With the way the music industry can churn out and then toss away artists, it’s a considerable accomplishment to release double-digit studio albums. It’s the sort of thing only achieved by the most iconic (Bob Dylan has put out about 39, with Johnny Cash topping him at 55), or just ridiculously prolific (hello, Buckethead). Robert Pollard is a bit of both, so perhaps that’s why he now finds himself in the incredibly rare position of reaching triple-digit releases. The latest album from Guided by Voices, August by Cake, marks Pollard’s 100th (!!) studio album since 1986.
Out April 7th via GBV Inc Records, August by Cake isn’t just a landmark release for its founding and only consistent member; it also serves as Guided by Voices’ first-ever double album. The 32 tracks were recorded with a new lineup featuring GBV regulars Doug Gillard (guitar) and Kevin March (drums), along with 2016 additions Mark Shue (bass) and Bobby Bare, Jr. (guitar).
Pollard considers albums like The Who’s Quadrophenia, The Beatles’ White Album, and Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade “defining records,” so he does not take GBV’s first double album lightly. Numerous attempts at creating such an effort have been abandoned over the years, but with contributions from each of the current band members, Pollard are confident that this is the double album GBV fans deserve.
As he tells Consequence of Sound,
“I love albums with a lot of songs on them, like Pink Flag or the White Album. August by Cake was originally going to be a single album. I gave the band 17 songs to rehearse before we recorded in New York, but then I recorded 6 songs myself in Dayton that came out really well. It was too many songs for a single album and not enough for a double album, so I asked the band members to write and record two songs each. I was pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out. The album has a lot of diversity which is important to pull off a 70+ minutes double album. “
A week ahead of the official release, the entirety of August by Cake is streaming below.
August by Cake Album Art:
August by Cake Tracklist:
00. Bob Intro
01. 5° On The inside.
02. Generox – Gray
03. When We All Hold Hands
04. Goodbye Note
05. We Liken The Sun.
06. Fever Pitch
07. Absent The Man
08. Packing The Dead Zone
09. What Begins On New Years Day
10. Overloaded
11. Keep Me Down
12. West Coast Company Man
13. Warm Up To Religion
14. High 5 Hall Of Famers
15. Hiking Skin
16. Sudden Fiction
17. Its Food
18. Cheap Buttons
19. Substitute 11
20. Chew the Sand
21. Dr. Feelgood Falls Off the Ocean
22. The Laughing Closet
23. Deflect Project
24. Upon The Circus Bus
25. Try It Out Its Nothing
26. Sentimental Wars
27. Circus Day Holdout
28. Whole Tomatoes
29. Amusement Park Is Over
30. Golden Doors
31. The Possible Edge
32. Escape To Phoenix
Guided by Voices will support their massive new record on a spring tour beginning on the album’s release date. Considering the historic nature of the release, these are sure to be some epic shows, so check their complete itinerary below.
Guided By Voices 2017 Tour Dates:
04/07 – St. Louis, MO @ Ready Room *
04/08 – Oklahoma City, OK @ ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Fest, The Criterion
04/14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club #
04/17 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
04/18 – Seattle, WA @ Nuemos ^
04/21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/22 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy Theatre &
04/28 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner $
04/29 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme %
05/05 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick %
05/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop !
* = w/ The Brainstems
# = w/ Rogue Wave
^ = w/ Sloucher
& = w/ Prism Tats
$ = w/ DTCV
% = w/ Deadbeat Beat
! = w/ Mirrors
