30 years ago today (4/23/96), a then-little-known Austin outfit called Spoon released its debut full-length, Telephono, on Matador. Cut on a shoestring budget, the album didn’t make much commercial noise or immediately elevate the band to headlining status, but it quietly laid the groundwork for what was to come. Over time, Spoon, led by frontman Britt Daniel, would evolve into a critics’ and musicians’ favorite—an outfit with the freedom to follow its own instincts in the studio. Looking back across a catalog with remarkable consistency, Telephono now feels like the first essential chapter in one of indie rock’s most reliable runs. Watch a very short-haired Britt Daniel and a young version of Spoon perform live in 1996.
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