myspace music

The Handsome Family
Gothic / Country / Folk

In the Last Days of Wonder When Spirits Still Flew



ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico
United States

Profile Views:  287795




Last Login:  12/5/2009
View My: Pics | Videos | Playlists

   Contacting The Handsome Family

 MySpace URL: 

   The Handsome Family: General Info
Member Since10/14/2004
Band Websitewww.handsomefamily.com
Band MembersHusband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks. Brett Sparks: Vox, music, guitars. Rennie Sparks: Words, vox, bass, melodica. Sometimes, brother Darrell Sparks: Drums, vox and super special guests: Stephen Dorocke, David Coulter, Jason Toth, Eric Johnson, Dave Gutierrez
InfluencesGentleman Jim Reeves, Hank Williams, Cole Porter, John Cage, Howe Gelb, noises in basements, John Coltrane, strangers at crossroads, abandoned graveyards, George Jones, stray dogs, hissing cats, Lithium Carbonate (1800mg daily), old men in windbreakers, old ladies in polyester turbans, the clenched fists of small children, Harry Smith and his ilk
Sounds LikeA little bit creepy and a little bit country.

DOWNLOAD OR PREVIEW TONS OF OUR SONGS THROUGH THIS ITUNES LINK
The Handsome Family..
Record LabelCarrotTop, Loose, Independent, Spunk, Mint, Bertus
Type of LabelIndie


Get Flash now!

In order to listen or view this content you will have to upgrade your version of Flash.



   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Jan 10 2010 8:00P
Rosemount Hotel, Perth Perth, Western Australia
Jan 13 2010 8:00P
Prince Bandroom, Melbourne Melbourne, Victoria
Jan 14 2010 8:00P
The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney Festival Sydney, New South Wales
Jan 15 2010 8:00P
The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney Festival: STILL TICKETS LEFT! Sydney, New South Wales
Jan 20 2010 8:00P
The Grace Emily Hotel Adelaide, South Australia
Jan 27 2010 8:00P
Monte Cristo Room Auckland, Auckland
Jan 28 2010 8:00P
San Francisco Bath House Wellington, Wellington
Jan 29 2010 8:00P
Chicks Hotel Dunedin
Jan 30 2010 8:00P
Sound Day Festival Christchurch
Jan 31 2010 8:00P
Aratoi (www.aratoi.co.nz) Masterton

The Handsome Family's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

the immortal jellyfish and news from the handsome family  (view more)

love potions, salad dressing, tour dates  (view more)

LISTEN TO THE HANDSOME FAMILY  (view more)

Our new cd is at last for sale...  (view more)

HOLLOW EARTH! HANDSOME FAMILY LEAVES HOUSE!  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About The Handsome Family
CLICK THIS ITUNES LINK TO DOWNLOAD OR SAMPLE OVER ONE HUNDRED OF OUR SONGS...
The Handsome Family..


The Handsome Family

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Words that in their everyday surrealism have no parallel in contemporary writing...Music that mines the deep veins of fatalism in the Appalachian voice — GREIL MARCUS

As songwriters it's the eerie, ancestral voice of ‘Anonymous’ they ultimately resemble the most —THE CHICAGO READER

This is music that moves forward by turning the clock back— haunting, primal and strangely heroic —THE LONDON TIMES

Dark, elemental, mischievous and mournful —MOJO

CHICAGO (January 26, 2009) - Taking place under bowed branches and deep within winding corn mazes, The Handsome Family releases "Honey Moon" through Carrot Top Records on April 14, 2009. Their eighth studio release, it celebrates the duo's twentieth year of marriage with a series of love songs that sharply contrast the dark themes of their previous seven releases.

Full of an awed sense of emotion in the face of nature's mysteries, Brett Sparks (music) and Rennie Sparks (lyrics) branch from their usual canon of the dark and mysterious on "Honey Moon", to establish a theme rooted in the tradition of 19th century romanticism. For the first time there is no body count. Not one person dies. There is only one song about a lost love. It is an album of transcendence, of touching the divine, if only for a moment, through our love of someone else, even if he is a katydid.

Rennie says of the pivotal point that influenced her writing on Honey Moon, "We were driving over some mountains in New Zealand listening to The Platters singing, "Twilight Time," and I could actually feel that gorgeous song healing little wounds all through my body. Life felt almost unbearably bittersweet after the song ended and I felt I had no choice except to sit down and try to write my way back into that mysterious palace where 'heavenly shades of night are falling."

Fans of vocal groups like the Mills Brothers, The Inkspots, and the Platters for many years, Brett and Rennie's 'song' as a young couple was, "My Prayer." The Sparks' also have a profound love for the beautiful songs of great American songwriters like Berlin, Gershwin, and Porter who treat the subject of love with grace and transcendence. Theirs are songs of human beings making contact with the numinous. Their melodies and words are the finest examples of songwriting-- mysterious and sublime.

The prospect of composing an album of love songs and avoiding triteness is fraught with peril. Brett explains, "Since we decided that all the songs would address the same theme (love), I decided that musically each one should be distinct to avoid the pitfalls of other records of this ilk. Each song should be its own world, have its own style. So it's a record of 12 self-contained entities. There are tin-pan alley songs, country songs, r & b songs, a bluegrass song, pop songs, jazz songs, and even rock ballads. This Record represents a concerted attempt to flex all of our songwriting muscles. Honey Moon is more musically and technically complex than anything I have ever done. I fell in love with the studio anew."

Recording all their songs in a converted garage studio at the back of their Albuquerque house, "Honey Moon," is a headphone record with layer upon layer of cool weird treasures waiting to be discovered with successive listens. The twosome's seventh CD, "Last Days of Wonder" (June 2006), was one of Mojo's Top Ten American Albums for 2006 and was called "an unqualified triumph" by Uncut. Their songs have been covered by many artists, most notably: Andrew Bird, Christy Moore, The Sadies, Sally Timms and Cerys Matthews.

They have appeared in the movie, I’m Your Man (2005), a tribute to Leonard Cohen as well as Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2004). In 2004, a reader's poll in Mojo named The Handsome Family's third CD, "Through the Trees" one of the ten essential Americana records. Andrew Bird's version of their song, "Don't Be Scared" was recently featured in the movie, The Promotion.

The Handsome Family record all their songs in a converted garage studio at the back of their Albuquerque house. In their live performances they are sometimes up to a six-piece band and sometimes just Brett and Rennie. They have toured extensively throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Green Light Go Publicity
National: Janelle Rogers
Jrogers@greenlightgopublicity.com


Tour: Heather Wisniewski
Heather@greenlightgopublicity.com

   The Handsome Family's Friend Space (Top 15)
The Handsome Family has 14858 friends.
 Rivet Gang 


 Selsun Blue 


 Trilobite 


 The Clampett Report 


 Carrot Top Records, Inc. 


 Edith Grove & Bottle Tree 


 The Saltine Ramblers 


 Stan Ridgway 


 nels andrews 


 The Burning Leaves 


 Jon Forrest Little 


 Barry McCormack 


 Nathan Payne 


 Hobos In Limbo 


 Fast Heart Mart 





The Handsome Family's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 2589 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
bat wings for lab rats.

bat wings for lab rats.
Online Now!


Dec 2 2009 10:49 PM

..


..

Bat Wings For Lab Rats!

This Friday at Black Market Goods (114 Morningside in ABQ)
Wasted Youth Art Show, Toy and Food Drive.
All Ages...7 pm

Look for Bat Wings For Lab Rats Dec 4, 12, and 19 @ Black Market Goods...
D.B. Rielly

D.B. Rielly



Nov 30 2009 11:12 PM

LPSO MySpace Promo
Chlöe

Chlöe



Nov 30 2009 6:12 PM

Your sound is divine, I love it.

Le Joce

Le Joce



Nov 30 2009 1:52 PM

Salute from France!
Joce.
 

Apache

Apache



Nov 29 2009 9:41 AM

The Socialites / Mark Clear - NEW SONGS ON ITUNES

The Socialites / Mark Clear - NEW SONGS ON ITUNES



Nov 29 2009 12:00 AM

We Appreciate Your Friendship and

Hope You're Having A Great Week!

Rock & Roll Manifesto b/w Morning Girl on THC Records

Two Sick Grooves by Mark Clear

Join us on Jango Radio

http://www.jango.com/music/mark+clear

Mark Clear - Rock & Roll Manifesto

trev entertainment kain

trev entertainment kain



Nov 28 2009 9:49 PM

Thanks for the add.  diggin on weightless. dont check out my tunes its not all about me.   peace
Jamie McPherson

Jamie McPherson



Nov 28 2009 3:29 AM

Hi guys,
I've just uploaded my new song on my profile "12 Bar Odyssey in Bb".
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Take care,
Jamie
12 Bar Odyssey in Bb
VibeJays

VibeJays



Nov 27 2009 3:24 PM

Dear The Handsome Family,
Embracing the present as it comes... makes us feel at home... everywhere...

We are all connected...

Enjoy this small video... about urban life... friendship... changes... love...

with respect
Vibejays

ENGLISH


SPANISH


Trenton Stone

Trenton Stone



Nov 27 2009 7:27 AM

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?'

The stock boy answered, 'No ma'am, they're dead.'
Korveil

Korveil



Nov 27 2009 5:28 AM

Happy Thanksgiving...Blessings 2 You & Your Family!!!
Benjamin Blower

Benjamin Blower



Nov 26 2009 11:32 PM

Merry Christmas Handsome

TELL EVERYBODY!
BB
Amparo García-Otero

Amparo García-Otero



Nov 25 2009 10:22 AM

Hallo! Have a nice day! Will you come and listen to my version of "Greensleeves", with a touch of spanish guitar? Thanks! Bye! Amparo García-Otero. Singer and songwriter. Spain.
Örtofta pansar

Örtofta pansar



Nov 24 2009 9:10 AM

THANK YOU!
NOW YOU ALSO CAN CAN CHECK US OUT AT
/ÖP
Teak Rivers & The Handsome Shadows (NEW SINGLE!)

Teak Rivers & The Handsome Shadows (NEW SINGLE!)



Nov 24 2009 12:14 AM

Very Handsome to meet you. TEAK RIVERS
Fast Heart Mart

Fast Heart Mart



Nov 23 2009 10:22 PM

Hooray!
Fast Heart Mart

Fast Heart Mart



Nov 21 2009 3:27 AM

If you kids are in town...



Beautiful People

Beautiful People



Nov 20 2009 9:44 PM

We love Handsome Family! Thanks for the add! 

In celebration of the Walkabouts' 25th anniversary there is a tribute album released by Glitterhouse on September 25th containing Unholy Dreams by Gary Heffern & Beautiful People:

GOT NO CHAINS – The Songs Of The Walkabouts

Got No Chains</div><div>The Songs Of The Walkabouts

Dave Guillemot

Dave Guillemot
Online Now!


Nov 20 2009 6:30 PM

Hi Brett & Rennie, Thanks for Your friendship, I've really enjoyed listening to Your songs and will definitely be back for more visits, Best wishes from New Zealand Dave
TOP THE MYSPACE MUSIC CHARTS

TOP THE MYSPACE MUSIC CHARTS



Nov 20 2009 6:04 AM


Do you need music promotion for your band? We are an online music promotional company who are set out to help musicians get the most out of their online music experience! We promote your music and myspace page to as many people as you need!! We can guarantee you 50,000 incoming friend requests with our friend booster package, which gets you more fans to interact with! We can also bump up your music plays and views through our promotions! By having a lot of plays, views, and friends you can finally get on those myspace music charts resulting in more exposure and finally get music producers to notice you!

check out our specials
at PLAYSVIEWS.COM



Melissa Proctor DEJAVU

Melissa Proctor DEJAVU



Nov 19 2009 5:50 PM

Thanks so much for bein' my friend (O: Keep In Touch! :O)



ADD ME------>>>>> www.MySpace.com/MelissaProctor


......... , . ~ . ~ , ~ , ...........


......... ).. - ~. . ' ..( ............


........ ( . . . ...(......) ...........


.........| . . . . . ).....| ...........


.........{.. . . . .(. . ./ ............


............ =(.. /.)= ...............


............... -;..;-' ................


.................)|( , .................


................. || _.-'| .............


............. , _|| .._,/ .............


....... , ... ....|| .' .................


......|...|...,...||/ ...................


..../...| /|., |Y|| ....................


... '-...'-._....||/ ...................


........>_.-..Y| ...................


............. , _|| ....................


................. || ....................


................. || ....................


................. || ....................


..................||.....................







Lot's O' Love & A Big Fat Hug,





Melissa Proctor "DEJAVU"
Michael Frucelli

Michael Frucelli



Nov 19 2009 4:08 PM

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP & SUPPORT, ITS MUCH APPREICATED.

WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, STOP BY MY SITE AND GIVE A LISTEN TO MY NEW CD ( BACK TO MY ROOTS )  THE RAIN  &  ROCKBOTTOM  ARE DEDICATED TO VICTIMS OF THE FLOODS & FAILING ECONOMY 

LEAVE A COMMENT  OF YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU HEARD.

        PEACE, LOVE & HOPE’N  FOR A BETTER ECONOMY,

                                      MICHAEL

Mrafi

Mrafi



Nov 19 2009 2:28 PM

DESERTIFICATI
TRANSMISSION 13

TRANSMISSION 13
Online Now!


Nov 19 2009 12:14 PM

a very short vid from transmission 13-regards
transmission 13- introduction


Cake Mountain

Cake Mountain



Nov 18 2009 1:21 PM

Cheers for the add,
you're so darn swell!
CM love for you,
CM x
Add Comment


©2003-2009 MySpace.com. All Rights Reserved.