The Spinanes - Manos LP

The seminal full-length debut from legendary Pacific Northwest duo The Spinanes was released 25 years ago this month, and we are celebrating that milestone by reissuing it with redesigned artwork and vinyl-edition extras. Produced by Brian Paulson, Manos holds the distinction of being the first album released on an independent label to top the American college charts.

From Gail O’Hara, editor-in-chief of chickfactor:

A college radio hit, Manos was characterized as indiepop or indie rock or “alternative,” but also had a touch of art rock, folk, emo, math rock, postrock, even jazz, nearing the same spiritual space as ’90s bands like Unrest, Sebadoh, and Versus. [Rebecca] Gates told our zine in 1993 what kind of record she wanted to make: She wanted it to be “really magical—the way the first Verlaines record is or a Replacements record—things that you can put on when you feel horrible.” 

Named after a misheard Jesus Lizard lyric, Manos is just that: It sounds like smoky venues and dance parties at punk houses: woozy, tight, fraught, wrought, tense, intense, swoony, breathy, fast, worldly/weary—sophisticated and primitive, stressful and soothing.