Spoon (band)

Last updated

Spoon
Spoon Piknik i Parken 2017 (175930).jpg
Spoon performing live in 2017
Background information
Origin Austin, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Years active1993–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Roman Kuebler
  • Bradley Shenfeld
  • Josh Zarbo
  • Andy Maguire
  • Greg Wilson
  • Sean Kirkpatrick
  • Scott Adair
  • Hunter Darby [1] [2]
  • Eric Harvey
  • Rob Pope
Website spoontheband.com

Spoon is an American rock band from Austin, Texas, consisting of members Britt Daniel (vocals, guitar), Jim Eno (drums), Alex Fischel (keyboards, guitar), [3] Gerardo Larios (guitar, keyboards) [4] and Ben Trokan (bass, keyboards). [5] The band was formed in Austin in October 1993 by Daniel and Eno. Critics have described the band's musical style as rock and roll, [6] [7] post-punk, [7] and art rock. [8] [9]

Contents

Spoon released their debut studio album, Telephono , in 1996 through Matador Records. Their next full-length album, A Series of Sneaks , was released in 1998 through Elektra Records. The band subsequently signed with Merge Records, where Spoon achieved greater commercial and critical prominence with the albums Girls Can Tell (2001), Kill the Moonlight (2002), Gimme Fiction (2005), Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), and Transference (2010). They signed with Loma Vista Recordings and ANTI- for the release of They Want My Soul (2014). [10] [11] The band later returned to Matador to release their ninth album Hot Thoughts (2017), and tenth album Lucifer on the Sofa (2022). [12] [13]

History

1993–1997: early years

The band was formed in late 1993 by lead singer and guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno, after the two met as members of the Alien Beats. [14] The name Spoon was chosen to honor the 1970s German krautrock band Can, whose hit song "Spoon" was the theme song to the 1985 movie Jagged Edge (Das Messer) in the United States. [15]

Spoon's first recording was the vinyl release of the EP Nefarious in May 1994. [14] In 1995, the band signed with Matador Records, and Spoon released its first full-length LP Telephono in 1996. The album was met with mixed reviews, with critics comparing their sound to Pavement, Pixies and Wire. [16] But comparisons aside, Telephono showed signs of a band slipping free of its influences, mixing post-punk with a blend of pop. [17]

Less than a year later, Spoon released its second EP, Soft Effects , which served as a transition to their more distinctive, honed sound. [18] Unlike its predecessors, Soft Effects was less noisy and brash, showcasing a more sophisticated, minimalist approach. [19]

In late 1996, Spoon was playing a gig at the Argo in Denton, Texas with Ed Cooper and local band Maxine's Radiator, which featured Josh Zarbo on bass. Zarbo was invited to audition for Daniel and Eno in 1997, and subsequently became the band's full-time bassist until his permanent departure in 2007. [20]

1998–1999: major label debut

After the release of Soft Effects , Spoon signed to Elektra Records and released A Series of Sneaks in May 1998. The album did not sell as well as the label had hoped; merely four months after the release of Sneaks, Spoon's Elektra A&R contact Ron Laffitte quit his job and that week the band was dropped from the label. [21] Angry with Laffitte, who had promised to stick with the band, Spoon recorded a vindictive yet humorously-titled two-song concept single entitled "The Agony of Laffitte," which was released by Saddle Creek Records. They lamented their experience with the music business executive and questioned his motivations with the songs "The Agony of Laffitte" and "Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now". [22]

2000–2006: signing with Merge Records

Spoon signed with Merge Records and released the Love Ways EP in 2000. [19] The decision was made to do this without bassist Josh Zarbo, who had briefly left the band. [23] In 2001, Spoon released its third LP entitled Girls Can Tell . The new record was a success, selling more copies than both of their previous LP releases combined. [24] The band's next release in 2002, Kill the Moonlight had similar success. [24] Kill the Moonlight also contained the single, "The Way We Get By", which was popularized by its placement on the movie Stranger than Fiction (released later, in 2006) as well as the teen drama The O.C. [25] and on the first episode of the American version of the series Shameless . Their next album, Gimme Fiction , was released in May 2005, and debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200, selling more than 160,000 copies. [26]

Spoon's Britt Daniel collaborated with Brian Reitzell to compose and arrange the soundtrack for the 2006 film Stranger than Fiction . The soundtrack consists chiefly of music performed by Spoon, and according to the liner notes of the official soundtrack, Brian Reitzell collaborated with Britt Daniel to compose the score, while also adapting several tracks from Kill the Moonlight and Gimme Fiction into instrumental versions of the songs.

2007–2012: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Transference

On July 10, 2007, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was released and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200. [27] Since the release of Kill the Moonlight in 2002, Spoon has performed on late night talk shows, such as Late Show with David Letterman , Late Night with Conan O'Brien , The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson , Last Call with Carson Daly , and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien as well as the PBS show Austin City Limits . They were also musical guests on Saturday Night Live on October 6, 2007, where they performed "The Underdog" [28] and "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb". [29]

In 2009, the review aggregator Metacritic ranked Spoon as its "Top overall artist of the decade", based on the band's consistently high review scores between 2000 and 2009, among other factors. [30] On January 18, 2010, the band released its seventh studio album, Transference . It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 53,000 copies in its first week. Their song "The Mystery Zone" was also chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on January 26, 2010. [31] Later that year, Spoon recorded the title track on the album See My Friends in collaboration with Ray Davies.

On April 12, 2010, Spoon made a guest appearance on Conan O'Brien's The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour in Eugene, Oregon, where they performed the song "I Summon You" from their album Gimme Fiction . [32]

2013–2016: They Want My Soul

Spoon released their eighth LP, They Want My Soul , on August 5, 2014. It was their first record released by Loma Vista Recordings, after five records on Merge. [33] It was recorded with Joe Chiccarelli and Dave Fridmann. [34] That year they took part in the Hamilton, Ontario Supercrawl. [35] Reviewing for Pitchfork, Ryan Dombal gave the album a rating of 8.6/10, writing: "They Want My Soul is the quintet's most booming LP, eons ahead of their Pixies-worshipping beginnings and a far cry from the relatively small-scale charm of their early-2000s touchstones Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight, as well as their self-consciously lo-fi 2010 record, Transference." [36] The album was also ranked as 13th of 50 in Pitchfork's Best New Music of 2014. [37]

On October 30, 2014, Spoon appeared as the featured musical guests during The Daily Show's Democalypse 2014: South By South Mess. [38]

2017–2019: Hot Thoughts and Everything Hits at Once

On March 17, 2017, Spoon released their ninth studio album Hot Thoughts on Matador Records, their first on the label since their 1996 debut (Matador had handled the European release of Gimme Fiction in 2005.)

In April 2019, the band made the news via Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who was filmed playing the band's song "The Way We Get By" on piano before an event by his spokesperson, Lis Smith. [39] The band responded by sharing the video on their Facebook and Twitter pages, remarking: "So this guy can just do anyone's job, huh." [40]

In June 2019, the band announced the release of their greatest hits album, Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon . The album compiles the band's most well-known songs, as well as a new single entitled "No Bullets Spent". The album was released on July 26 via Matador. [41] On July 9, Rob Pope announced he would be leaving the band. [42] On August 29, 2020, for Record Store Day, the band released All the Weird Kids Up Front (Más Rolas Chidas) , a fan-selected companion piece to their best of, with a tracklist submitted and voted on by fans. [43]

2021–present: Lucifer on the Sofa

Spoon performing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2022, as part of their tour of Lucifer on the Sofa album Spoon in concert 2022.jpg
Spoon performing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2022, as part of their tour of Lucifer on the Sofa album

Spoon began recording their tenth studio album in late 2018 at drummer Jim Eno's studio with producers Mark Rankin and Justin Raisen. It was nearly finished as of early 2020, but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the new release date tentatively set for early 2021. [44] On March 12, 2021, Spoon released covers of two Tom Petty songs, "Breakdown" and "A Face in the Crowd". [45] On October 28, 2021, the band announced their tenth studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa with lead single "The Hardest Cut" being released on the same day. The second single from Lucifer on the Sofa, "Wild", was released as a 7-inch single on December 10, 2021. The song was backed with a remix by Dennis Bovell on the B-side. [46] The album was released on February 11, 2022, via Matador.

On September 21, 2022, Spoon announced Lucifer on the Moon , a track-by-track reworking of Lucifer on the Sofa, with all remixes by Adrian Sherwood. The album was released on November 4, 2022. [47]

In November 2022, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, which marked the band's first Grammys nomination. [48] [49]

Band members

Current members

Former members

Timeline

Spoon (band)

Discography

Studio albums

Related Research Articles

<i>Kill the Moonlight</i> 2002 studio album by Spoon

Kill the Moonlight is the fourth album by American rock band Spoon released on August 20, 2002 through Merge Records. The album features a stripped-down, minimal sound that incorporates various different instruments such as tambourines and pianos along with an idiosyncratic production style. The album has gone on to receive critical acclaim with its lead single "The Way We Get By" being used in various television shows, and is regarded as Spoon's magnum opus.

<i>Girls Can Tell</i> 2001 studio album by Spoon

Girls Can Tell is the third studio album by American indie rock band Spoon. Intended as a stylistic departure from the band's previous work, Girls Can Tell features classic rock and new wave influences absent on their major label albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Daniel</span> American musician

John Britt Daniel is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded numerous other bands in the early 1990s.

<i>A Series of Sneaks</i> 1998 studio album by Spoon

A Series of Sneaks is the second studio album by the indie band Spoon, released by Elektra Records in April 1998. Despite being overlooked critically and commercially upon its release, the album has since attained cult status.

<i>Gimme Fiction</i> 2005 studio album by Spoon

Gimme Fiction is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Spoon. It was released on May 10, 2005, through Merge Records in the US and Matador Records in Europe. It debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200. "I Turn My Camera On" was released as a single, and has become one of the band's biggest hits to date. A deluxe reissue of the album was released on December 11, 2015 to commemorate its 10th anniversary.

<i>Love Ways</i> 2000 EP by Spoon

Love Ways is the fourth EP by the indie rock band Spoon. It was released on October 24, 2000, by Merge Records.

<i>Telephono</i> 1996 studio album by Spoon

Telephono is the debut studio album by the indie rock band Spoon. It was released on April 23, 1996, by Matador, then re-released in a two-disc package with the Soft Effects EP in 2006 by Merge Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Turn My Camera On</span> 2005 single by Spoon

"I Turn My Camera On" is a song by American indie rock band Spoon, the third track on their fifth studio album, Gimme Fiction (2005). It was first released as a download single on March 30, 2005, and later as a 7-inch and CD single on July 4, 2005. It was released through Merge Records in the US and Matador Records in the UK, who also distributed the download release. The song was written by band frontman Britt Daniel and produced by Daniel, Jim Eno, and Mike McCarthy. Daniel wrote the song after hearing "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand, and was influenced by the works of Prince to sing with falsetto vocals on the track. Daniel's lyrics are about "emotional distance", centering around a narrator who documents their surrounding world with a camera instead of actually engaging with it. Musically, the band focused more on creating a sound influenced by dance and soul music.

<i>30 Gallon Tank</i> 1998 EP by Spoon

30 Gallon Tank is the third EP by the indie rock band Spoon. The 7" record was released on May 5, 1998, as a promotional EP showcasing the band which was newly signed to Elektra Records. The A-side of 30 Gallon Tank contained two tracks that also appeared on A Series of Sneaks, while the B-side contained a new Spoon song and a previously released Drake Tungsten track.

<i>Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</i> 2007 studio album by Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the sixth studio album by American rock band Spoon. It was first released on July 10, 2007, through Merge Records and Anti-. It received critical acclaim and appeared on several year-end album lists. The album debuted at number 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number 1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums, selling 46,000 copies in its first week. By January 2010, the album had sold 318,000 copies in the United States. It was supported by two singles; "The Underdog" and "Don't You Evah".

<i>Soft Effects</i> 1997 EP by Spoon

Soft Effects is the second EP by the indie rock band Spoon. It was released on January 21, 1997, by Matador, then re-released with Telephono in 2006 by Merge Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Pope</span> American musician

Robert Pope is an American musician, best known as the bassist for Spoon and The Get Up Kids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Natural History (band)</span>

The Natural History were a band composed of Tepper brothers singer–guitarist Max and bassist Julian, along with drummer Derek Vockins. After playing locally in the New York area and self-recording their own three-song EP, The Natural History caught the ear of local NYC label Startime International, whose roster includes Brendan Benson, The Walkmen, The French Kicks, among others. Recording with Greg Talenfeld at Stonehouse studio in Nyack, New York, the band released the finished product as a self-titled EP in July 2002. The EP was promoted with a year-full of touring with Enon and Spoon, whereupon the band also found time to record their debut full-length effort Beat Beat Heartbeat, which was released in May 2003.

<i>Transference</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Spoon

Transference is the seventh studio album by the American indie rock band Spoon. It was released on January 18, 2010, in Europe, and on January 19 in North America. In Australia, it was released by Spunk Records on January 15.

<i>The Brutalist Bricks</i> 2010 studio album by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

The Brutalist Bricks is the sixth album by the northeast American punk band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. It was released March 9, 2010 by Matador Records. It is the band's first album for Matador Records.

<i>Hot Thoughts</i> 2017 studio album by Spoon

Hot Thoughts is the ninth studio album by American rock band Spoon. It was released on March 17, 2017, through Matador Records. It is also the first Spoon album since 2002's Kill the Moonlight to not feature multi-instrumentalist Eric Harvey, who quietly left the band after finishing a world tour in support of 2014's They Want My Soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spoon discography</span>

The discography of American rock band Spoon consists of 10 studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), and 26 singles. Formed in 1993 in Austin, Texas by Britt Daniel and Jim Eno (drums), Spoon released their debut studio album, Telephono, in 1996 on Matador Records. Their follow-up full-length, A Series of Sneaks, was released in 1998 on Elektra, who subsequently dropped the band. Spoon went on to sign with Merge Records, where Spoon gained greater commercial success and critical acclaim with the albums Girls Can Tell (2001), Kill the Moonlight (2002), and particularly Gimme Fiction (2005), which debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 300,000 copies in the US. The group's next three albums - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), Transference (2010), and They Want My Soul (2014) - reached the top 10 of the US charts, while the latter two peaked in the top 20 in Canada and the top 50 in Australia. The band's ninth album, Hot Thoughts, was released on March 17, 2017.

<i>Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon</i> 2019 greatest hits album by Spoon

Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon is a greatest hits compilation album by American rock band Spoon. It was released on July 26, 2019, through Matador Records. The compilation was announced on June 19, 2019, coinciding with the release of new single "No Bullets Spent."

<i>Lucifer on the Sofa</i> 2022 studio album by Spoon

Lucifer on the Sofa is the tenth studio album by American rock band Spoon, released on February 11, 2022, through Matador Records. Spoon began work on the album in late 2018 after the conclusion of their tour supporting Hot Thoughts (2017), their ninth studio album. Recording sessions began in late 2019 and took place in studios between Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. They primarily recorded the album with Mark Rankin, with Justin Raisen and Dave Fridmann, the latter of whom co-produced the band's previous two albums, each producing one song. Recording sessions continued until March 2020 but had to be postponed after the COVID-19 pandemic began severely impacting the United States. After completing the album in 2021, the band released the album's lead single, "The Hardest Cut", in October of that year.

<i>Lucifer on the Moon</i> 2022 remix album by Spoon vs On-U Sound

Lucifer on the Moon is a dub remix album of songs from Lucifer on the Sofa, the tenth studio album by American indie rock band Spoon. It is a track-by-track reworking, with all remixes by British dub producer Adrian Sherwood. It was announced on September 21, 2022, and released by Matador Records on November 4, 2022. Sherwood was given access to the entire album's original multi-tracks tapes. Sherwood and his On-U Sound colleagues provided additional instrumentation. Contributors include bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Keith LeBlanc. It is Spoon's first remix album. They previously released a remix EP for the song "Wild" in May 2022, featuring contributions from Jack Antonoff and Dennis Bovell.

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