English Little League | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 30, 2013 | |||
Studio | The Public Hi-Fi Balloon in Dayton, Ohio | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 45:54 | |||
Label | Guided by Voices Inc. / Fire Records (UK) | |||
Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Consequence of Sound | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B [3] |
English Little League is the 19th album by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. [4]
In a July 2013 interview with Magnet magazine, Robert Pollard hinted that English Little League would be the final Guided by Voices album. [5] A 20th album Motivational Jumpsuit was then released in 2014.
All tracks are written by Robert Pollard, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Xeno Pariah" | 2:04 | |
2. | "Know Me As Heavy" | 2:50 | |
3. | "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" | Tobin Sprout | 2:16 |
4. | "Trashcan Full Of Nails" | 3:31 | |
5. | "Send To Celeste (And The Cosmic Athletes)" | 3:19 | |
6. | "The Quiet Game" | Sprout | 3:19 |
7. | "Noble Insect" | Pollard, Sprout | 3:24 |
8. | "Sir Garlic Breath" | Pollard, Greg Demos | 2:26 |
9. | "Crybaby 4-Star Hotel" | 1:53 | |
10. | "Biographer Seahorse" | 3:36 | |
11. | "Flunky Minnows" | 2:12 | |
12. | "Birds" | Pollard, Sprout | 2:45 |
13. | "The Sudden Death Of Epstein's Ways" | Sprout | 2:16 |
14. | "Reflections In A Metal Whistle" | 1:47 | |
15. | "Taciturn Caves" | 3:55 | |
16. | "A Burning Glass" | 2:01 | |
17. | "W/ Glass In Foot" | 2:20 | |
Total length: | 45:54 |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
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US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [6] | 21 |
Guided by Voices (GBV) is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted of Pollard, his brother Jim, Mitch Mitchell, Tobin Sprout, Kevin Fennell (drums), and bassist Greg Demos. Noted at first for its lo-fi aesthetic and Portastudio four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music was influenced by early post–British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock and post-punk. The band has had a prolific output, releasing 35 full-length albums along with many other releases, and has garnered a dedicated cult following. Their songs are known for their frequent brevity and for ending abruptly or intertwining with eclectic and homemade sound effects.
The Amps were an American alternative rock band formed by Kim Deal in 1995, while her band the Breeders went on hiatus. The group consisted of Deal, on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Luis Lerma on bass; Nate Farley on lead guitar; and Jim Macpherson of the Breeders on drums. Kelley Deal, Kim's sister, was also briefly involved, but had to leave the band due to drug problems. The group was named when Kim Deal started calling herself Tammy Ampersand for fun, and the band Tammy and the Amps. They recorded the album Pacer in the United States and Ireland.
Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. is an American singer and songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prolific solo career with 22 solo albums released so far.
The Guided by Voices discography includes dozens of releases, both official and unofficial. Robert Pollard, the main creative force behind the band, is an extremely prolific songwriter, having written or co-written more than 1,600 songs, with over 500 of them released under the Guided by Voices moniker.
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Douglas Scott Gillard is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has been a member of major indie pop and punk bands, most notably Guided by Voices, Nada Surf, Bambi Kino, Death of Samantha, and Cobra Verde.
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Todd Tobias is an American multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Kramies, The Library Is On Fire, and musical theater composer and lyricist George Griggs.
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