- The club is. . .
Writing this 12 O’Clock Track post is almost like writing a eulogy for an old friend. Yesterday it was announced that Ohio lo-fi indie-rock legends Guided by Voices had called it quits. Sure, they’ve done this before, so there’s always the chance that it won’t stick—front man and sole constant member Robert Pollard has seen more than 15 members pass through the band since 1983, so inner turmoil is the sort of thing that seems to fuel GBV’s brilliance. But the fact that the band suddenly canceled a dozen upcoming shows over the course of the next two months, including a high billing at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, adds a grim note of finality to the announcement this time.
Choosing a song for today’s 12 O’Clock Track is very difficult. In a 1996 interview Pollard approximated that he had written at least 5,000 songs at that point, so the number of tunes to choose from is astronomical. That’s part of the beauty of the GBV catalog: it’s a gift that keeps on giving. I discover a new favorite GBV track every couple weeks or so, and right now it’s “Dodging Invisible Rays” off of 1995’s Tigerbomb EP. It’s a perfect gem written and sung by guitarist Tobin Sprout, and it kind of wraps up my feelings on the band’s disillusion: I’m deeply saddened to see these amazing guys disappear again, and the song pulls on your heartstrings a little bit. But it’s also beautiful and joyful, and that’s how I feel any time I hear a song by the band.
