“Keep It in Motion” is our first taste of Class Clown Spots a UFO, the second new Guided by Voices record of 2012.  And while this album has been billed as the more rocking and more modern companion to the mostly lo-fi, Let’s Go Eat the Factory, it still has that vintage GBV feel.  The melody is simple, direct, and instantly hummable.  Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout trade the same two lines over the tracks two minutes.  The drums, meanwhile, have that old ’80s echo effect going on.  Basically, it’s a guitar-pop song unencumbered by expectations.  And isn’t that the whole point of Guided by Voices in 2012?  Here’s five old friends rediscovering their old band, playing shows, recording new jams, without any preconceived notions of where it may lead them.  Another album?  Ok.  Another tour?  Well, maybe, but not right now.  Let’s enjoy these two minutes, first.

STREAM: Guided by Voices – Keep It in Motion (via The Quietus)

And now some notes: According to The Quietus, “Keep It in Motion” will be released as a 7″ single on March 19 via Fire Records in the UK with two b-sides — “Pink Wings” and “White World.”  For those in the US, “Keep It In Motion” is available through the Rockathon Records Store.  Two more singles, “Jon the Croc” and the title track, “Class Clown Spots a UFO, will follow, but not necessarily on the same label.

 And now some more notes:  I generally don’t like embedding audio. I prefer working with the raw mp3s.  One never knows how long a music-tech company is going to be around.  Remember iMeem?  Remember LaLa?  And while I’m still not fond of embedding players that prompt for email addresses, I’m willing to start using SoundCloud.  These posts will lead with “Play Me” to more easily distinguish them form posts with downloadable mp3 audio.