Watch Guided by Voices’ Channel-Surfing Video for New Single “Dance of Gurus”

The group’s latest LP, “It’s Not Them. It Can’t Be Them. It Is Them!,” arrives October 22.
Watch Guided by Voices’ Channel-Surfing Video for New Single “Dance of Gurus”

The group’s latest LP, “It’s Not Them. It Can’t Be Them. It Is Them!,” arrives October 22.

Words: Mike LeSuer

photo by Trevor Naud

September 08, 2021

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of short, buzzing singles by lo-fi pioneers Guided by Voices out in the world at this point (which adds a new, prophetic meaning to the title of their 1994 breakthrough record), and a decidedly disproportionate number of music videos attached to them. The visual for their latest single, then, only makes the momentous (though far from uncommon) occasion of a new album rollout from the Dayton-bred rockers all the more exciting. 

“Dance of Gurus” (“‘Gurus’ here is pronounced the traditional way,” clarifies the band’s Doug Gillard,” with the emphasis on both syllables.”) and its accompanying video created by experimental videographer Aaron Dunkel and photojournalist Michael Nigro precedes GBV’s umpteenth LP It’s Not Them. It Can’t Be Them. It Is Them!, which arrives October 22 via their own GBV Inc. Pairing the band’s brief, light-grunge songwriting with a quick succession of moving footage and still images of their live show with barely decipherable imagery of ’50s television shows, Sunday morning cartoons, Hindu deity, The Great Train Robbery, American military propaganda, and much more provides the sensation of quickly flipping channels. Grab your clicker and watch the clip below.