Britt Daniel
Encyclopedia
John Britt Daniel is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas
, rock
band Spoon
.
, and grew up in Temple, Texas
, in a household of five children. His father, a neurologist, was an aficionado of the Beatles
and the Rolling Stones
and a collector of classic guitars; Daniel has stated he had "a well-rounded musical upbringing." Daniel himself reportedly picked up the guitar in high school after his college-bound girlfriend ended their relationship.
Britt Daniel's musical career began in 1988 when he formed his first band The Zygotes. In 1990 Daniel formed his second band, Skellington
, while a student at the University of Texas. Skellington included Daniel, Cannon, Mac Stringfellow (bass and vox), and Mike Hurewitz (guitar and vox). After self-releasing two cassette EPs
and a cassette LP, the band dissolved in 1992. The following year, Daniel joined a three-piece rockabilly
band named The Alien Beats
with Brad Shenfeld. During a 1993 Alien Beats recording session, computer-chip designer and percussionist Jim Eno
was brought in as a substitute drummer, but he was later added as the permanent drummer. From these recording sessions came the album Cavin' In; however, The Alien Beats disbanded soon after its release.
In the years that followed, Daniel wrote and recorded solo material under the pseudonym Drake Tungsten
(Daniel has since abandoned this name and plays solo shows under his own name). In 1993, he teamed back up with ex-Alien Beats drummer Eno
, as well as guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire, to form Spoon
. Spoon has served as Daniel's primary musical focus, though his resume also includes the following side projects:
Daniel has not recorded a solo album since self-releasing 1994's Clocking Out is for Suckers under the name Drake Tungsten. However, he has begun setting aside songs for a possible solo album, including "New York Kiss" and "Telephone My Heart," which he has been performing at solo shows since at least early 2006.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Spoon
Spoon (band)
Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
.
Biography
Britt Daniel was born in Galveston, TexasGalveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, and grew up in Temple, Texas
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
, in a household of five children. His father, a neurologist, was an aficionado of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and a collector of classic guitars; Daniel has stated he had "a well-rounded musical upbringing." Daniel himself reportedly picked up the guitar in high school after his college-bound girlfriend ended their relationship.
Britt Daniel's musical career began in 1988 when he formed his first band The Zygotes. In 1990 Daniel formed his second band, Skellington
Skellington (Britt Daniel)
Skellington was singer/songwriter Britt Daniel's first band. Formed in 1990 in Austin, Texas, the band released three cassettes before disbanding in 1992. Later, Britt would go on to form Spoon....
, while a student at the University of Texas. Skellington included Daniel, Cannon, Mac Stringfellow (bass and vox), and Mike Hurewitz (guitar and vox). After self-releasing two cassette EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and a cassette LP, the band dissolved in 1992. The following year, Daniel joined a three-piece rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band named The Alien Beats
The Alien Beats
Before creating Spoon, Britt Daniel toyed around with a few musical acts in the Austin area. After his stint with Skellington, fellow KTSB DJ Brad Shenfeld asked Britt if he would be interested in starting a country / rockabilly band. Britt declined, but then called Brad back a week later and...
with Brad Shenfeld. During a 1993 Alien Beats recording session, computer-chip designer and percussionist Jim Eno
Jim Eno
Jim Eno is the drummer and one of the founding members of the Austin, Texas band Spoon. He is also a record producer and a semiconductor chip designer.-Overview:Eno was born in Rhode Island...
was brought in as a substitute drummer, but he was later added as the permanent drummer. From these recording sessions came the album Cavin' In; however, The Alien Beats disbanded soon after its release.
In the years that followed, Daniel wrote and recorded solo material under the pseudonym Drake Tungsten
Drake Tungsten
Drake Tungsten was the pseudonym that singer/songwriter Britt Daniel performed under from 1994 to 1996 as a solo artist.-Overview:Britt Daniel is an indie rock singer/songwriter that is responsible for founding numerous bands in the early 1990s. In college at the University of Texas, Daniel founded...
(Daniel has since abandoned this name and plays solo shows under his own name). In 1993, he teamed back up with ex-Alien Beats drummer Eno
Jim Eno
Jim Eno is the drummer and one of the founding members of the Austin, Texas band Spoon. He is also a record producer and a semiconductor chip designer.-Overview:Eno was born in Rhode Island...
, as well as guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire, to form Spoon
Spoon (band)
Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
. Spoon has served as Daniel's primary musical focus, though his resume also includes the following side projects:
- In 1999, Daniel played bass in the glam rockGlam rockGlam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
supergroupSupergroup (music)In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Golden MillenniumGolden MillenniumGolden Millennium was a glam rock revival supergroup formed in 1999 composed of Dean Hsieh, Travis Higdon, Tom Hudson, and Britt Daniel.-Overview:...
, composed of fellow Peek-A-Boo RecordsPeek-A-Boo RecordsPeek-A-Boo Records is an Austin, Texas based independent record label, self-proclaimed as a small but enthusiastic record label dedicated to independent music in Texas.- Alumni :* The 1-4-5s* Black Lipstick* Drake Tungsten...
labelmates. - In 2002, Daniel worked with Bright Eyes on the fourth volume of Post-ParloPost-ParloPost-Parlo is an Austin, Texas based independent record label known for their Home Series, which has featured a split EP with Andrew Kenny and Benjamin Gibbard as well as a one from Bright Eyes and Spoon's Britt Daniel....
's Home Series. - Daniel has produced songs for the bands I Love You But I've Chosen DarknessI Love You But I've Chosen DarknessI Love You but I've Chosen Darkness is an indie rock quintet originating from Austin, Texas...
and InterpolInterpol (band)Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
. - In 2004, Daniel remixed InterpolInterpol (band)Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
's "Slow HandsSlow Hands"Slow Hands" is a song by New York City-based post-punk revival band Interpol and is featured on the band's second album, Antics. The song was written by Carlos Dengler, Daniel Kessler, Paul Banks, and Sam Fogarino....
," which appears on the "Slow Hands" single. - He previously worked as a sound designer and composer for the computer game company Origin SystemsOrigin SystemsOrigin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
. - In 2006, Daniel teamed up with Brian Reitzell and helped create some of the original music for the film Stranger Than Fiction.
- He also appeared in the Veronica MarsVeronica MarsVeronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
episode "Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle", air date February 1, 2006, in which he sang a karaoke version of Elvis CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
's "Veronica." - In 2009, he produced the White RabbitsWhite Rabbits (band)White Rabbits is an American six-piece indie rock band based in Brooklyn, NY, originally from Columbia, Missouri. The band released its debut studio album, Fort Nightly, on May 22, 2007. They currently record for TBD Records.-History:...
album It's FrighteningIt's FrighteningIt's Frightening is the second album by the American indie rock band the White Rabbits. It was released May 19, 2009 on TBD Records, with "Percussion Gun" being the first single....
.
Daniel has not recorded a solo album since self-releasing 1994's Clocking Out is for Suckers under the name Drake Tungsten. However, he has begun setting aside songs for a possible solo album, including "New York Kiss" and "Telephone My Heart," which he has been performing at solo shows since at least early 2006.
Skellington
- The Town's Gone Dry (1991) Self-Released
- Skellington EP (1992) Self-Released
- Skellington Rex (1992) Self-Released
Drake Tungsten
- Clocking Out is for Suckers (1994) Self-Released
- Six Pence for the Sauces (1996) Peek-A-Boo RecordsPeek-A-Boo RecordsPeek-A-Boo Records is an Austin, Texas based independent record label, self-proclaimed as a small but enthusiastic record label dedicated to independent music in Texas.- Alumni :* The 1-4-5s* Black Lipstick* Drake Tungsten...
- Dozy Vs. Drake (1998) Revival Records
Spoon
- TelephonoTelephonoTelephono is the first album from Austin, Texas 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....
(1996) Matador RecordsMatador RecordsMatador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have... - Soft EffectsSoft EffectsSoft Effects is an EP from Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on January 21, 1997 by Matador, then re-released with Telephono in 2006 by Merge Records.-Track listing:# "Mountain to Sound" – 3:50...
(1997) Matador RecordsMatador RecordsMatador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have... - A Series of SneaksA Series of SneaksA Series of Sneaks is the second album released by the band Spoon. It was released in 1998 by Elektra, then re-released with The Agony of Laffitte CD single tracks added on in 2002 by Merge Records.-Track listing:...
(1998) Elektra RecordsElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009.... - The Agony of Laffitte (1998) Saddle Creek
- Love WaysLove WaysLove Ways is an EP from Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on October 24, 2000 by Merge Records.-Track listing:# "Change My Life" – 4:29# "I Didn't Come Here to Die" – 3:08# "Jealousy" – 2:09# "The Figures of Art" – 1:46...
(2000) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... - Girls Can TellGirls Can TellGirls Can Tell is the third studio album by Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on February 20, 2001.The track "Me and the Bean" is a cover of a mid-90's Austin, Texas band called The Sidehackers...
(2001) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... - Kill the MoonlightKill the MoonlightKill the Moonlight is the fourth album from Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon, released on August 20, 2002 to a great deal of critical acclaim.Kill the Moonlight has sold roughly 153,000 copies, as of December 2009, according to Nielsen Soundscan...
(2002) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... - Gimme FictionGimme FictionGimme Fiction is the fifth album from Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon, released on May 10, 2005. It debuted at #44 on the Billboard 200. "I Turn My Camera On" has been released as a single, and garnered some radio-play. Some versions of the album also come with a bonus disc. "Sister Jack" was...
(2005) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... - Ga Ga Ga Ga GaGa Ga Ga Ga GaGa Ga Ga Ga Ga is the sixth studio album by Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on Merge Records on July 10, 2007 to considerable critical acclaim. Its cover art comes from a portrait of artist/sculptor Lee Bontecou, taken by Italian photographer Ugo Mulas in 1963...
(2007) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records... - TransferenceTransference (album)Transference is the seventh studio album by Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on January 18, 2010 in Europe, and on January 19 in North America...
(2010) Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
External links
- Britt Daniel collection at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
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