As Guided by Voices’ resident mad scientist, Robert Pollard churns out songs at a rate that makes the speed of light seem slothful. From homegrown four-track fuzzfests to comparatively high-tech stints with famous producers, GBV’s dozens-strong discography defies easy listening. With Pollard as the only constant, the Dayton band toiled in ‘80s indie rock’s sub-basement obscurity before emerging as the surrealist kings of lo-fi land in the mid ‘90s.

Today, they’re a scrappy but stalwart alt-rock institution. At each album’s core are Pollard’s delirious dream-logic lyrics and miniaturist mania, with songs sometimes ending after a single verse. “I’ve tried to write epics, but I’ve got a short attention span from working with kids for 14 years,” the former schoolteacher told SPIN.

It’s Propeller, right? The best GBV album? Yeah, OK.