What is Bee Thousand?

Bee Thousand is a landmark indie rock album created by Robert Pollard, a Dayton schoolteacher, in his basement studio. Released in 1994, it became an influential record that helped shape the sound and ethos of independent rock music.

Who created Bee Thousand and what was his background?

Bee Thousand was created by Robert Pollard, a music teacher from Dayton, Ohio. Despite his day job as a schoolteacher, Pollard was passionate about music and recorded the album independently in his basement, demonstrating that groundbreaking music could be made outside traditional recording studios.

How did Bee Thousand impact indie rock?

Bee Thousand accidentally became a transformative album for indie rock, introducing lo-fi production aesthetics and DIY recording philosophy to a broader audience. Its raw sound and innovative songwriting influenced countless independent musicians and helped define the indie rock genre throughout the 1990s and beyond.

Liner Note · May 9, 2026

Bee Thousand

Guided by Voices · 1994 Spin it Again - Twenty-eight songs in under forty minutes, recorded on leftover tape in a Dayton basement by a third-grade teacher who had to be at school Monday morning.

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