Guided by Voices might be one of my all time favorite rock bands. They put on one of the best live shows I have ever been witness to. Up this week we have two great songs, “Surgical Focus” from their Do the Collapse release and “Fly Into Ashes” from their Hold on Hope EP. The cover to this 45 features a ladies face and has an interactive wheel that changes out her eyes to different circular items, i.e. a top view of a beer can, rims, clocks, etc. I always wondered if the concept of using a volvelle on the sleeve was a nod to Led Zeppelin III or just a crazy hare·brained idea they came up with when they were drinking their favorite beverage. A very fun and engaging cover that I am sure blew the labels printing budget. These are two totally rocking songs, so I am going to post both of them for your human amusement.
Surgical Focus
Fly Into Ashes
From their Wikipedia page…
Guided by Voices (often abbreviated as GBV) was an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. From the band’s formation in 1983, it experienced frequent personnel changes, but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. Guided by Voices disbanded in 2004, though many of its former members remain musically involved in solo careers or other projects.
Noted at first for its lo-fi aesthetic and typically Portastudio four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices’ music revealed influences from post-British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock and post-punk. The band also garnered much attention for its prolific output, with a seemingly endless stream of releases. Most songs are in the two-minute range, but many are even shorter; often they end abruptly or are intertwined with odd and homemade sound effects.
