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Mojo 
By Andrew Carden

Phantom Tollbooth
Beard of Lightning
Off Records

Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard breathes new life into a lost 80's underground artefact.

One-time mainstay of the Homestead Records catalogue, Phantom Tollbooth (like Paper Bag on SST) were a band who could be found dirt cheap in Record & Tape Exchange, yet no one ever seemed brave enough to buy. Luckily, Robert Pollard had no such reservations, even touting them as one of his all time faves. Somehow hearing of this, the Tollbooth's former members promptly wiped the vocals from 1988's Power Toy album for Bob to scrawl his patented magic across, and his stream-of-consciousness lyrics and uncanny way with melody gel perfectly with the group's post-hardcore, jazz-tight art thrash. Imagine GBV if Bob were over-indulging his love of the Charisma label and 70's prog--yep, it's hot.