The Bellwether

Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. The band experienced various lineup changes, with singer and songwriter Robert Pollard remaining the only constant member. The most well-known lineup included Pollard (lead vocals), his brother Jim (guitar, bass), Mitch Mitchell (lead guitars), Tobin Sprout (vocals, rhythm guitars), Kevin Fennell (drums), and Greg Demos (bass). The band drew influence from British Invasion music, garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock, and post-punk. They released 43 full-length albums and numerous other recordings, developing a dedicated cult following. Emerging from the lo-fi music scene of the 1980s, their early recordings employed Portastudio four-track cassette production and were characterized by their brevity. Guided by Voices disbanded in 2004, but the "classic" lineup reunited in 2010 to perform at Matador Records' 21st anniversary and subsequently toured and released six new albums. The band broke up again in 2014, but Pollard reformed it in 2016 with a new lineup and album, and the band has continued to operate since then.