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Old 01-24-2009, 01:23 PM   #1 (permalink)
Molecules
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Think these guys deserve a thread as they are my top artist on Last.fm by quite a margin (mostly accrued over a one-month GBV binge).

For those who have no idea who they are, GBV were yet another great band from Ohio who put out sh*tloads of albums and played sh*tloads of gigs between 1983 and 2004; fronted by former schoolteacher and garage rocker Robert Pollard.
Their music is basically idiosyncratic indie rock, and they are credited with defining the lo-fi aesthetic with their cheaply-recorded but deeply affecting records whilst having a reputation as a formidable live presence comparable to the Who in their prime.


Their finest period of the classic line-up (where they first gained real press attention) is generally thought to be the mid-90's with the albums Alien Lanes and Bee Thousand being hallmarks of (real) American indie rock music.

They achieved only limited commercial success (specifically with their latter-day major label single 'Teenage FBI') and their later albums resorted to a 'proper' studio sound that, whilst yielding some great songs IMO, lacked the intimate resonance of their earlier work that had intrigued so many people.

I think they are particularly noteworthy for a totally unpretentious, binge-drinking, chain-smoking attitude to make enjoyable 60's-inflected rock music.

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Last edited by Molecules; 01-24-2009 at 02:33 PM.
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