Husband 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
Influences
Gentleman 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 Like
A little bit creepy and a little bit country.
DOWNLOAD OR PREVIEW TONS OF OUR SONGS THROUGH THIS ITUNES LINK ..
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
Comin Through SHowin SUm Love!! Loving The pAge!!! Check It Out Get A Taste Of One Of The Hottest MiXTapes!!! DRoppin Str8 Outta Broward!!! Lets US KNow WHat yOu Think, DOnt BE ah Stranger!!!
It is a most exciting one for me as I will be playing tracks from my: Dirty Rhythm & Blues, Alt-Country, Gothic-Country, Cemetery Western, Death Country, Avant-Country and Country-Noir collection!
CHRISTMAS and CHRISTIANITY have NO RELATION aside from their name sharing a common prefix. the rituals/traditions/customs exist solely because the ruling elite need a way to incorporate PAGAN/OCCULT/SATANIC RITUALS INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES BECAUSE (THEY BELIEVE) IT GIVES THEM GREAT POWER! T.H.E.Y. (The Hierarchy Enslaving You) control religion/government/finance which is why their massive ritual ("Christmas") incorporates and relies on all those institutions to propel it.
(now YOU are saying): "my precious CHRISTMAS is a ritual too? oh no it couldn't be! our loving methods of control would never do that! our religions would not lie to us! these are just great fun family traditions and are totally harmless and wholesome! Big Baby Jesus was born on Dec 25 because the federal government's national holiday ("HOLY" day) says so & my mommy told me too!"
No not in a manger..... in the Crust, so as it will look only like a whole Turkey; then have a hare ready cased, and wiped with a clean Cloth. Cut it to Pieces, that is jointed; season it, and lay it as close as you can on one Side; on the other Side Woodcock, more Game, and what Sort of wild Fowl you can get. Season them well, and lay them close; put at least four Pounds of Butter into the Pye, then lay on your Lid, which must be very a very thick one, and let it be well baked. It must have a very hot Oven, and will take at least four Hours. This Pye will take a Bushel of Flour; in this Chapter you will see how to make it."
"A Yorkshire Christmas-Pye. First make a good Standing Crust, let the Wall and Bottom be very thick, bone a Turkey, a Goose, a Fowl, a Partridge, and a Pigeon, season them all very well, take half an Ounce of Mace, half an Ounce of Nutmegs, a quarter of an Ounce of Cloves, half and Ounce of black Pepper, all beat fine together, two large Spoonfuls of Salt, mix them together. Open the Fowls, then then Goose, and then the Turkey, which must be large; season them all well first, and lay them in
New Years Eve Supporting The Twang and The Sunshine Underground at The Warehouse in Shrewsbury.. Gunna be epic.. Tickets Available online,, If you would like us to send you some free tracks, send us ya email address :) Merry Christmas x
Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant; Hot Boxers!
This Yuletide we are joined once again by Django Django's most rambunctious redhead, Hugo Paris. Danglz n Schmooz go mistletoe-to-toe tusslin in a hot Christmas cracker, Young Tayport Posse style.
Ginger Bells and Djangle Balls, have a hot one whether you make it along or not. Rafla & Nobodandy x
Season's Greetings! "The Valley" is now available for order and would look fabulous in your Christmas stocking :-). New songs up too. Have a wonderful holiday!
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