For 15 years now, The Handsome Family's Brett and Rennie Sparks have perfected the functional family dynamic model, making music side-by-side in commingled bliss. They’re the ideal, what the rest of us strive to achieve with our actual bloodline families, or with our music website news families, but ultimately fail to emulate. It is not always easy to stand up to your dad when he grills you about homework, where you left the car, where you lefts your pants, etc. Likewise, it is never easy to put up with “Dad the TMT Editor” when he constantly assigns you endless Interpol news stories, even after you have insisted how much you can’t stand the sight of those talent-less dinkuses -- and, I mean, c’mon, why am I still getting snookered with these hand-me-down scraps of stories when I not only cleaned and polished your beloved 1989 Dodge Shadow last week (inside and out!), but also offered to spiff up your own undercarriage too. You didn’t have to meet my offer with a blank stare and barely-restrained rage! Okay, okay, I won’t explode when I can quietly seethe, bottle up my emotions, and work out some demons as I write a curt complaint via the dysfunctional family letter generator. I won’t waste space here with my results, but let’s just say that the phrases “beastly dark matter,” “pooh-pooh head,” and “bravely dislodged the toothpaste cap from the toilet bowl” were peppered throughout!
Ah, feels good to get that out. Who knows, maybe The Handsome Family have these types of unwarranted venting shitstorms from time to time too, although I doubt it. I’m guessing they are too mature to let little things like imaginary tiffs about covering wildly overrated NYC acts on TMT or about who ate the last Rolo get to them. Besides, who has time to argue when there are new musical ventures to seek out and new people for whom to play. First up, on April 14 we will see the release of the new Handsome Family album, entitled Honey Moon. Released by Carrot Top, Honey Moon is a change of record for the family Sparks in that it is an unabashed album about love, sans the usual dark detours the duo tend to explore. Also, the album decidedly takes in a greater variety of styles than we are used to: “tin-pan alley songs, country songs, r&b songs, a bluegrass song, pop songs, jazz songs, and even rock ballads,” states Brett. So, basically everything but grime polka, and two-step thrash then? Behold... titles!
1. Linger, Let Me Linger
2. Little Sparrows
3. My Friend
4. When You Whispered
5. The Loneliness of Magnets
6. Junebugs
7. A Thousand Diamond Rings
8. Love Is Like
9. The Petrified Forest
10. Wild Wood
11. Darling, My Darling
12. The Winding Corn Maze
Rennie and Brett will pump out the Honey jams on the road too, when they play a number of North American shows before jetting off to the UK for some more. Additionally, like every red-blooded musical act in the world, The Handsomes will certainly be in Austin for the annual SXSW festivities in March, but the date is yet to be confirmed. These, however, are:
04.16.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
04.17.09 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04.18.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
04.19.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
04.21.09 - Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo
04.22.09 - Wakefield, Quebec - Black Sheep Inn
04.24.09 - Cambridge, MA - Lizard Lounge
04.25.09 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
04.26.09 - Arlington, VA - Iota
05.14.09 - Brighton, England - The Great Escape, Mojo Night
05.15.09 - Leeds, England - Brudenell Club
05.16.09 - Farndale, England - The Band Room
05.17.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Tron Theatre, Americana Festival
05.18.09 - Sheffield, England - Memorial Hall
05.19.09 - Manchester, England - The Ruby Lounge
05.20.09 - Gateshead, England - The Sage
05.21.09 - London, England - Islington Academy
05.23.09 - Bedford, England - The Ent Shed
05.25.09 - Birmingham, England - The Glee Club
05.26.09 - Cardiff, Wales - St. Davids
05.27.09 - Swansea, England - The Garage
05.28.09 - Bath, England - Spiegel Tent
05.29.09 - Bexhill, England - De La Warr Pavilion
05.30.09 - Reading, England - South Street
05.31.09 - Exeter, England - Arts Centre
