The ever-prolific Robert Pollard has released 99 albums since Guided By Voices’ 1986 debut Forever Since Breakfast. Not one of them is a double album, which is why for numero one hundo, he’s doing exactly that.
He’s calling it August By Cake, and for the first time in the band’s long storied history, it features contributions from all five members, specifically veterans Doug Gillard and Kevin March in addition to virgins Bobby Bare Jr. and Mark Shue.
So, why the long wait? According to Pollard, he believes double albums — for example, The Who’s Quadrophenia or Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation — are “defining records” and wants August By Cake to be just as vital and important to GBV.
That’s a tall order, especially given his breadth of work, but we’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. So far, all we have is “Hiking Skin”, which oddly enough actually sounds like an early Who song. Take a listen below.
August By Cake Tracklisting:
00. Bob Intro
01. 5° On The inside.
02. Generox – Gray
03. When We All Hold Hands
04. Goodbye Note
05. We Liken The Sun.
06. Fever Pitch
07. Absent The Man
08. Packing The Dead Zone
09. What Begins On New Years Day
10. Overloaded
11. Keep Me Down
12. West Coast Company Man
13. Warm Up To Religion
14. High 5 Hall Of Famers
15. Hiking Skin
16. Sudden Fiction
17. Its Food
18. Cheap Buttons
19. Substitute 11
20. Chew the Sand
21. Dr. Feelgood Falls Off the Ocean
22. The Laughing Closet
23. Deflect Project
24. Upon The Circus Bus
25. Try It Out Its Nothing
26. Sentimental Wars
27. Circus Day Holdout
28. Whole Tomatoes
29. Amusement Park Is Over
30. Golden Doors
31. The Possible Edge
32. Escape To Phoenix
Since GBV will be performing at Coachella, and likely to a crowd jonesing for Radiohead, they’ve announced a supporting Spring tour to keep them busy between weekends.
Guided By Voices 2017 Tour Dates:
04/07 – St. Louis, MO @ Ready Room
04/14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
04/17 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
04/18 – Seattle, WA @ Nuemos
04/21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/28 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner
04/29 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
05/05 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
05/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
