And My ’90s Indie-Rock Soul Rejoices: GBV Come to Town & Afghan Whigs Release New Music

Got word about two different little bits of good news today, and since both hit that same general nostalgia-fueled ’90s indie-rock region of my black little heart, I figured I’d lump ’em in together.

First off, I’m psyched as hell to hear that the reunited Guided By Voices will be coming back through Houston soon, on September 24th up at Warehouse Live, when they’ll be playing with Detective (which is the new band of ex-GBV-er James Greer, incidentally).

Which is awesome to me, at least since I’ve been a fan for nearly two decades now but have yet to see ’em live. What makes this tour even better is that this version of GBV is the “classic” lineup, the one that recorded Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, & Under the Bushes Under the Stars, the three albums I love best from the band’s catalog. I’m thinking a ticket to this show is going to have to be my birthday present to me, dangit…

They’re touring in support for forthcoming new album Class Clown Spots A UFO, which I’m told is a big step up from the band’s more recent stuff — although I haven’t heard anything from Let’s Go Eat the Factory, mind you. And sadly, I have yet to hear this entire album, either, but I have heard the title track, “Class Clown Spots A UFO,” and I’m liking its loose-limbed jangle and friendly/warm vibe; it’s probably the closest thing I’ve heard from the Robert Pollard & co. to the aforementioned Alien Lanes, and that’s never a bad thing.

Check it out right here:

Guided By Voices – “Class Clown Spots A UFO”

The other happy news of the day comes from Greg Dulli and The Afghan Whigs, who also reunited recently. No word on shows here in town, unfortunately — they’re touring outside the U.S. ’til they hit Lollapalooza in Chicago in August — but the band’s releasing their first new recording in five years today.

They’ve done a cover of the song “See And Don’t See,” by Marie “Queenie” Lyons, which’ll be available for download from either the band’s Website or Facebook page as of noon EST.

Obviously, I haven’t heard it yet, but dammit, I’m psyched. I freaking love(d) this band, and it killed me to see them go their separate ways back in 2001; Gentlemen, in particular, was a large chunk of my life’s soundtrack 20(!) years or so ago. Dulli’s stuff in-between — The Gutter Twins & The Twilight Singers — has always been good in itself, but nothing quite matched what he was able to do with the Whigs.

Alright; if you see me walking around today with a big, stupid grin on my face, now you know why.