That Handsome Devil, often shortened to THD, is an American rock band from Brooklyn,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, by way of Boston, Massachusetts. The band mixes genres such as rock,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, jazz, jive,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, surf, rhythm and blues, reggae, rockabilly, rap, and

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

. Their sound has also been described as "equal parts

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...

, bizarre

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

, creepy hip hop and in-your-face gonzo rock". Gypsy jazz has been used in description of the band while frontman Godforbid describes the band's music as "fringe pop".

History

The band was founded by Godforbid and Jeremy Page. Predating the band's existence, they were both members of the hip hop group Alaskan Fishermen, along with Thirstin' Howl III and Father Time. That Handsome Devil released their first single "Dating Tips" in 2004, which featured the songs "Dating Tips", "How to Get Money", and "Don't Go". In 2006, the band released their eponymous debut EP ''That Handsome Devil'', which included the single "Dating Tips". "Elephant Bones", the fourth track on the album, was featured as a bonus song in '' Guitar Hero II''. Their first studio album, '' A City Dressed in Dynamite'', was released in 2008 to several positive reviews, being praised by Amplifier Magazine as "a madcap musical frenzy as dizzying as it is dazzling". With music as stylistically varied as their last release, the album expanded on the band's themes of emptiness, drug addiction,

materialism Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds matter to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materiali ...

, and death, and featured their trademark of dated sound bites from the 1950s. A portion of "Mexico" was featured in the seventh episode of season four of ''Weeds'', "Yes I Can", before ''A City Dressed in Dynamite'' was released. "Rob the Prez-O-Dent" was featured as a playable track in '' Rock Band 2''. This, along with the appearance of "Elephant Bones" in ''Guitar Hero II'', increased their visibility despite the band never having released a full-length album before In 2009, their second EP, ''Enlightenment's For Suckers,'' was released. That Handsome Devil went on a national tour named "Hating New People" in the summer of 2010, where they sold small-print discs of previously unreleased singles and covers. In 2011, That Handsome Devil released their third album, ''

The Heart Goes to Heaven, The Head Goes to Hell ''The Heart Goes to Heaven, The Head Goes to Hell'' is the second full-length album recorded by alternative rock band That Handsome Devil That Handsome Devil, often shortened to THD, is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, by way o ...

'', to favorable reviews from fans and critics. The band supported the album with a tour and the launch of an independent website. The album was financed in part by a fundraising effort on project startup service

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

, raising $6,013 after a month. That Handsome Devil announced their fourth EP, ''The Jungle Book'', in 2012, available for free on their website. The album consists of covers of several songs from the original Disney movie. In September 2014, That Handsome Devil released the first single, "$=❤", from their forthcoming album. In November, The band released the album ''Drugs & Guns For Everyone'' on their YouTube channel.

Band members

* Christian James Oppel – vocals, songwriter * Jeremy Page – guitar,

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, keyboard, banjo, pedal steel guitar, glockenspiel, percussion, accordion, synthesizer, kazoo, backing vocals, songwriter * Naoko Takamoto – backing vocals * Evan Sanders – keyboard, trumpet, trombone * Jeremy Siegel – bass, backing vocals * Sam Merrick – drums * Andy Bauer – drums, percussion, accordion, guitar, backing vocals * Deflon Sallahr – hype man

Discography

Studio albums

* ''That Handsome Devil'' (2006) * '' A City Dressed in Dynamite'' (2008) * ''

'' (2011) * ''Drugs & Guns For Everyone'' (2014) * ''Your Parents Are Sellouts'' (2021)

EPs

* ''That Handsome Devil'' (2006) * ''Enlightenment's For Suckers'' (2009) * ''Hating New People'' (2010) * ''The Jungle Book'' (2012) * ''History is a Suicide Note'' (2017)

Singles

* "Dating Tips/How to Get Money/Don't Go" (2004) * "Steady and Slow" (2007) * "Hey White Boy" (2007) * "Lucky Me" (2008) * " Mr. Grinch" (2008) * "Chicken Claw" (2009) * "Marilyn Loves Heroin" (2009) * "Disco City" (2009) * "How to Get More Money (And Not Have to Shoot Somebody)" (2011)

References

External links

*MacNeil, Jason (2008)
That Handsome Devil ''A City Dressed In Dynamite''
, '' PopMatters'' {{Authority control Alternative hip hop groups Alternative rock groups from Massachusetts Musical groups from Boston