- The Handsome Family
-
The Handsome Family 
Background information Origin Chicago, Illinois, US Genres Alternative country Years active 1993–present Labels Carrot Top Records and Scout Releases Website http://www.handsomefamily.com/ Members Brett Sparks
Rennie SparksPast members Mike Werner The Handsome Family is an alternative country band, formed in Chicago, Illinois.
Contents
History
The band was formed in 1993 by husband-and-wife duo Brett Sparks (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Rennie Sparks (bass, banjo, vocals) and drummer Mike Werner, although the band would later revolve around Rennie, who writes the lyrics, and Brett, who writes the music,[1] With guest musicians completing the band line-up for recordings and live work.[2]
Regarding the band name, Brett said in an interview: "It's just kind of a stupid name. We used to have this really obnoxious drummer, and he used to call me 'Handsome', that was his nickname for me, I think for sarcastic reasons... And he wanted to call it the Handsome family...and we thought it was funny, too. We thought it was a good name."[3]
Formed in Chicago, Brett is originally from Texas and Rennie from Long Island.[4] The band toured extensively throughout both America and Europe in support of early releases Odessa (1994) and Milk and Scissors (1996).[2] During this time, Brett suffered an emotional breakdown, resulting in his hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder.[4]
Their third full-length album, Through the Trees, was written in the aftermath of these events, and included a song inspired by Brett's experiences in a bipolar ward.[5] The album was recorded in 1998, using Jeff Tweedy's mobile studio.[2] and brought the band to a wider audience. It was named the "Best New Country Album of the Year" by UNCUT.[4]
A growing following and raised profile allowed Brett and Rennie to give up their day jobs and work on the band full-time. They toured America and Europe again in support of the 2000 album In the Air.[4] In 2001, they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and released Twilight, with Allmusic opining that the album leads "the listener down a lovely yet dark trail few would dare tread twice".[6] In 2002, they released a live album, Live at Schuba's Tavern, a recording from the In the Air tour from Chicago in December 2000.[2][4] They have subsequently released the albums Singing Bones (2003), and Last Days of Wonder (2006) as well as the collections Smothered and Covered (2003) and Scattered (2010).
The band's latest studio album, Honey Moon, was released in April 2009.[7]
Musical style
The Handsome Family's style is a blend of traditional country, bluegrass, and murder ballads.[4] Early recordings have rock elements, but these were less evident from 1996's Milk and Scissors onwards.[4]
Rennie's lyrics have a strong storytelling component, drawing on themes from Gothic fiction, as well as American folk music, and often involving macabre subjects as murders, suicides and ghosts. Some songs are also based on actual historical figures or events, including the lives and deaths of Amelia Earhart ("Amelia Earhart vs. the Dancing Bear", on Milk and Scissors), Emily Shore ("Emily Shore 1819-1839", on Milk and Scissors), Robert Wadlow ("The Giant of Illinois", on Through the Trees), Natalie Wood ("Natalie Wood", an outtake from Twilight, which appears on Smothered and Covered), and Nikola Tesla ("Tesla's Hotel Room", on Last Days of Wonder).
Discography
Albums
- Odessa (1994) Carrot Top Records
- Milk and Scissors (1996) Carrot Top Records
- Invisible Hands (1997) Scout (Germany only EP release)
- Through the Trees (1998) Carrot Top Records
- In the Air (2000) Carrot Top Records
- Twilight (2001) Carrot Top Records
- Singing Bones (2003) Carrot Top Records
- Last Days of Wonder (2006) Carrot Top Records
- Honey Moon (2009) Carrot Top Records
- Compilations and Live albums
- Down in the Valley (1999) Independent Records (Ireland only release)
- Live at Schuba's Tavern (2002) Digital Club Network
- Smothered and Covered (2003) Handsome Family Music
- Scattered (2010) Handsome Family Music
Singles
- "My Beautiful Bride" (1999) Magwheel
References
- ^ Doole, Kerry. Will however was the most handsome of them all. "For the Love of Handsome Family ", Exclaim!, May 2010.
- ^ a b c d Strong, Martin C. (2003) "The Handsome Family", in The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0
- ^ The Handsome Family, The Triste Interview. Triste.
- ^ a b c d e f g Layne, Joslyn "The Handsome Family Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ See lyrics to "My Ghost" at the Handsome Family website.
- ^ MacNeil, Jason "Twilight Review", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ Blurt Online, Handsome Family Takes a Honey Moon
External links
Categories:- American alternative country groups
- Musical groups established in 1993
- Musical groups from Chicago, Illinois
- Mint Records artists
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
