Formed in 1995 by chief songwriter Mark Linkous, Sparklehorse was an American alternative and indie rock band that specialized in moodily melancholic material. The Richmond, Virginia-based band debuted with Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, which showcased Linkous' ability to pen both mopey acoustic tracks and more aggressive indie rock. Over the years, Sparklehorse began to become a more lushly-produced project full of electronic bells and whistles and collaborative tracks with the likes of Danger Mouse, Tom Waits and Steven Drozd from The Flaming Lips. After fifteen years of bittersweet material that effectively flew under the radar, the band was forced to retire when Linkous unexpectedly took his own life in 2010.
