How Do You Spell Heaven | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 11, 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2017 | |||
Studio | Serious Business Music in Brooklyn, New York and The Stillwater River Lodge in Dayton, Ohio | |||
Genre | Indie rock, lo-fi | |||
Length | 37:04 | |||
Label | Rockathon Records | |||
Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 75/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Pitchfork | 7.4/10 [2] |
AllMusic | [3] |
How Do You Spell Heaven is the 25th album to be released by lo-fi band Guided By Voices. It was released on August 11, 2017. [4]
It was recorded and mixed by Travis Harrison at Serious Business Music, NY, and Stillwater Lodge. [5]
All tracks written by Robert Pollard, except "Pearly Gates Smoke Machine" by Doug Gillard & Pollard.
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 their lo-fi aesthetic and typically 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. Due to their prolific output, releasing 30 full-length albums along with many other releases, they have garnered a dedicated cult following with songs that are in the two-minute range, with many which are even shorter. Their songs are also known for ending abruptly or intertwining with odd and homemade sound effects.
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. is an American musician and singer-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.
Alien Lanes is the eighth full-length album by American lo-fi band Guided by Voices, released on April 4, 1995.
Mag Earwhig! is a 1997 album release by indie rock band Guided by Voices. Following the dissolution of the group's "classic" lineup, band-leader Robert Pollard recruited Cleveland group Cobra Verde as his backing band, while retaining the Guided by Voices name. It was the second release to feature future long-term collaborator Doug Gillard. Gillard had previously played on and co-wrote the song “Mice Feel Nice ” on the “Tigerbomb” EP. Most of Mag Earwhig! was recorded in a professional studio in Cleveland by the new lineup and marked a departure from band's trademark lo-fi sound, additional songs were also recorded in Dayton.
Earthquake Glue is the 14th record by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. Working titles for the album included "Model Prisoners of the 5 Sense Realm", "Live Like Kings Forever", and "All Sinners Welcome". The first 25,000 copies were packaged in a numbered limited-edition digipak. Some copies of Earthquake Glue contained a golden ticket; people with a golden ticket were entitled to a free copy of the anthology box set Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere.
Universal Truths and Cycles is the thirteenth (official) album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. After releasing their previous two albums on TVT Records, Guided by Voices returned to Matador Records.
Isolation Drills is the twelfth album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. It was their second and final LP released under TVT Records and their second to feature a major rock producer in Rob Schnapf. The album was also their first to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 168. The album notably features instrumental contributions from Elliott Smith and David Sulzer. Previous longtime band member Tobin Sprout also returned as a guest and contributed with playing piano. While Jim MacPherson plays drums on the album, his replacement Jon McCann is featured in the cover photos, as MacPherson had left the band immediately after the recording to focus on his home life.
Do the Collapse is the 11th album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. In contrast with their lo-fi reputation, the album features glossy production work from Ric Ocasek, which drew a mixed reception from critics and fans. "Hold On Hope" was covered by country singer Glen Campbell on his 61st album Ghost on the Canvas in 2011. In his introduction to James Greer's book Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll, Academy Award-winning film maker Steven Soderbergh referenced the album stating "that album Ric Ocasek produced was terrific."
Phantom Tollbooth was a post-punk/noise rock band from New York City. They played a style of post punk that included elements from jazz, noise rock, and art rock. This allowed Phantom Tollbooth to make sudden starts, stops, and tempo changes in their music. All of their albums were released in a four-year window between 1984 and 1988 on Homestead Records. In 2003, Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard created new lyrics and melodies for Phantom Tollbooth's 1988 album Power Toy. The resulting work was released as Beard of Lightning.
Doug 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.
Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department is an album released by Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard in 1999. For the album, Gillard recorded instrumental tracks for songs Pollard had written, to which Pollard later added vocals.
Tigerbomb is an EP by the indie rock band Guided by Voices. It was released in 1995 on Matador Records.
Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999–2007 is a collection of songs from releases in the Fading Captain Series of Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices.
Half Smiles of the Decomposed is the fifteenth album by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. It was the final album by the band before their 2010 reformation.
Blues And Boogie Shoes is an album by the Keene Brothers, formed by Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene, released in 2006.
August by Cake is the 24th album by the Dayton, Ohio-based group Guided by Voices. It is also said to be the 100th album recorded by main member Robert Pollard, though different numbers have been counted in his entire discography and side projects. It was released on April 7, 2017. August by Cake is a double album.
Space Gun is the 26th studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices. It was released on March 23, 2018 under Guided by Voices, Inc.
Zeppelin over China is the 27th studio album by American indie rock group Guided by Voices. It was released on February 1, 2019 on the Rockathon Records label and was recorded at Magic Door in New Jersey, Serious Business Records in New York and Stillwater Lodge in Dayton, Ohio. The double album received mixed to favorable reviews from critics scoring 65 out 100 on aggregate website Metacritic and four out five stars on AllMusic, with several critics commenting on the positive output of the band's current lineup.
Warp and Woof is the 28th album released by Guided by Voices, released on April 26, 2019.
Sweating the Plague is the 29th album released by Guided by Voices, released on October 25, 2019.