This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Guided by Voices' "The Future Is in Eggs"

Dayton, Ohio's indie rock heroes Guided by Voices - who just happen to sport one of rock music's finest all-time band names - may not garner much mention if any when the conversation turns to '80s music, but that doesn't mean it's excusable to ignore the group's groundbreaking, influential work of its late-'80s formative stage. Bypassing the growing alternative/modern rock movement that would explode in popularity a few short years into the '90s, band mastermind Robert Pollard carved an honorable swath in the developing history of indie rock. Without the benefit of radio airplay or traditional record label support, Guided by Voices simply honed its craft and absorbed well-earned experience years before the so-called "cool kids" had caught wind of the band's lo-fi sound. "The Future Is in Eggs," a mesmerizing track from 1989's Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia probably was heard by only the chosen few during the '80s, a group in which I certainly didn't travel back then. Still, Pollard's genius should be credited for not only its time-capsule, man-out-of-time brilliance but also because it has continued to define what it means to create independent music in a rapidly changing entertainment universe.

• Sample or download "The Future Is in Eggs" here.

• Compare prices on Guided by Voices CDs here.

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Halo