by Mike DaRoncoHailing from Austin, TX, Spoon originated in 1994 as a collaboration between Britt Daniel (vocals/guitar) and Jim Eno (drums) and a rotating cast of supporting players. Their hybrid of indie and punk resulted in a number of Sonic Youth and Pixies comparisons after their 1996 debut album, Telephono. Spoon toured with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, Silkworm, and Archers of Loaf before their Soft Effects EP was released in 1997. Following an ill-fated move to Elektra Records, which found them being dropped from the label following the issue of their third album, A Series of Sneaks, in 1998, Spoon went the indie route with a handfull of 7 singles and the The Agony of Laffitte EP in 1999. In fall 2000, the Love Ways EP was released on Merge, paving the way for spring 2001s full-length Girls Can Tell. The album was a critical success, ending up at or near the top of many best-of-2001 lists. Spoon released the more musically adventurous follow-up, Kill the Moonlight, in August 2002. The band opted for a bigger, darker sound on 2005s Gimme Fiction. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga — which was named after the melody of one of the albums songs, The Ghost of You Lingers — mixed unusual instrumentation and nods to Motown and soul, and was released in summer 2007.