Circus Devils is an American psychedelic rock band founded in 2001 by

Robert Pollard Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. (born October 31, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the frontman and leader of indie rock band Guided by Voices, which he also the band’s only constant member. In addition to this, he has also rele ...

, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the Dayton, Ohio, band

Guided by Voices Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...

. The band consists of Pollard (vocals and lyrics),

Todd Tobias Todd Tobias (born 1967) is an American multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Kramies, The Library Is On Fire, and musical the ...

(music and production), and Tim Tobias (music). Circus Devils employs a wide spectrum of musical styles, ranging from acid rock to ambient soundscapes. On the band's web site, the music is described as "garage-prog, or

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...

made by cave men."

History

Circus Devils was originally conceived in 2001 as a side project to Robert Pollard's main work with

. Between 2001 and 2023, the band released 15 full-length albums. Beginning with the release of their first album, Ringworm Interiors, Circus Devils dismissed the styles of Pollard's other musical endeavors for a more experimental approach, taking an ominous and nightmarish tone, exploring the themes of good and evil. According to the group's whimsical website bio, Circus Devils formed because a dog-faced man approached each member on separate occasions to deliver the message, "Circus Devils is Real." Like this story, the song lyrics are often unsettling fictional tales of horror delivered within deconstructed rock operas. Each Circus Devils album is distinguished by a theme, concept, or production style which sets it apart from the band's other albums. In 2007, the band's 5th album Sgt. Disco was released on

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...

Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999, by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles, ex-lead singer of DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton (Faith N ...

record label. Band member and producer

authored a book in 2019 title
''Circus Devils: See You Inside''
published by Tiny Room in The Netherlands.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Ringworm Interiors'' (2001) * '' The Harold Pig Memorial'' (2002) * '' Pinball Mars'' (2003) * '' Five'' (2005) * '' Sgt. Disco'' (2007) * ''

Ataxia Ataxia (from Greek α- negative prefix+ -τάξις rder= "lack of order") is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in e ...

'' (2008) * '' Gringo'' (2009) * '' Mother Skinny'' (2010) * '' Capsized!'' (2011) * '' When Machines Attack'' (2013) * '' My Mind Has Seen the White Trick'' (2013) * '' Escape'' (2014) * ''

Stomping Grounds Stomping Grounds was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on June 23, 2019, at t ...

'' (2015) * '' Laughs Last'' (2017) * ''Squeeze the Needle'' (2023)

Compilations

* ''Laughs Best (The Kids Eat It Up)'' (2017)

Reviews

Circus Devils - ''Ringworm Interiors'' - Album Review at ALLMUSIC by Bart Bealmear

Circus Devils - ''The Harold Pig Memorial'' - Album Review at ALLMUSIC by Karen E. Graves

Circus Devils - ''Pinball Mars'' - Album Review at ALLMUSIC by Bart BealmearCircus Devils - ''Sgt. Disco'' - Album Review at PITCHFORK by Adam Moerder (12 September, 2007)
* ttp://www.erasingclouds.com/wk0309circus.html Circus Devils - ''Gringo'' - Album Review at ERASING CLOUDS by Dave Heaton (30 March, 2009)br>Circus Devils - ''Mother Skinny'' - Album Review at POPMATTERS by Matthew Fiander (1 April, 2010)Circus Devils - ''Capsized!'' - Album Review at POPMATTERS

References

External links

band web site

Circus Devils on YouTube
* Circus Devils at Allmusic.com
Robert Pollard's site

Todd Tobias' site

Interview with band member Todd Tobias
{{Authority control Alternative rock groups from Ohio American art rock groups American psychedelic rock music groups Musical groups established in 2001 American progressive rock groups American experimental rock groups Rock music groups from Ohio Ipecac Recordings artists