| Sweating the Plague | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 25, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 37:48 | |||
| Label | Guided By Voices Inc. | |||
| Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100 [1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10 [3] |
| PopMatters |   [4] |
| Slant | [5] |
| Uncut | [6] |
Sweating the Plague is the 29th album released by Guided by Voices, released on October 25, 2019. [7] [8]
All songs written by Robert 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 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 homemade sound effects.
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.
Mag Earwhig! is the 10th studio album by American 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, Ohio.
Isolation Drills is the 12th studio album by American indie rock band 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.
Same Place the Fly Got Smashed is the fourth album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia is the third album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices. It is considered to be the first album in the group's discography to have their signature sound which was achieved by using low fidelity recording techniques.
Not in My Airforce (1996) is the debut solo album by American indie rock musician Robert Pollard, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving.
Choreographed Man of War is a collaboration album by American indie rock musicians Robert Pollard, Greg Demos, and Jim Macpherson, all members of Guided by Voices. The album features Pollard, Demos (bass), and Macpherson (drums) under the name Robert Pollard and his Soft Rock Renegades, a line from the song "A Big Fan Of The Pigpen" from the album Bee Thousand. It is the only album by the trio released under this name.
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.
Superman Was A Rocker is the 9th studio album from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released on January 29, 2008. Superman Was a Rocker marks the first LP released by Pollard's Happy Jack Rock Records label. It differs from Pollard's past solo albums in that it is very lo-fi in comparison to his more polished releases.
Blues and Boogie Shoes is an album by the Keene Brothers, a band formed by Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene. It was 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.
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.
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.
Surrender Your Poppy Field is the 30th studio album by American rock band Guided by Voices.
Earth Man Blues is the 33rd studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released by Guided by Voices, Inc. on April 30, 2021. The album is made up of unreleased songs that frontman Robert Pollard reworked to form a loose concept album about his childhood and has received positive reviews from critics.
Mirrored Aztec is the 31st studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
