Sparks...

"catchy, creepy and cheerfully demented pop music" **** Rave Magazine (Brisbane)

‘pop masterminds Russell and Ron Mael still find it hard to put a foot wrong. near-geniuses’ NME

‘…another fireball of unpredictability’ Uncut

‘International treasures’ Q


37 years after their debut LP Sparks release ‘Exotic Creatures Of The Deep’, their 21st studio album. Recorded in their Los Angeles studio, brothers Ron and Russell Mael once again display their extraordinary ability to create, to challenge, and to confound. Should it be possible for two people to be so fresh, so vital, so unpredictable and so incomparably individual?

The result of a year spent in near-isolation ‘Exotic Creatures Of The Deep’ could, perhaps, be seen as a natural evolution from their last two records on which pop-opera, rock and high drama combined to redefine Sparks’ sound. During these recent times the cognoscenti, those “in the know”, have lauded and applauded Sparks whilst enjoying membership of an exclusive club. However, these remarkably exceptional, and notably catchy, creations look set to be the key that enables many more to, as Sparks have said, ‘come and meet them’.

Tracklisting: Intro * Good Morning * Strange Animal * I Can’t Believe That You Would Fall For All The Crap In This Song * Let The Monkey Drive * Intro Reprise * I’ve Never Been High * (She Got Me) Pregnant * Lighten Up, Morrissey * This Is The Renaissance * The Director Never Yelled ‘Cut’ * Photoshop * Likeable

A list of artists who consider themselves unabashed fans or have been influenced by Sparks include: Beck, Bjork, Franz Ferdinand, Pet Shop Boys, Pulp, Morrissey, Erasure, Kaiser Chiefs, Primal Scream, Young Knives, Black Kids, Norman Cook, Bernard Butler, MGMT, Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, Kasabian, The Wombats, Joe Elliott and Paul McCartney.

Collaborators have included: Bernard Butler, Cheap Trick, Faith No More, Justin Hawkins, Les Rita Mitsuoko, Pizzicato 5, Ramones, Redd Kross, Jimmy Somerville (‘No.1 Song In Heaven’) and Go-Go's/Jane Weidlin (‘Cool Places’/’Lucky Me, Lucky You’).

Sparks recently performed ‘Exotic Creatures Of The Deep’ live in concert at Shepherds Bush Empire as the pinnacle of the Sparks Spectacular which comprised performances of each of their 21 albums in chronological order, one album each night. Aside from Ron & Russell Mael, band members were Drums Steve Nistor, Bass – Steve McDonald, Guitar – Jim Wilson, Guitar/Second Bass – Marcus Blake.


‘Only Sparks could pull that off, and they do’ The Independent

‘next to them other pop acts look slow-witted’ Financial Times

‘there’s absolutely no stopping these guys’ Bent

‘typically clever and musically outrageous’ Word Magazine

‘Glorious Stuff’ Mojo

© RiSH Publicity 2008 : RiSH Records