What does Guided By Voices have to do with Tampa? More than we thought, now.
DTCV's 2016 album, Confusion Moderne, is one of the most refreshing listens of the year thanks to Lola G.'s French language delivery and Jim Greer's sturdy, 90s rock arrangements. CL was giddy about the pair's late September appearance at The Hub in downtown Tampa, and today we're even more dumbfounded and thrilled to see that Lola G. and Greer — who was also an editor at SPIN in addition to being a novelist and film writer — have decided to sign on with Tampa management company Cigar City Management.
LISTEN: THESE NERDS LET CL TALK ON THEIR PODCAST
News of the deal comes just a few weeks after CL appeared on the Cigar City Management podcast (with no mention of the deal — thanks guys). Randy Ojeda, who co-founded the company with Jason Solanes says that, in short, he'll have the band's back on a variety of matters including touring and additional marketing opportunities since there are a lot of moving parts to coordinate.
"We keep an eye out for opportunities that a touring band might not have time to seek out," Ojeda ,26, told CL in an email, noting that DTCV is on the road almost every day in November and December. He said that it's impossible to be on the road, in the studio, and on stage while trying to keep up with emails, phone calls, and negotiations.
"The music industry is a ton of moving parts," he said. "Our team can really help slow those parts down, so we can push the brand forward while they just keep making great records," he said. He's been a fan of the band since 2013's Hilarious Heaven and, like a lot of people, was drawn to the project by the GBV connection. Still, he feels like DTCV has shown that they are much more than a footnote for Greer.
"They've developed a style that is wholly them and shouldn't be compared to what they did before starting DTCV," Ojeda said, adding that he made contact with the band by booking them for an appearance on the Cigar City podcast the morning after the show at The Hub. "They were into it from the beginning, basically saying, 'we might be hungover, but let's do it.'"
The podcast (which you can listen to here) is only 30-minutes long, but could've gone longer according to Ojeda citing Greers many accomplishments and Lola G.'s infectious energy.
"You can just talk with her all day," Ojeda said. "For being this awesome, rowdy rock band, Jim and Lola are surprisingly private people. I feel like they've been quietly making great music, but not enough people know about them." For now, Ojeda looks forward to seeing the band when they come back stateside next year. There's a new record coming, and hopefully another Tampa Bay appearance.
"Hopefully we'll get them back to Tampa soon," Ojeda said. "Pretty sure they're sold on the 'Hub Pour.'"
Listen to the DTCV podcast below. Possess it via iTunes or stitcher.com.
This article appears in Oct 20-27, 2016.
