Gunpowder & Sky, the new multimedia studio headed by Van Toffler, has unleashed, via Spotify's new video initiative and other channels, its new animated storytelling series, Drawn & Recorded, exploring key chapters of music history.

The beautifully hewn toons represent the first video offerings from Spotify, and several will also be viewable on YouTube, Facebook and other major portals. The first, below, recounts the origin of Nirvana's epochal "Smells Like Teen Spirit." It's narrated by T Bone Burnett, written by Bill Flanagan and animated by Drew Christie.

Another installment reviews the strange history of the band that featured both Neil Young and Rick James. There are also episodes covering Louis Armstrong, the Rolling Stones, Merle Haggard, Motorhead and O.D.B., among others. You can check out the entire series on Spotify.