGUE
"This crew is ready to welcome some new converts once more." - 8.5/10 Stars - Magnet Magazine
"GBV's only LP of 2013 and it's a good'un." - 4/5 Stars - MOJO
"It remains a pleasure to hear GBV doing what it does best: cranking out song after song. Like Classic Coke, it may be time for the band to drop the 'classic' from its name; this is simply Guided By Voices, as God and Pollard intended." - The Onion AV Club
"Robert Pollard is like the William Carlos Williams of alternative rock." - Consequence of Sound
"Get the album. And the next one, and the one after that... You won't be disappointed." - When You Motor Away
"Complex and addicting...an album that has a solid flow and just sounds great!" - 4.5/5 Headphones - The Fire Note
"What an absolute treasure this band remains." - 4/5 Quails - Rock Sucker
GUIDED BY VOICES - THE BEARS FOR LUNCH
"The Bears for Lunch falls into line with other great GBV records by remembering what made the band great in the first place, and then giving us its own spin on it. It's easy to beef up the fidelity when you're writing pop songs this good. So farewell to any questions of rust on the reassembled Guided By Voices. They're back to writing and recording like Hall of Famers. Here's hoping it continues in 2013." - 8/10 Prefix
"The Bears effectively picks up where this line-up left off with 1996's Under the Bushes Under the Stars" - Pitchfork
"Hooky slices of sad pop magic like 'White Flag,' 'Waving at Airplanes,' and the R.E.M.-styled bounce of 'Everywhere Is Miles from Everywhere' sound like new chapters in the band's history of incredibly catchy songs." - All Music
"Yeah, this record is great." VICE Magazine
"This is how to make rock & roll." 12/12 - Savage Henry Magazine
"A testament that the creative magic continues to brew." 4.5/5 - The Fire Note
"The best Guided By Voices album since the band got back together...some of the most joyful guitar pop you'll hear all year and I can't recommend it enough." 9/10 - Neon Filler
"Every song here reminds of just why we fell in love with this band in the first place. The album not only picks up where they left off earlier this year with Class Clown Spots A UFO, it picks up where they left off in 1996. The Bears For Lunch is an outright triumph." -The Ash Gray Proclamation
"Even better than merely having the old gang play the old songs in a new way, they've cranked out 19 terrific new songs." - When You Motor Away
"Guided By Voices just won't stop making good albums...pure tuneful bliss." - New York Music Daily
"The Bears for Lunch shows a group that is capable of simultaneously wielding a familiar rock-and-roll sound and a sinister edginess." - The News Record
"It sounds as if GBV never stopped recording in their garage, and if they haven't, good on them." - SoCal Music Today
"Full of impeccable pop rock and lofi indie rock goodness." - The Stabcast
"Fresh, fun and unpredictable" - 8/10 Shout 4 Music
ROBERT POLLARD - JACK SELLS THE COW
"Another satisfying and remarkably fresh set of tunes from Robert Pollard." - Prefix
"Another more-than-worthy addition to a pulsating, ever-expanding catalogue...The man knows what he's doing." - 8/10 The Line Of Best Fit
"Going back to the opening track here the question is asked 'Will you go with me?' - well, when it comes to Jack Sells The Cow the answer is definitely yes Mr. Pollard!" - 4/5 The Fire Note
"Pollard is capable of putting out a high-quality album almost monthly" - When You Motor Away
"Jack Sells the Cow puts Pollard at the forefront of the album, with incredible results." - The Thrill of it All
GUIDED BY VOICES - CLASS CLOWN SPOTS A UFO
"Great songs rain on Pollard like pennies from heaven." 4 Stars - MOJO
"This is one of the best rock releases of 2012" - When You Motor Away
"Sneakily tuneful" - Pitchfork
"Solid songwriting from Pollard and Tobin Sprout and spirited performances from the whole band" - The Agit Reader
ROBERT POLLARD - MOUSEMAN CLOUD
"Loose, grungy guitar-led songs here sound full of renewed energy." 4 Stars - Q Magazine
"Despite his inhuman prolificacy, and his singular approach to songwriting, Pollard never makes the same record twice, and this buckshot spray of quick pop tunes is another wild success in his constantly twisting variations on a theme. It's no small feat that, this far into his career, Pollard hasn't tired of his approach, and continues to push it in subtle and sometimes undefinable ways. That the energy is still there -- and at an irrepresible high -- on this record, is impressive enough. But on top of that, these songs are good enough to make one thing clear: GBV or not, when you're listening to Mouseman Cloud, you are listening to Pollard's main thing." - Prefix Mag
"His oblique wordplay sparkles... the songwriter is in fine form." - Uncut
"Manages to encompass melancholy, wit, and charm with a timeless and catchy as hell effect." - The Ash Gray Proclamation
"He is a petty thief, stealing the uncanny from the rich and giving it back to the poor." - The Agit Reader
"A consistently tuneful and focused platter that recalls his best work under any name... A few tracks are downright classic." - Reverb Music
GUIDED BY VOICES - LET'S GO EAT THE FACTORY
"Uncle Bob Makes Good With His Old Drinking Buddies." 8/10 - SPIN
"Sweetly touching brain pop... playground psychedelia at its most brilliant and uplifting." - 4 Stars Mojo
"A kaleidoscopic burst of ideas and passion and absurdity." 4 Stars - The Guardian
"Re-formed underground legends return at full pelt." - 4 Stars Q Magazine
"A glorious, frayed-at-the-edges patchwork of bristling garage pop, stadium rock racketeering, saloon-bar tenderness, and nightmarishly ramshackle dirges." 8/10 - NME
"If You Like One GBV Song, You're Bound To Like A Hundred More." - Rolling Stone
"A perfect amalgam of past and present; the scratchy fidelity and lyrical whimsy that won hearts in GBV's Bee Thousand heyday punctuated with sonically forward tracks that pick up where the outfit left off." - Blurt
"This is no lazy retread of minor past glories - GBV appear to be getting gnarlier with age." 9/10 - Uncut
"A true classic." - Relix
"Fans will be happy to see their former drinking buddies up to their old antics." - Filter
"Every bit as sprawling, obtuse and uncompromising as the albums produced by Robert Pollard and company in their mid-90s pomp." - 4 Stars Record Collector
"An excellent collection of songs to kick off 2012" - When You Motor Away
"The album is nothing less than a triumphant return, marked by all the melodic bliss, songwriting eccentricities, and lyrical enigmas that define Robert Pollard, but this time supported by his most crack band of collaborators." - 8/10 Under The Radar
"A suitably scruffy return from the leery, beery, masters of lo-fi." - 4 Stars The Fly
"A classic Guided By Voices record." 9/10 - Neon Filler
"Peppy lead single 'The Unsinkable Fats Domino' hearkens back beautifully to the shoot-from-the-hip power-popping of old." - Pitchfork
"Already a favorite of 2012!" 4.5/5 - The Fire Note
"Just what the world needs from one of the most mythologized indie bands of all time." - Reverb
"Seats shining riffsters alongside hypnotically inscrutable interludes."
- Entertainment Weekly
"Stained with the sweat of genius." 4 Stars The Week
"Pollard is, in a contemporary sense, the best poet in the history of rock." Collapse Board
BOSTON SPACESHIPS - LET IT BEARD
"The album's breadth of ideas mimics Pollard's career these days-all over the place, but still remarkable." - PopMatters
"Let it Beard is the great, ambitious rock record Pollard's been working towards for years and years." 8.5 - prefix
"The perfect culmination of a massive year from Pollard." 5 stars - Las Vegas Weekly
"...this album is in fact a thrill ride" - When You Motor Away
"Let it Beard is one of the most consistently exceptional Pollard releases in recent memory. - Under the Radar
4 stars **** "massively excellent" - The Fire Note
"One of the most varied, engaging, and addictive LP I've heard in years." - Ash Gray Proclamation
"Robert Pollard is enjoying a career renaissance" - Denver Post
"Hopefully, Robert Pollard has made provisions for medical science to study his brain after his death..." - Cowbell
ROBERT POLLARD - LORD OF THE BIRDCAGE
"One of the best albums he's made since Guided by Voices..." 8/10
- Popmatters
"Lord of the Birdcage is really fine music from an underground pop master." - Reverberations
"Smashed Middle Finger," the opening track from his new album Lord of the Birdcage, may be the most immediately bewitching song he's released in recent memory..." - No Ugly Babies
"A cohesive LP filled with haunting acoustics, frantic power pop, and lush balladry." - The Ash Gray Proclamation
"Considering the words themselves can be a very rewarding way to listen to Pollard." - When You Motor Away
"Robert Pollard's streak of sonic consistency continues on his fourth 2011 release Lord Of The Birdcage!" 4/5 - The Fire Note
"One of the most prolific songwriters of his generation." - Bobby Six
"He has managed to create an absolutely unique sound for himself that never seems to tire." - Stereo Subversion
MARS CLASSROOM - THE NEW THEORY OF EVERYTHING
"Two legendary songwriters - Guided by Voices Robert Pollard and Big Dipper's Gary Waleik -- join together here in one more swing for the fences." 8 Stars ******** - Blurt
"The New Theory Of Everything is pretty damn good" - Magnet
The Fire Note says "Pollard's vocals are crystal clear, Waleik's guitar shines throughout and the steady beats from Beerman hold each track in place."
When You Motor Away says "The first song, "New Theory", is a power pop masterpiece... the drumming, the guitars and of course Bob's way with a chorus all combine to kick off the record with a winner, and they never let up."
Bookmat says "The last track, an achingly languorous and slow-burning masterpiece called "Wish You Were Young," features Pollard's uncanny ability to put words together that can break your heart without plying a single sentimental cliché."
LIFEGUARDS - WAVING AT THE ASTRONAUTS
All Music Says "4 STARS-Waving At The Astronauts is that rarity, a rock & roll album that's mature, adventurous and exciting at the same time. It's clear Pollard and Gillard bring out the best in one another, and if they have any sense at all, they won't wait another eight years before starting work on Lifeguards Album No. 3."
Pop Matters says "The riveting synergy between Pollard and Gillard on that first track ["Here Comes A Hit"] is just a taste of what's to come. Gillard offers substantial hooks, thick chords, buzzing riffs, eerie piano. Pollard matches each."
The Big Take Over says "Trip the Web," "(Doing the) Math" and "Paradise is Not So Bad" [have] a palpable energy and hooks practically exploding out of the grooves."
Stereo Subversion Asks "How does Pollard make the creation of instant classic rock sound so natural and easy?" (8/10 rating)
ROBERT POLLARD - SPACE CITY KICKS
Pitchfork says "Space City Kicks is a rich, vibrant album."
Spin says "Defying logic, the famously productive Robert Pollard is getting even more prolific with age."
Ash Gray Proclamation says "Space City Kicks is a superbly crafted pop record riddled with memorable hooks abundant melodies and to our ears the first great record of 2011."
Spinner says Space City Kicks is "an album of punchy, Pollard-style rock anthems that find him tender at times."
The Fire Note says "Space City Kicks offers no fillers, plenty of melody and memorable song transitions that remind me of early holy grail GBV records like Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes."
GUIDED BY VOICES CLASSIC LINE-UP REUNION TOUR
LA Times writes: "If Matador at 21 were a game, Guided by Voices would've won -- they earned the most encores, the most fist pumping, the most singalongs, the most pushing against the stage and the most chanting of the whole weekend. "
Rolling Stone magazine: "Guided By Voices capped the weekend with an amazing high-energy set..."
Under The Radar says ".... the vibe was one of sheer shared joy...
The LAist says "They can hardly stand still long enough to take it all in. Live, the group's caustic stride has always threatened to veer off the rails."
Spinner says "The quintet was back to its old tricks, mainly with lead singer Robert Pollard's rants, gratuitous cursing, athletic windmills and limber scissor kicks. Of course, Pollard also had his cooler full of beer bottles planted next to the raised drum set, which was illuminated with a neon sign that read "The Club Is Open," a lyric from 'A Salty Salute.'"
Magnet Magazine says "A fit-looking Pollard did pirouettes and pointed one leg at the ceiling like a gymnast warming up for a big meet."
Tracer Magazine says "A rowdy crowd, an exalted entrance and a wall-of-sound take on "A Salty Salute" began Guided By Voices reunion show in Los Angeles."
BOSTON SPACESHIPS - OUR CUBEHOUSE STILL ROCKS
The A.V. Club says Our Cubehouse Still Rocks is an anthem-heavy affair that's the band's best work to date
The LAist says the songs "John The Dwarf Wants To Become An Angel" and "Fly Away (Terry Sez)" are the kind of perfectly-crafted pop songs that seem effortless in Pollard's hands.
The New Gay says "Cubehouse earns our grooviest rating: ten fist-pumps."
Wires and Waves says the album adds up to a sum of more than its parts through consistent execution and sequencing
Exclaim says "Cubehouse's heart is built of hooks and classic rock valentines that ring through effortless muscle car anthems..."
"This most British Invasion-centric Spaceships LP is further proof of Robert Pollard's amazing songcraft showing no signs of decline." - Top 20 Albums of 2010, Magnet
"Their fourth album glides in on gently fuzzed, unshakeable earworm riffs, glided by Pollard's ludicrous yet addictive lyrics." - Sunday Times of London
MOSES ON A SNAIL
Blurt says "Pollard seems to be aligning himself with other notable eccentrics - Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock, Bowie - for a generally off-kilter tableau of peculiar settings."
Under The Radar says "Either get out your bank card and hitch a ride, or step out of the way."
WE ALL GOT OUT OF THE ARMY
Pitchfork says since late 2008 or so Pollard has enjoyed a late-career renaissance, consistently rewarding those of us still paying attention...
Firenote says We All Got Out Of The Army peels back yet another layer of Bob's many musical avenues.
CIRCUS DEVILS - MOTHER SKINNY
Pop Matters says these kooky songs pack an awkward punch.
The Fire Note says Mother Skinny is just plain sinister art rock
Erasing Clouds says Mother Skinny is a sick, fun romp, an excuse to indulge in the scariest and weirdest of imagery.
SUITCASE 3
The Fire Note says that his pure look into the prolific GBV writing process is priceless
ZERO TO 99
Pop Matters says listening to Zero to 99 is a rewarding experience
Spectrum Culture says Zero to 99 ranks amongst Bob's best
Bob's got a big barrel of good songs and Zero to 99 proves it, so says Chipomatic
Wires and Waves says bringing the pop hooks is what the Boston Spaceships do best
Pitchfork says on Zero to 99 Bob is making some of the best music of his life
Denver Post calls Zero to 99 the most compelling of all the Boston Spaceship releases
Fire Note says Bob saves the best for last with the release of Zero to 99
ELEPHANT JOKES
Crawdaddy enjoys Elephant Jokes
PopMatters says on Elephant Jokes Bob is at his most plainly joyful
The Fire Note says that Elephant Jokes find Bob making more two minutes or less music magic
COSMOS - JAR OF JAM TON OF BRICKS
BLURT calls Cosmos a celestrial treat
The Fire Note says having Bob and Richard Davies work together can only produce a top grade product
CIRCUS DEVILS - GRINGO
BOSTON SPACESHIPS - THE PLANETS ARE BLASTED
THE CRAWLING DISTANCE
BOSTON SPACESHIPS - BROWN SUBMARINE
ROBERT POLLARD IS OFF TO BUSINESS
COAST TO COAST CARPET OF LOVE & STANDARD GAROYLE DECISONS
CIRCUS DEVILS - SGT. DISCO
CRICKETS - THE BEST OF THE FADING CAPTAIN SERIES
THE TAKEOVERS - BAD FOOTBALL
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS
SILVERFISH TRIVIA
NORMAL HAPPINESS
PSYCHO AND THE BIRDS - CHECK YOUR ZOO
KEENE BROTHERS - BLUES AND BOOGIE SHOES
THE TAKEOVERS - TURN TO RED
PSYCHO AND THE BIRDS - ALL THAT IS HOLY
FROM A COMPOUND EYE
THE ELECTRIFYING CONCLUSION DVD
SUITCASE 2 - AMERICAN SUPERDREAM WOW
CIRCUS DEVILS - FIVE
THE MOPING SWANS - LIGHTNING HEAD TO COFFEE POT
