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That Handsome Devil

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"Godforbid" redirects here. For the band, see God Forbid.
That Handsome Devil
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres
Years active2004–present
Labels
  • Arts & Crafts Recordings
  • Stardust/Traffic
  • Modern Savage Recordings
  • Virgin Music Group
  • Vydia
Members
  • Christian James "Godforbid" Oppel
  • Jeremy Page
  • Naoko Takamoto
  • Evan Sanders
  • Jeremy Siegel
  • Sam Merrick
  • Andy Bauer
  • Deflon Sallahr

That Handsome Devil, often shortened to THD, is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, by way of Boston, Massachusetts.

The band mixes genres such as rock, funk, jazz, jive,[2] blues, surf, rhythm and blues, reggae,[3] rockabilly, rap, and psychedelic. Their sound has also been described as "equal parts Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, bizarre electronica, creepy hip hop and in-your-face gonzo rock".[4] Gypsy jazz has been used in description of the band while frontman Godforbid describes the band's music as "fringe pop".[5]

History

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The band was founded by Christian James "Godforbid" Oppel 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.[6] 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".[7] 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".[2][8] With music as stylistically varied as their last release, the album expanded on the band's themes of emptiness, drug addiction, materialism, 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.[9]

"Rob the Prez-O-Dent" was featured as a playable track in Rock Band 2.[10] 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.[11]

In 2009, their second EP, Enlightenment's For Suckers, was released.[12]

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.[citation needed]

In 2011, That Handsome Devil released their third album, The Heart Goes to Heaven, The Head Goes to Hell, to favorable reviews from fans and critics. The band supported the album with a tour and the launch of an independent website.[13] The album was financed in part by a fundraising effort on project startup service Kickstarter, raising $6,013 after a month.[14]

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. [15]

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.[16]

In 2021, Your Parents are Sellouts was released as a studio album. The album features themes of crime, such as drug possession, and violence, especially in young people, clearly separating their thoughts from those of older generations. [17]

On 25th October 2024, the band released their next album, Exploitopia. The album covers themes involving religion and continues the band's long tradition of references to addiction and death. [18]

Band members

[edit]
  • Christian James "Godforbid" Oppel – vocals, songwriter
  • Jeremy Page – guitar, bass, keyboard, banjo, pedal steel guitar, glockenspiel, percussion, accordion, synthesizer, kazoo, backing vocals, songwriter[10]
  • 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

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]

EPs

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

Singles

[edit]
  • "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

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  1. ^ "Our Interview with Godforbid, Lead Singer of That Handsome Devil". Brainsturbator. October 6, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Zimmerman, Lee (October 24, 2006). "That Handsome Devil (CD)". Amplifier Magazine. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  3. ^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "That Handsome Devil - That Handsome Devil". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Mills, William (September 17, 2008). "Le Diamant Brut: That Handsome Devil & WinoVino". Austinist. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  5. ^ Porter, Bill (August 18, 2008). "That Handsome Devil - A City Dressed in Dynamite". Static Multimedia. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  6. ^ "Alaskan Fishermen". Myspace. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "That Handsome Devil - 'Dating Tips/How To Get Money/Don't Go'". UndergroundHipHop. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  8. ^ "That Handsome Devil | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". That Handsome Devil. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  9. ^ "Showtime". Showtime. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  10. ^ a b ""Rob the Prez-O-Dent"". Rock Band. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  11. ^ Buskirk, Eliot Van. "Guitar Hero Band Releases First Full Album". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  12. ^ "Enlightenment's For Suckers". Amazon. August 25, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  13. ^ "That Handsome Devil". That Handsome Devil. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  14. ^ "That Handsome Devil". Kickstarter. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  15. ^ https://thathandsomedevil.bandcamp.com/album/the-jungle-book
  16. ^ That Handsome Devil (November 24, 2014). "Drugs & Guns For Everyone". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  17. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  18. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
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