fbpx
Wikipedia

The Handsome Family

January 01, 1970

The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago, Illinois, and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[1] They are perhaps best known for their song "Far from Any Road" from the album Singing Bones, which was used as the main title theme for the first season of the 2014 crime drama True Detective. The band's tenth album, Unseen, was released in 2016.[2] The band's 11th studio album Hollow, was released on September 8, 2023.[3]

The Handsome Family
The Handsome Family performing live in 2008
Background information
OriginChicago, Illinois, US
Genres
Years active1993–present
LabelsLoose, Carrot Top, Scout Releases
MembersBrett Sparks
Rennie Sparks
Past membersMike Werner
Websitehttp://www.handsomefamily.com/

History edit

Husband-and-wife duo Brett Sparks (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Rennie Sparks (bass, banjo, vocals) formed the band in 1993, along with drummer Mike Werner. The band would later revolve around Rennie, who writes the lyrics, and Brett, who writes the music.[4] Guest musicians complete the band line-up for recordings and live work.[5]

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."[6]

Brett is originally from Odessa, Texas and Rennie from Long Island.[7] The band toured extensively throughout both America and Europe in support of early releases Odessa (1994) and Milk and Scissors (1996).[5] During that time, Brett suffered an emotional breakdown, resulting in his hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder.[7]

They wrote their third full-length album, Through the Trees, in the aftermath of these events, and included a song, "My Ghost", inspired by Brett's experiences in the psychiatric unit.[8][9] They recorded the album in 1998, using Jeff Tweedy's mobile studio,[5] and brought the band to a wider audience. Uncut named it the "Best New Country Album of the Year".[7]

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.[7] That year, Rennie's book of short stories, Evil, was released by Chicago publisher Black Hole Press.[10] 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".[11] 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.[5][7]

The duo appeared in the 2003 documentary Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus,[12] as well as the soundtrack album released two years later.[13]

They have subsequently released the albums Singing Bones (2003), Last Days of Wonder (2006), Honey Moon (2009), Wilderness (2013), and Unseen (2016) as well as the collections Smothered and Covered (2003) and Scattered (2010).[14] Their latest album, Hollow, was released in September 2023.[15]

The track "Far from Any Road", from the album Singing Bones, was used as the main title theme song for HBO's 2014 crime drama True Detective by the show's music director, T Bone Burnett. The Sydney Morning Herald included season one's opening sequence in their list of the "Ten of the Best" title sequences on television.[16] The song later appeared in an episode of The Simpsons, and was used as intro music during Guns N' Roses' 2014 tour.[7]

The band's tenth album, Unseen, was released on September 16, 2016, the first new release on the band's own label Milk & Scissors Music[2] and through long-time label Loose in Europe. In a departure from recent prior albums, the main duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks were joined by three guest musicians: David Gutierrez (mandolin and dobro), Alex McMahon (guitar, baritone guitar, pedal steel), and Jason Toth (drums).[17]

The band's 11th studio album Hollow, was released on September 8, 2023. The songs were written during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chorus of the album's lead single, "Joseph", was inspired by a nightmare of lyricist Rennie Sparks, who began talking in her sleep one night, shouting, "Come into the circle, Joseph. There’s no moon tonight!" Brett wrote the words down, and the duo fleshed out the song the next day.[3]

Musical style edit

The Handsome Family's music has been classified as gothic country or gothic Americana,[18][19][20][21] alternative country,[22][23][24] avant-country,[21] country,[25] country blues,[20] country rock,[26] gothic folk,[25] roots rock[21] and traditional country.[24] The Handsome Family's style is a blend of country, bluegrass, and murder ballads.[7] Early recordings have rock elements, but these were less evident from 1996's Milk and Scissors onwards.[7] The duo's penchant for a tongue-in-cheek, macabre approach has been noted by many critics; Andy Fyfe of Mojo called them "Americana's ghostly Sonny & Cher."[27] A.V. Club reviewer Christopher Bahn compared their music to "a collaboration between Hank Williams and Edgar Allan Poe."[26]

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). The title of Last Days of Wonder is a reference to Puritan scientist and witch-hunter Cotton Mather's 1693 book Wonders of the Invisible World, which Rennie found intriguing because of what she called its "madness brimming under the surface of things."[28]

Covers edit

The Handsome Family's songs have been covered repeatedly by musician Andrew Bird, including a full-length album of covers released in 2014, Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of…

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy regularly performs "So Much Wine" in concert.[8]

Sally Timms of the Mekons covered three Handsome Family songs—"The Sad Milkman", "Snowbird", and "Drunk By Noon"—on her 1999 album Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos.[29]

In 2022, Bird also contributed to Phoebe Bridgers's holiday cover of their song "So Much Wine" from In the Air alongside Irish actor Paul Mescal and bandmates Marshall Vore and Harrison Whitford. The proceeds from sales of the cover, as with all of Bridgers's holiday covers, go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[30]

Honors and awards edit

In 2014, Chicago city alderman Robert Fioretti sponsored a resolution declaring September 5, 2014 as "Brett and Rennie Sparks Day" in Chicago "for their exceptional and distinctive talents and noteworthy artistic contributions".[31]

Discography edit

Albums edit

Compilations and live albums

EPs edit

Singles edit

  • "My Beautiful Bride" b/w "Destroy, Destroy" (1999) Magwheel (7" split w/ Sackville)
  • "Drunk by Noon" b/w "The Blizzard" (2008) Carrot Top Records
  • "Far from Any Road" (2015)

References edit

  1. ^ Goodrich, Thomas. "Handsome Family, The – New Mexico Music Commission". Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  2. ^ a b Ayers, Mike (2016-07-13). "Hear the Handsome Family's 'Gold' From Their Upcoming New Album 'Unseen' (Exclusive)". Wall Street Journal (Speakeasy blog). New York City. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
  3. ^ a b Gallacher, Alex (2023-05-31). "Video Premiere: The Handsome Family – Joseph (from their new album 'Hollow')". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  4. ^ Doole, Kerry. "For the Love of Handsome Family " Archived 2012-07-09 at archive.today, Exclaim!, May 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d Strong, Martin C. (2003) "The Handsome Family", in The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
  6. ^ The Handsome Family, The Triste Interview. Triste.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Layne, Joslyn "The Handsome Family Biography", AllMusic
  8. ^ a b Roberts, Randall (2014-02-27). "'True Detective' music: 10 other great songs by the Handsome Family". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  9. ^ Lyrics to "My Ghost", Handsome Family.
  10. ^ Klein, Joshua (2002-03-29). "Review: Rennie Sparks: Evil". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
  11. ^ MacNeil, Jason "Twilight Review", AllMusic
  12. ^ "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus". IMDb. 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  13. ^ Christopher Monger, James (2014). "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus". Allmusic. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  14. ^ Arado, Matt (2013-05-10). "The Handsome Family: Wilderness". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  15. ^ Apice, John (2023-09-07). "REVIEW: The Handsome Family "Hollow"". americanahighways.org. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  16. ^ Kalina, Paul (August 22, 2014). "How Patrick Clair won the Emmy for 90 seconds of True Detective". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  17. ^ "Unseen". The Handsome Family. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  18. ^ STEINHOFF, JESSICA (April 17, 2009). "The Handsome Family's gothic country gets romantic". Isthmus. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  19. ^ MCKEOUGH, KEVIN (July 22, 2013). "Family Q&A". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  20. ^ a b Compton, Hannah (September 9, 2016). "The Handsome Family – Unseen – Album Review". Building Our Own Nashville. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  21. ^ a b c Plagenhoef, Scott (November 11, 2003). "Singing Bones The Handsome Family". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  22. ^ Dahlen, Chris (2002-10-20). "The Handsome Family: Live at Schuba's Tavern Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  23. ^ Bahn, Christopher (5 July 2006). "Review: The Handsome Family, Last Days Of Wonder". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  24. ^ a b Layne, Joslyn. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  25. ^ a b Cober-Lake, Justin (2016-10-04). "The Handsome Family: Unseen". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  26. ^ a b Bahn, Christopher (2013-05-14). "The Handsome Family: Wilderness". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  27. ^ Fyfe, Andy (2016-09-16). "The Handsome Family: Unseen". Mojo.
  28. ^ Bahn, Christopher (8 February 2006). "Interview: Brett and Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family". A.V. Club. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  29. ^ "Cowboy Sally's Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos - Sally Timms". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  30. ^ Strauss, Matthew (2023-05-31). "Phoebe Bridgers Covers the Handsome Family's "So Much Wine": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  31. ^ "Declaration of September 5, 2014 as "Brett and Rennie Sparks Day" in Chicago". City of Chicago, Office of the City Clerk. 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  32. ^ Vitali, Marc (November 7, 2019). "Chicago's Bloodshot Records Celebrates 25th Anniversary". WTTW. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  33. ^ "Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots". Bloodshot Records. 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-26.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Handsome Family.
  • Official website
  • 2009 The Handsome Family Interview at Bandega.com
  • the Handsome Family article May 2009
  • Article
  • Glorious Noise: interview
  • Interview
  • WTF Pod with Marc Maron podcast episode interview

January 01, 1970
handsome, family, american, music, consisting, husband, wife, brett, rennie, sparks, formed, chicago, illinois, 2001, based, albuquerque, mexico, they, perhaps, best, known, their, song, from, road, from, album, singing, bones, which, used, main, title, theme,. The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago Illinois and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque New Mexico 1 They are perhaps best known for their song Far from Any Road from the album Singing Bones which was used as the main title theme for the first season of the 2014 crime drama True Detective The band s tenth album Unseen was released in 2016 2 The band s 11th studio album Hollow was released on September 8 2023 3 The Handsome FamilyThe Handsome Family performing live in 2008Background informationOriginChicago Illinois USGenresGothic country alternative countryYears active1993 presentLabelsLoose Carrot Top Scout ReleasesMembersBrett SparksRennie SparksPast membersMike WernerWebsitehttp www handsomefamily com Contents 1 History 2 Musical style 3 Covers 4 Honors and awards 5 Discography 5 1 Albums 5 2 EPs 5 3 Singles 6 References 7 External linksHistory editHusband and wife duo Brett Sparks vocals guitar keyboards and Rennie Sparks bass banjo vocals formed the band in 1993 along with drummer Mike Werner The band would later revolve around Rennie who writes the lyrics and Brett who writes the music 4 Guest musicians complete the band line up for recordings and live work 5 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 6 Brett is originally from Odessa Texas and Rennie from Long Island 7 The band toured extensively throughout both America and Europe in support of early releases Odessa 1994 and Milk and Scissors 1996 5 During that time Brett suffered an emotional breakdown resulting in his hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder 7 They wrote their third full length album Through the Trees in the aftermath of these events and included a song My Ghost inspired by Brett s experiences in the psychiatric unit 8 9 They recorded the album in 1998 using Jeff Tweedy s mobile studio 5 and brought the band to a wider audience Uncut named it the Best New Country Album of the Year 7 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 7 That year Rennie s book of short stories Evil was released by Chicago publisher Black Hole Press 10 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 11 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 5 7 The duo appeared in the 2003 documentary Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus 12 as well as the soundtrack album released two years later 13 They have subsequently released the albums Singing Bones 2003 Last Days of Wonder 2006 Honey Moon 2009 Wilderness 2013 and Unseen 2016 as well as the collections Smothered and Covered 2003 and Scattered 2010 14 Their latest album Hollow was released in September 2023 15 The track Far from Any Road from the album Singing Bones was used as the main title theme song for HBO s 2014 crime drama True Detective by the show s music director T Bone Burnett The Sydney Morning Herald included season one s opening sequence in their list of the Ten of the Best title sequences on television 16 The song later appeared in an episode of The Simpsons and was used as intro music during Guns N Roses 2014 tour 7 The band s tenth album Unseen was released on September 16 2016 the first new release on the band s own label Milk amp Scissors Music 2 and through long time label Loose in Europe In a departure from recent prior albums the main duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks were joined by three guest musicians David Gutierrez mandolin and dobro Alex McMahon guitar baritone guitar pedal steel and Jason Toth drums 17 The band s 11th studio album Hollow was released on September 8 2023 The songs were written during the COVID 19 pandemic The chorus of the album s lead single Joseph was inspired by a nightmare of lyricist Rennie Sparks who began talking in her sleep one night shouting Come into the circle Joseph There s no moon tonight Brett wrote the words down and the duo fleshed out the song the next day 3 Musical style editThe Handsome Family s music has been classified as gothic country or gothic Americana 18 19 20 21 alternative country 22 23 24 avant country 21 country 25 country blues 20 country rock 26 gothic folk 25 roots rock 21 and traditional country 24 The Handsome Family s style is a blend of country bluegrass and murder ballads 7 Early recordings have rock elements but these were less evident from 1996 s Milk and Scissors onwards 7 The duo s penchant for a tongue in cheek macabre approach has been noted by many critics Andy Fyfe of Mojo called them Americana s ghostly Sonny amp Cher 27 A V Club reviewer Christopher Bahn compared their music to a collaboration between Hank Williams and Edgar Allan Poe 26 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 The title of Last Days of Wonder is a reference to Puritan scientist and witch hunter Cotton Mather s 1693 book Wonders of the Invisible World which Rennie found intriguing because of what she called its madness brimming under the surface of things 28 Covers editThe Handsome Family s songs have been covered repeatedly by musician Andrew Bird including a full length album of covers released in 2014 Things Are Really Great Here Sort Of Wilco s Jeff Tweedy regularly performs So Much Wine in concert 8 Sally Timms of the Mekons covered three Handsome Family songs The Sad Milkman Snowbird and Drunk By Noon on her 1999 album Cowboy Sally s Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos 29 In 2022 Bird also contributed to Phoebe Bridgers s holiday cover of their song So Much Wine from In the Air alongside Irish actor Paul Mescal and bandmates Marshall Vore and Harrison Whitford The proceeds from sales of the cover as with all of Bridgers s holiday covers go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center 30 Honors and awards editIn 2014 Chicago city alderman Robert Fioretti sponsored a resolution declaring September 5 2014 as Brett and Rennie Sparks Day in Chicago for their exceptional and distinctive talents and noteworthy artistic contributions 31 Discography editAlbums edit Odessa 1994 Carrot Top Scout Releases Milk and Scissors 1996 Carrot Top Scout Releases Through the Trees 1998 Carrot Top Loose In the Air 2000 Carrot Top Loose Twilight 2001 Carrot Top Loose Singing Bones 2003 Carrot Top Loose Last Days of Wonder 2006 Carrot Top Loose Honey Moon 2009 Carrot Top Loose Wilderness 2013 Carrot Top Loose Unseen 2016 Milk amp Scissors Music Loose Hollow 2023 Milk amp Scissors Music Compilations and live albums Down in the Valley 1999 Independent Records Ireland only release Live at Schuba s sic Tavern 2002 Digital Club Network The tavern is actually named Schubas for the two Schuba brothers Smothered and Covered 2002 Handsome Family Music Scattered 2010 Handsome Family Music Tower of Song Too Late to Pray Defiant Chicago Roots 2019 Bloodshot Records 32 33 EPs edit Invisible Hands 1997 Carrot Top Records Scout Releases Vinyl only release In the Forest of Missing Airplanes 2007 Singles edit My Beautiful Bride b w Destroy Destroy 1999 Magwheel 7 split w Sackville Drunk by Noon b w The Blizzard 2008 Carrot Top Records Far from Any Road 2015 References edit Goodrich Thomas Handsome Family The New Mexico Music Commission Retrieved 2022 08 08 a b Ayers Mike 2016 07 13 Hear the Handsome Family s Gold From Their Upcoming New Album Unseen Exclusive Wall Street Journal Speakeasy blog New York City Retrieved 2016 07 14 a b Gallacher Alex 2023 05 31 Video Premiere The Handsome Family Joseph from their new album Hollow Folk Radio UK Retrieved 2023 05 31 Doole Kerry For the Love of Handsome Family Archived 2012 07 09 at archive today 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 h Layne Joslyn The Handsome Family Biography AllMusic a b Roberts Randall 2014 02 27 True Detective music 10 other great songs by the Handsome Family Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Retrieved 2023 06 01 Lyrics to My Ghost Handsome Family Klein Joshua 2002 03 29 Review Rennie Sparks Evil The A V Club Retrieved 2015 04 19 MacNeil Jason Twilight Review AllMusic Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus IMDb 2014 Retrieved May 15 2014 Christopher Monger James 2014 Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus Allmusic Retrieved May 15 2014 Arado Matt 2013 05 10 The Handsome Family Wilderness Popmatters com Retrieved 2014 02 23 Apice John 2023 09 07 REVIEW The Handsome Family Hollow americanahighways org Retrieved 2023 11 04 Kalina Paul August 22 2014 How Patrick Clair won the Emmy for 90 seconds of True Detective The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Archived from the original on November 5 2015 Retrieved January 24 2015 Unseen The Handsome Family Retrieved 2020 07 31 STEINHOFF JESSICA April 17 2009 The Handsome Family s gothic country gets romantic Isthmus Retrieved 2022 04 15 MCKEOUGH KEVIN July 22 2013 Family Q amp A Chicago Magazine Retrieved 2022 04 15 a b Compton Hannah September 9 2016 The Handsome Family Unseen Album Review Building Our Own Nashville Retrieved 2022 04 15 a b c Plagenhoef Scott November 11 2003 Singing Bones The Handsome Family Pitchfork Retrieved 2022 04 15 Dahlen Chris 2002 10 20 The Handsome Family Live at Schuba s Tavern Album Review Pitchfork Retrieved 2018 11 05 Bahn Christopher 5 July 2006 Review The Handsome Family Last Days Of Wonder The A V Club Retrieved 28 April 2015 a b Layne Joslyn Artist Biography AllMusic Retrieved 2022 04 15 a b Cober Lake Justin 2016 10 04 The Handsome Family Unseen Popmatters com Retrieved 2020 07 31 a b Bahn Christopher 2013 05 14 The Handsome Family Wilderness Avclub com Retrieved 2013 07 08 Fyfe Andy 2016 09 16 The Handsome Family Unseen Mojo Bahn Christopher 8 February 2006 Interview Brett and Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family A V Club Retrieved 28 April 2015 Cowboy Sally s Twilight Laments for Lost Buckaroos Sally Timms AllMusic Retrieved 2023 06 01 Strauss Matthew 2023 05 31 Phoebe Bridgers Covers the Handsome Family s So Much Wine Listen Pitchfork Retrieved 2023 06 01 Declaration of September 5 2014 as Brett and Rennie Sparks Day in Chicago City of Chicago Office of the City Clerk 2014 09 10 Retrieved 2023 06 01 Vitali Marc November 7 2019 Chicago s Bloodshot Records Celebrates 25th Anniversary WTTW Retrieved 2019 11 26 Too Late to Pray Defiant Chicago Roots Bloodshot Records 2019 Retrieved 2019 11 26 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Handsome Family Official website 2009 The Handsome Family Interview at Bandega com the Handsome Family article May 2009 Article Glorious Noise interview Interview WTF Pod with Marc Maron podcast episode interview Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Handsome Family amp oldid 1219453785, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.