My next new favorite band has actually been around longer than me ...

Every couple of years, I manage to stumble across a some type of hidden musical treasure: the musical equivalent of finding a ten spot on the street! They're usually hiding like the Velveteen Rabbit in garage sales and thrift stories.

This time, it's the gold mine of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, better known as Sparks. They've been going strong for almost 40 years, recording pretty consistently too.

Describe Sparks? What about a mixture of Cole Porter, Queen, Supertramp, and the Pet Shop Boys? Maybe it's more like Elvis Costello at a Euro disco? Or Spinal Tap with pianos? Or an all-male, all-Dutch version of the Go-Go's?

What makes Sparks so amazing is that they seem to predate everything. New wave? They beat the skinny tie crowd to the bank by almost half a decade. Same with power pop, dance music, electronica, and big band.

Best known for their 1974 U.K. hit, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us", Sparks looks, sounds, and sings like they're British. They're not. Instead, they're two brothers from California.

Older brother Ron, complete with thin a mustache that makes him look an unfortunate cross between Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hilter, writes a lot of the material.

Younger brother Russell - a dead ringer for Jeremy Irons in his younger days - is the singer and often sings in a faux European accent. His constant use of falsetto makes him sound like a young Brian Wilson singing Monty Python songs.

Along with their witty lyrics and their great melodies, the brothers' secret is that they do everything absolutely straight faced.

Most veteran bands tend to slow down in their waning years. Not Sparks, they have a new album coming out soon.

You can find them just about anywhere on Youtube - as long as you're willing to weed through the six thousand postings of Jordan Sparks' "Tatoo"!

Tips for Teens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MqISz5bH7o

I Predict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95jDdBmzyiE

This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax8JYmoRhy4

Get In The Swing (And yes .. that's one of the Bay City Rollers introducing the band.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avypBDJ68AQ&feature=related

Perfume

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFrFhwMQMXg

Behind the scenes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdcx6eZjPEI&feature=PlayList&p=719CAB6469696B9A&index=29

Beat the Clock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBOtpwOZSFk&feature=related

Big Surprise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0GYIRE1FzA&feature=related

Wonder Girl & Do Ri Me (Yes, that Do Ri Me.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPsxGLYIavM