Handsome Furs

The Montreal-based duo Handsome Furs formed in 2005 around the talents of Vancouver transplants Dan Boeckner (frontman of Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry. The husband-and-wife team released the atmospheric Plague Park in 2007, utilizing drum machines and world-weary melodies to distinguish the band's debut from Wolf Parade's own output. Plague Park earned accolades for its electronic twist on indie rock, with Rolling Stone likening the band to "a dingy version of the Cure rocking some hipster dive bar," and the growing buzz prompted Handsome Furs' return to the studio in late 2007. Despite initially planning to cut an EP, the inspired duo recorded an entire album instead, drawing upon its recent Eastern European tour for lyrical cues. The resulting Face Control was issued in March 2009. For their 2011 follow-up, the band turned to Asian influences, and recorded Sound Kapital with only keyboards and drum machines. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi