Back when he was a member of Guided by Voices, Tobin Sprout was often accused of playing an indie-pop George Harrison to GBV leader Robert Pollard's John Lennon. But on Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wigwam), his second solo album, Sprout unleashes his inner McCartney. The 14 songs here, much like those on his 1996 LP, Carnival Boy, are driven by strummed guitars, wistful melodies, and stately...

Why are the paragons of indie rock so prolific? Does anybody really know the exact number of albums Beck has released in the last two years? Why does Lou Barlow need so many different outlets – Sebadoh, Sentridoh, Folk Implosion, solo recordings – for his material? Guided by Voices have recorded nine albums and a gazillion EPs and singles in their decade-long existence, with the average...