Most prolific artist of the 00's

[cryptique]

Except that strictly speaking, the question isn't about quality, but quantity.

 

If I put out an album every month for the whole decade, chances are quite high that I'd have been the most prolific artist of that decade. Whether those albums were any good isn't relevant.

 

Also: this is a really stupid argument.

[Guest Speed Racer]

From Merriam-Webster:

 

Main Entry: pro·lif·ic

Pronunciation: \prə-ˈli-fik\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French prolifique, from Middle French, from Latin proles + Middle French -figue -fic

Date: 1650

1 : producing young or fruit especially freely : fruitful

2 archaic : causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction

3 : marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity

 

Arguably, some of these artists aren't producing fruits so much as planting a lot of trees and bushes. Why is it silly, out of a list of all of these productive artists, to choose he whose fruit is the sweetest out of those whose orchards are the same size, give or take?

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

No, like I said, Homme/Rhys get my (non-existent because they aren't in the poll) vote. But I certainly can't argue with Jeff as one of the most prolific artists of the decade.

 

Maybe it's just my tendency to look too deep into word choices (especially the word alone implying...alone), but to me, it was saying that YHF was the only album taken into consideration. Obviously, if there's a stalemate, one should choose the prolific artist that was also the best. We all know prolific and good are not one and the same. So using YHF to break a tie between Jeff and whoever is fine, but I didn't get that from the post. I'm sure that person has heard all of Jeff's 00's albums, so this is all moot, and mostly an issue of wording.

 

Also: this is a really stupid argument.

Undoubtedly so. Merely a word choice issue on my end. Apologies.

[Winston Legthigh]

Except that strictly speaking, the question isn't about quality, but quantity.

 

If I put out an album every month for the whole decade, chances are quite high that I'd have been the most prolific artist of that decade. Whether those albums were any good isn't relevant.

 

Also: this is a really stupid argument.

If it's just about quantity, why is it even a vote?

[Guest Speed Racer]

If it's just about quantity, why is it even a vote?

 

So we can argue about it.

[Winston Legthigh]

So we can argue about it.

One can argue that 50 is greater than 100?

 

Good times.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

One can argue that 50 is greater than 100?

 

Good times.

It's the internet. Of course one can.

[Lammycat]

I bet there are rock/pop singer-songwriter of the 00's that put out more stuff than that Robert Pollard guy (if that's even his real name). Maybe even as equally unknown, too.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I bet there are rock/pop singer-songwriter of the 00's that put out more stuff than that Robert pollard guy. Maybe even as equally unknown, too.

 

GBV is pretty well known, honestly. I haven't heard too many of their songs, but its hard to read a music publication that hasn't mentioned them at least once per year.

[The High Heat]

Is it just about new material created and recorded? Do live performances not count?

[nodep5]

I would go with Ryan Adams just due to the amount of released and unreleased of which i actually care about (which is 99% of it) I'm a huge ryan fan boy

 

as for GBV or Pollard related, I must say I haven't given him a lot of time. I think "Glad Girls" is an amazing pop song (should have been super huge), but everything else i've heard just kind of leaves me ambivalent.

 

I think it is a case of one of those people you are suppose to love, but don't. Like REM>

 

oh, btw, i have released 7 albums and one ep in this decade. well released isn't accurate if only myself, mother and in laws have a copy, but prolific none the less

[Guest Runaway Jim]

Except that strictly speaking, the question isn't about quality, but quantity.

 

That's far too literal an interpretation of "prolific" for me. And I believe the OP had a looser interpretation of the word too.

[Dude]

Man, sometimes I read these threads and feel like I'm sitting through a Clinton deposition.

[tinnitus photography]

I bet there are rock/pop singer-songwriter of the 00's that put out more stuff than that Robert Pollard guy (if that's even his real name). Maybe even as equally unknown, too.

 

no freaking way. not even close!

 

it's kinda sad that Pollard is mired in obscurity...i know that Hardwood Floor has done his best to proselytize.

 

the other prolific artists from the decade that come to mind are:

 

James Ferraro

matt valentine and erika elder (aka mv+ee)

jandek

sun city girls

[mjpuczko]

for pure consistency:

hold steady/craig finn

spoon/britt

[cryptique]

That's far too literal an interpretation of "prolific" for me. And I believe the OP had a looser interpretation of the word too.

But that's what it means.

 

If it's just about quantity, why is it even a vote?

Excellent question.

[Doug]

Uncle Bob Pollard gets my vote. But also high on the list would be Dean Wells, who records most of his stuff under the Capstan Shafts moniker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Capstan_Shafts

 

He gets compared to Pollard quite a bit, but to these ears his songs are far more similar to ex-Guided by Voices guitarist/songwriter Tobin Sprout. His voice, guitar sound, and overall sound are very Sproutish. Lyrically he seems to be Pollardish, but soundwise, not so much.

 

Will Johnson could've been considered if this had been a poll of most prolific artist from 2000-2007. His recording output has slowed way down in the past few years, unfortunately. For a while he was churning out lots of stuff, almost all of it excellent in my humble opinion.

 

God bless you, Bob Pollard! Keep the music coming! (New solo album in February, and another one in August, by the way, not to mention Circus Devils, Boston Spaceships, and maybe a long-wished-for GbV archival release called Power of Suck coming up later this year.

[brianjeremy]

It's a shame that more people don't know about Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices. The man currently has 1,242 songs registered with BMI. I've been into his music for nearly 10 years now and I still feel like I am just exploring the tip of the iceberg.

 

I will always argue that their story is every indie-wannbe musician or music fan's dream come true. Those guys actually lived it. Truly amazing. Making records in their basements for no one in particular to hear, all while under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol. Again, truly amazing.

 

If there is some pinnacle of what it means to be a music nerd/fan, I believe that by listening to GBV and Robert Pollard and discovering their music, it is the equivalent of reaching musical nirvana. Like you transcend to something greater, beyond the typical scope of the normal music fan's spectrum.

 

Despite his more recent decline in quality, although I would argue a recent re-invigoration, the man's music has been at time transcendent and just flat out great. By not knowing his music or at least trying it out, is doing a great disservice to somebody/something/somewhere. If you don't know of the man or his music, do yourself a favor and pick up Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes or Under the Bushes Under the Stars.

 

Great article about emissions and Uncle Bob's carbon footprint: here. I think this has been posted here before, but I get a kick out of reading this.

 

P.s. - I am going to have to check out Capstan Shafts.

 

Just saw this on GQ via facebook about how productive this man is: More evidence of awesomeness. Plus a great quote on the subject at hand:

 

I work best when I can turn my attention to different things. So I have lots going on—music and collages and a literary magazine. My house has all these images I've collected and notebooks full of lyrics, and I've got my boom box and my acoustic, so whatever station I feel like moving to, that's what I do. It depends on which inspiration comes over. My goal is to write and record a lot of songs. They're all my children, but some of them will send a chill up my spine. I'll record forty or fifty songs; then I'll sift through them until I find something great. You don't need to aim for perfection every time, and that's freeing.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

Is all of the music this Pollard fellow puts out good? Or is just some of it good and the rest garbage?

[brianjeremy]

Is all of the music this Pollard fellow puts out good? Or is just some of it good and the rest garbage?

 

 

Of course it's not all great, he is a human. But he has a pretty good batting average, especially circa '92-'96. He just releases pretty much everything that he can record. The main criticism of Pollard is that he needs an editor, which in part is true. But if you like at like this: not every Picasso painting was good either. Not every Wilco song is great. You picking up what I'm putting down?

[tinnitus photography]

brianjeremy is DROPPING SCIENCE

[Sir Stewart]

One can argue that 50 is greater than 100?

 

Good times.

 

All I'm sayin' is, 24's the highest number.

[W(TF)]

Sorry folks....I didn't have time to check back in til now. I've added Jandek and Robert Pollard to the choices, hope that helps.

[W(TF)]

I voted for White even though I enjoy the first other three more. By no means my favorite artist but I feel that JW has been both consistent and courageous, and did a lot more than his share to keep the genre alive and kicking the last 10 yrs.

 

[hardwood floor]

capstan shafts are pretty great ... i think euridice proudhon is his best ... some great little lo-fi stuff ... and he gives most of it away on archive.org

 

but guided by voices / pollard are another world

 

if you haven't heard bee thousand / alien lanes / under the bushes under the stars, you're missing out on what is probably the greatest three-record run by any band in history

 

but from a compound eye, universal truths and cycles and half smiles of the decomposed are all brilliant

 

and every record bob has put out includes at least three flat-out masterpieces. some have more. like brianjeremy said, he was in a little bit of a rut from 2006-2008 and lost his way there (although even his bad records had some great tracks, like folded claws and no island and the blondes and circle saw boys club)... but the latest one - Zero to 99, from Boston Spaceships - is a real return to form. best record of 2009 to my ears and bob's best since FaCE in 2005

 

if you haven't spent some serious time with pollard and guided by voices, do it

 

just listen to motor away, i am a scientist, smothered in hugs, my impression now and christian animation torch carriers and you'll be hooked for life