Spoon

Austin, Texas, indie popsters Spoon first hit the scene in 1996, releasing their debut album on New York's venerable Matador Records. With a solid, melodic punk sound firmly in place, Spoon would go on to develop a bolder, more adventurous aesthetic, incorporating the musical stylings of such towering '60s bands as the Kinks and the Zombies. The band hopped labels during the late '90s and early 2000s while continuing to expand upon the smart, instantly catchy sound that has made them one of indie-rock's premier bands. They settled on Merge and released some of their finest albums there, including 2005's Gimme Fiction, 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and 2010's Transference.

• rock