Every Spoon show in Austin, TX, has nostalgia attached to it.

Early gigs at the now-closed Sound Exchange on the University of Texas campus, shows at Emo's in the late 1990s, and even more recent performances at dives like the Scoot Inn are markers in any Austinite's personal history. Even now, Spoon's influence looms large over the capital city's scene: There's not another local band that can fill the amphitheater at Stubb's three nights in a row, especially in 102 degree heat.

Superchunk members Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance's North Carolina label Merge Records is celebrating 20 years of kicking out the jams with a five-day bash in their home state -- and they've invited some of their best artists to join the party, including Spoon, M. Ward, and Conor Oberst.

There's no shortage of covers today on SPIN.com, with ScarJo's take on Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" and TV on the Radio's rendition of Bowie's "Heroes." But this one is a bit more impromptu: video of Spoon's Britt Daniel singing Wire's riotous

Before she moved to Los Angeles to concentrate on her career as a musician, Anya Marina spent her days spinning other people's records -- lots of 'em -- at a series of San Diego radio stations. So it's probably safe to assume that she knows what she's talking about when she says she hates singer-songwriter music.

A jaw-dropping collection of indie rock's finest have contributed exclusive new songs to Dark Was the Night, a 32-track album out February 17 via 4AD, which will benefit the Red Hot Organization, a charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.

Portland, OR's indie rock upper crust -- including members of Spoon, Sleater-Kinney, the Thermals, Quasi, and many more -- packed the air-conditioned confines of Valentine's Saturday night (Au