Lord of the Birdcage | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 7, 2011 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Label | Guided by Voices Inc. | |||
Producer | Todd Tobias | |||
Robert Pollard chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (80|100) |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
A.V. Club | B |
Lord of the Birdcage is the 16th full-length solo studio album from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard, released on June 7, 2011. [1]
In this album, Pollard uses different songwriting techniques by converting written poems into songs. [2]
In a 2011 review, Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club said Lord of the Birdcage "probably won't be this year's 'new' Robert Pollard record for long, but it might very well be the one worth remembering." [3]
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.
Dread Zeppelin is an American rock band best known for performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style as sung by a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator. Over the years they have also performed songs originally by Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and The Yardbirds. The group toured extensively around the world during their tenure with I.R.S. Records.
Russell "Russ" Pollard is an American rock musician, who has been a member of Sebadoh, The Folk Implosion, Alaska!, Everest, and the Calf Fiends,.
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.
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.
Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on June 21, 1994, on Scat Records. After its release the band became one of the more prominent groups associated with the "lo-fi" genre, a movement defined by the relatively low fidelity of audio releases. Musically, the album draws inspiration from British Invasion-era rock music and punk rock. Following the release of Bee Thousand, the band began to attract interest from other record labels, eventually signing with Matador for their next album.
Alien Lanes is the eighth full-length album by American lo-fi band Guided by Voices, released on April 4, 1995.
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.
Same Place the Fly Got Smashed is the fourth album by Guided by Voices. Bandleader Robert Pollard describes the release as "a concept album [with] a linear story" about an alcoholic who commits a murder and is eventually executed for his crime. Same Place the Fly Got Smashed marks the beginning of the band's lo-fi era, featuring a production value markedly less crisp and clear than their previous releases.
From a Compound Eye is a Robert Pollard CD and double LP released in 2006. Though Pollard had already released several albums under his own name, this album, being the first released after the 2004 dissolution of his longtime vehicle Guided by Voices, was considered to be the official commencement of his solo career.
Not in My Airforce (1996) is Robert Pollard's first solo album, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving.
Todd Tobias is a multi-instrumentalist and music producer best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Kramies, Moonchy & Tobias, and musical theater composer and lyricist George Griggs.
Under the Bushes Under the Stars is the ninth Guided by Voices album overall, and the last until 2012's Let's Go Eat the Factory to feature the "classic" lineup including Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell in addition to leader Robert Pollard. The album is noted as Guided by Voices' first stab at professionalism, being recorded in 24 track studios rather than their customary 4 track. Sessions for the album were reportedly arduous, spread as they were across at least four studios and as many sets of producers, and many titles and configurations were vetted before a final sequence was reached.
The Harold Pig Memorial is the second studio album by Ohio alternative rock band Circus Devils, released in 2002. Conceived as a concept album, each song depicts an episode in the life of biker Harold Pig as told by Harold's friends at his wake.
Boston Spaceships was a rock band featuring Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko of Guided By Voices, and John Moen of The Decemberists and Perhapst. The name of the band came from a nickname Pollard gave to the Boston cream donut from Krispy Kreme, which is Pollard's favorite donut. The band released several albums before disbanding in 2011 with their final album Let it Beard.
Moses on a Snail is the 14th full-length solo studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard since 1996. The album was recorded at producer Todd Tobias's studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and was released on July 6, 2010.
Brown Submarine is the first album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2008.
Our Cubehouse Still Rocks is the 4th album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2010. The title refers to a passage from Finnegans Wake, the classic modernist novel by James Joyce. This album is the highest rating Boston Spaceships release on metacritic, superseding 'Let It Beard'; This release is also the highest rating Robert Pollard project on the site, with his solo album, 'Lord Of The Birdcage,' being his highest rating album in general.
Faulty Superheroes is the twenty-first studio album by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released May 26, 2015, on 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.