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Electric Six is a six-piece American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in 1996 in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. Their music was described by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
as a combination of
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...
,
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
, punk rock, new wave, and
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
. The band achieved recognition in 2003 with the singles "
Danger! High Voltage "Danger! High Voltage" is a song by American rock band Electric Six. It was released as the band's debut single and the lead single from their debut studio album, ''Fire'' (2003), in 2002 as a 7-inch vinyl. It was re-released by XL Recordings on ...
" and "
Gay Bar A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once served as ...
", and have since released 14 studio albums, two rarities albums, and one live album. A live DVD, ''
Absolute Treasure ''Absolute Pleasure'' is a live album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. It is composed of recordings from shows at both First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Double Door in Chicago, Illinois. Track listing # "It's Showtime!" (from '' ...
'', was released in 2014. The current lineup of the band consists of vocalist Dick Valentine, lead guitarist , keyboardist Tait Nucleus?, rhythm guitarist Da Vé, bassist Rob Lower and drummer Todd Glass. Live drummer Hyperkube Bonanza has filled in for Glass on most tours since 2016.


History


Formation and the Wildbunch years (1996–2000)

The band formed in 1996 and was initially known as The Wildbunch, eventually dropping that name due to pressure from the British group of the same name. Throughout the latter half of the 1990s, they played regularly at the Old Miami and the Gold Dollar in
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, the center of a scene that produced breakout acts like the
White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums wi ...
. The band was originally composed of Dick Valentine (
Tyler Spencer Tyler Spencer (born January 22, 1972), also known as Dick Valentine, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. He is best known as the lead vocalist, main lyricist, and co-founder of the rock band Electric Six. Career Spencer fou ...
, lead vocals), M (Cory Martin, drums), The Rock and Roll Indian (Anthony Selph, lead guitar), Surge Joebot (Joe Frezza, rhythm guitar), and Disco (Steve Nawara, bass and former member of
The Detroit Cobras The Detroit Cobras were an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, which was formed around 1994 by vocalist Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, with a constantly changing assortment of (mostly male) sidemen. Nagy died on January 14 ...
). Valentine has always been the primary songwriter, both music and lyrics, of Electric Six. During the band's temporary split at the end of the 1990s, he formed his own band called The Dirty Shame and released one CD titled ''Smog Cutter Love Story'' which featured, among other tracks, a first version of ''
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' track "Vengeance and Fashion." The band reformed by 2001 to record and release "Danger! High Voltage" and record the track "Dealin' in Death and Stealin' in the Name of the Lord" with
Troy Gregory Troy Gregory (born November 13, 1966) is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker, film composer, solo artist, and member of The Dirtbombs. Since 2018 for his solo Albums he has composed, produced, and performed all instruments by hi ...
for his ''Sybil'' album.


''Fire'' and mainstream success (2001–2004)

The 2003 release of "
Danger! High Voltage "Danger! High Voltage" is a song by American rock band Electric Six. It was released as the band's debut single and the lead single from their debut studio album, ''Fire'' (2003), in 2002 as a 7-inch vinyl. It was re-released by XL Recordings on ...
" (produced and mixed by
Damien Mendis "Danger! High Voltage" is a song by American rock band Electric Six. It was released as the band's debut single and the lead single from their debut studio album, ''Fire'' (2003), in 2002 as a 7-inch vinyl. It was re-released by XL Recordings on ...
and Stuart Bradbury) proved a massive hit, particularly in the United Kingdom. The single also garnered the band public attention after a rumor got out that a pre-fame
Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
from
The White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums with ...
sang backup vocals on the single track "Danger! (High Voltage)" when it was recorded. Although this was presented as fact in multiple sources, then-guitarist Surge said in an interview: In another interview, former drummer M. said: "My attorney has advised us to neither confirm nor deny the presence of Jack White." Still, the rumor persisted that White was featured on the song.Laurence, Alexander (2003)
"Electric Six Interview"
''Free Williamsburg'' Retrieved on May 17, 2006
Both he and Electric Six denied this, and the vocal work was credited officially to the unknown John S O'Leary. The band's 2003 debut ''
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' (also produced and mixed by Damien Mendis and Stuart Bradbury) earned the group significant critical success, landing the "Danger! High Voltage" single at number 2 on the
UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Their second single, "
Gay Bar A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once served as ...
", released in 2003, reached No. 5 in the UK charts. The song was reportedly inspired by a raucous night out in Detroit's gay club scene with former Crazy Town member Brandon Calabro. The album made it into several best-of-2003 lists, as well as reaching the top 10 in the UK album chart, and another single "Dance Commander", which gave Electric Six its third Top 40 single in the UK. After finishing the recording of ''Fire'', three members left in June, leaving Dick Valentine, M, and Tait Nucleus?. (John Nash, lead guitar, member of The Volebeats, The Witches and solo effort The Alphabet), The Colonel (Zach Shipps, rhythm guitar, ex member of
Brendan Benson Brendan Benson (born November 14, 1970) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs. Recording career ''One Missi ...
, The Atomic Numbers and Mood Elevator), John R. Dequindre (Chris Peters, bass/guitar) and Frank Lloyd Bonaventure (Mark Dundon, bass) (both-ex members of Ann Arbor's whirlingRoad, Getaway Cruiser and Six Clips) subsequently joined the group, although The Colonel had to opt out of early performances due to prior touring commitments. In time, Dequindre switched from guitar to bass and Bonaventure left to attain a law degree. In early 2004, Electric Six played at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
.


''Señor Smoke'' (2005)

The band's second album, ''
Señor Smoke ''Señor Smoke'' (2005) is the second album from Electric Six, following ''Fire'' in 2003. It was released in the UK February 14, 2005 by Warner Music imprint Rushmore Records. Due to complications with Electric Six's former record label, Rush ...
'', was released in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2005. Since the band had been dropped from their previous American record label, a North American release of the album was delayed until February 7, 2006, when it came out on
Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993 by the late Dave Heckman. The label's all-electronic format closely tracked with European contemporaries, such as Off Beat, and, since 1995, has been instrumenta ...
. The first single from the album put the band at the center of controversy, especially with
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
fans, following a cover of the Queen hit song "
Radio Ga Ga "Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with " I Go Crazy" by Brian May as the B-side. It was included on the album '' The Works'' ...
." The controversial music video shows lead singer Dick Valentine as the ghost of Queen's lead singer
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
and a backing band of poodles. Queen drummer
Roger Taylor Roger Taylor may refer to: *Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) (born 1949), drummer for Queen *Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer) (born 1960), drummer for Duran Duran *Roger Taylor (author), author of epic fantasy Hawklan series *Roger Taylor (college pr ...
, who wrote the song, said that he was "unimpressed" with the video; Queen guitarist
Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Fredd ...
reportedly liked it. According to Valentine:


''Switzerland'' (2006)

In November 2004, drummer M. called it quits, leaving Dick Valentine as the sole original member of the former Wildbunch. Their new drummer, Percussion World (Mike Alonso), had been affiliated with the band and its members for some time, and was named as a permanent member of the band. Electric Six finished recording their third album, titled ''
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
'', in November 2005 and released it in North America on September 12, 2006. The band intended to record a video for every song on the album, "a lot of them...low budget." At present, eight videos have been released.


''I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master'' (2007)

In May 2007, Swedish bassist Smörgåsbord! (Keith Thompson, member of Johnny Headband) joined the band, replacing John R. Dequindre on the bass, who reportedly wished to spend more time on his other musical projects. ''
I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master ''I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master'' is the fourth album by the Detroit rock band Electric Six. Music videos were made for the tracks "Down at McDonnelzzz" and "Randy's Hot Tonight!". Track listi ...
'', Electric Six's fourth studio album, was released October 9, 2007. It has sixteen tracks. In the UK the album was released on October 22. 16 of the 18 tracks recorded were used on the album. There were no singles in support of this album; however, the band have had several music videos produced and spread over the internet for a number of tracks on the album.


''Flashy'' and ''Sexy Trash'' (2008)

A fifth album, ''
Flashy ''Flashy'' is the title of the fifth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. The album was accompanied by a music video for track "Formula 409" which appeared online on July 30, 2008. A claymation video for the track 'Making Progress' was als ...
'', was released on October 21, 2008. This same year the band won the 2008 "My Heart" Competition for this album. The band promoted the album in the US, the UK and Spain on their 'Hitting the Walls and Working the Middle' tour. A 30 track album of demos and previously unreleased material titled ''
Sexy Trash ''Flashy'' is the title of the fifth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. The album was accompanied by a music video for track "Formula 409" which appeared online on July 30, 2008. A claymation video for the track 'Making Progress' was als ...
'' was released and made available at those shows. In May 2009, Metropolis records released "Covered in Gas" by
Evil Cowards Evil Cowards is an American synth-pop band created by Tyler Spencer of Electric Six, and Will Bates of Fall On Your Sword. History Formation and ''Covered in Gas'' (2009) Evil Cowards was formed by Tyler Spencer (also known as Dick Valenti ...
, a project by Valentine and Fall On Your Sword's William Bates.


''KILL'' (2009)

''
KILL Kill often refers to: *Homicide, one human killing another *cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death Kill may also refer to: Media *'' Kill!'', a 1968 film directed by Kihachi Okamoto * ''Kill'' (Cannibal Corpse album), 2006 * ...
'' was released on October 20, 2009 in the US with the UK release following on November 2, 2009. Dick Valentine told the audience at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia on April 30, 2009 that the new fall release would be titled "Jared Styles"; however the final name for the album simply became ''
KILL Kill often refers to: *Homicide, one human killing another *cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death Kill may also refer to: Media *'' Kill!'', a 1968 film directed by Kihachi Okamoto * ''Kill'' (Cannibal Corpse album), 2006 * ...
''. A music video for first track on the album, "Body Shot", has been released on the internet, and is featured on the upcoming soundtrack of Michael Benveniste's "Tedd Can Chronicles".


''Zodiac'' (2010)

On February 14, 2010, Dick Valentine announced via the Electric Six website that the band is in the process of recording their 7th studio album. Valentine also mentioned that this album would contain a cover song that they have been contemplating for a long time. This cover has since been confirmed as "
The Rubberband Man "The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by the American vocal group the Spinners. The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. In ...
" by The Spinners. On April 30, 2010, Dick Valentine confirmed at a concert at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana that the seventh album would be a twelve-track compilation titled ''
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
''. It was released on September 28, 2010.


''Heartbeats and Brainwaves'' and ''Absolute Pleasure'' (2011–2012)

The band's eighth studio album is titled '' Heartbeats and Brainwaves'', as announced through their official website on June 22, 2011. It was released on October 11. It was the first release of which served as producer. Previews of five tracks from the album were posted on the band's official Facebook page. On January 30, 2012, the band announced via their website and Facebook that they were going to release a live album, entitled
Absolute Pleasure ''Absolute Pleasure'' is a live album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. It is composed of recordings from shows at both First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Double Door in Chicago, Illinois. Track listing # "It's Showtime!" (from '' ...
, set for release in the fall of 2012. The album was recorded at shows in Minneapolis and Chicago in May. Absolute Pleasure was initially reported to be a double-disc album, with the first disc containing the entirety of their first album, ''
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'', and the second containing their "favorite tracks from all the other albums", however, these plans changed in development and the finished product was a single-disc amalgamation of both discs' content." A live DVD of ''Fire'' was also going to be filmed at the
Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
in London on December 15; however, these plans were cancelled and later revisited as the band's 2013 Absolute Treasure Kickstarter project. Lead singer Dick Valentine released his first solo album ''
Destroy the Children Tyler Spencer (born January 22, 1972), also known as Dick Valentine, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. He is best known as the lead vocalist, main lyricist, and co-founder of the rock band Electric Six. Career Spencer fou ...
'' under the Dick Valentine moniker on May 14, 2012.


''Mustang'' and ''Absolute Treasure'' (2013–2014)

On February 16, 2013, the band launched a
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign for a live DVD called ''
Absolute Treasure ''Absolute Pleasure'' is a live album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. It is composed of recordings from shows at both First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Double Door in Chicago, Illinois. Track listing # "It's Showtime!" (from '' ...
''. The project was intended to give Electric Six the funds to film and release a live DVD of a performance to be filmed on September 7, 2013. The funding was successful. On April 11, 2013, the band confirmed through their Facebook page that their next album, ''
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
'', would be released in October 2013, and was released on the 8th of the month. Lead singer Dick Valentine released his second solo album '' Halloween Fingers'' under the Dick Valentine moniker on April 30, 2013. ''
Absolute Treasure ''Absolute Pleasure'' is a live album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. It is composed of recordings from shows at both First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Double Door in Chicago, Illinois. Track listing # "It's Showtime!" (from '' ...
'' was released for download in February 2014.


''Human Zoo'' and ''Mimicry and Memories'' (2014–2015)

Towards the end of their 2013 tour, Dick Valentine confirmed on stage that they were working on a new unnamed album to be released in 2014. On January 22, 2014 the Electric Six Facebook page posted "Hey Crazies...work has commenced on studio album # 2,143...or 10, depending upon how you're keeping score. It'll be out in the fall. No confirmed title yet, so don't ask." The title was later confirmed as 'Human Zoo' on May 16, 2014, and was released for streaming on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
on October 13, 2014. On the 6th of June 2014, Electric Six launched their second Kickstarter project; this time for a two-disc album entitled ''
Mimicry and Memories ''Mimicry and Memories'' is a compilation album by Electric Six. Disc one, ''Mimicry'', is composed of cover songs. Disc two, ''Memories'', consists of demos, B-sides and rarities. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign and self-released di ...
''. Disc 1, ''Mimicry'', being a cover album. Each member of the band personally selected a song to cover and the funding packages offered four fans the chance to choose a song to be included on the album. Songs to be included on ''Mimicry'' include covers of '' One'' by Harry Nilsson, ''
The Warrior A warrior is a person engaged or experienced in warfare, or a figurative term for a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics. Warrior or Warriors may also refer to: Indigenous groups * ...
'' by Patty Smyth and Scandal, ''
The Look "The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. I ...
'' by Roxette, '' Do You Love Me?'' by Kiss, '' Everywhere'' by Fleetwood Mac, ''
Easy Lover "Easy Lover" is a song performed by Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of Genesis, and jointly written and composed by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East. The song appeared on Bailey's solo album, ''Chinese Wall''. Collins has per ...
'' by Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey, '' Turn Me Loose'' by Loverboy and ''
Cat People (Putting Out Fire) "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The title track of the 1982 erotic horror film '' Cat People'', Bowie became involved with the track after director Paul Schrader reached out to him ab ...
'' by David Bowie. Disc 2, ''Memories'', served as a sequel to ''
Sexy Trash ''Flashy'' is the title of the fifth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. The album was accompanied by a music video for track "Formula 409" which appeared online on July 30, 2008. A claymation video for the track 'Making Progress' was als ...
'', offering another selection of rarities, demos and B-sides from the band's back-catalogue. The project was successfully completed and was released to the public in March 2015.


''Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!'' and ''Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit'' (2015–2016)

Lead singer Dick Valentine announced the release of his third solo album, ''Here Come The Bags!'' under the Dick Valentine moniker. It was released on April 21, 2015. On March 24, 2015, it was announced that bassist Smorgasbord was to leave the band. He was subsequently replaced by Matt Tompkins, AKA Rob Lower, from the band Mighty Tiny. On October 2, 2015, the band released its eleventh studio album, entitled '' Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!'' It was originally released for streaming via
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
on
Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993 by the late Dave Heckman. The label's all-electronic format closely tracked with European contemporaries, such as Off Beat, and, since 1995, has been instrumenta ...
. On January 7, 2016, the band suggested via their
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
page that longtime drummer Percussion World would be leaving the group. A few weeks later, he surfaced as the new drummer for
Celtic punk Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. Celtic punk bands often play traditional Irish, Welsh or Scottish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions.P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (London: Rough Gu ...
band
Flogging Molly Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk bandLife Is Good Out Now
Floggingmolly. ...
under his real name, Mike Alonso. He was replaced by Noah Appel, AKA Two-Handed Bob, who also was in Mighty Tiny with Matt Tompkins earlier. 2016 saw the fruition of the band's
Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit ''Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit'' is an American mockumentary film starring members of the rock band Electric Six as fictional versions of themselves. The film was written by lead singer Dick Valentine and was crowd-sourced through a Kickstart ...
project - a mockumentary feature film starring the band as themselves, funded by Kickstarter and complete with soundtrack album.


''Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres'' and ''You're Welcome!'' (2016)

On July 29, 2016, the band announced its twelfth studio album, '' Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres'', which was released on October 7, 2016. Two Handed Bob left and was replaced by Hyperkube Bonanza (Ray Kubian). In September, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund ''
You're Welcome! Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness is from the Latin word ''gratus,'' which means "pleasing" or "thankful." Is regarded as a feeling of appreciation (or similar positive response) by a recipient of another's kindness. This can be gifts, h ...
'', a double-album with one disc being a covers album - a sequel to ''Mimicry'' - and the second disc being a live album - a sequel to ''Absolute Pleasure''. The live album contained the show recorded at the O2 Academy in Oxford on the 22nd of April 2017. ''You're Welcome!'' was released in September 2017.


''How Dare You?'' and ''A Very Electric SiXmas and Chill Out!'' (2017)

In October 2017, Electric Six released its thirteenth studio album, ''How Dare You?''. In November, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of a double album entitled ''A Very Electric SiXmas and Chill Out!'' with the first disc being a Christmas studio album and the second disc a live album containing a set of stripped-down versions of the band's songs.


''Bride of the Devil'' (2018–2021)

In July 2018, the band announced that its fourteenth studio album would be entitled ''Bride of the Devil''. It was released on October 5, 2018. In 2021 Cleopatra Records issued an album of covers by Electric Six called ''Streets Of Gold''. Since the end of the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
Pandemic the band have been spending 2022 touring North America and Europe.


Sound, style, and influences

Electric Six incorporates a variety of styles, resulting in being termed a "genre-blurring" band. The group's sound has been described as a synthesis of "disco, synth pop, glam, and arena rock," including the
falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
vocals of disco, laden with "rampant solos, be they guitar riffs, synth wails, or strutting drums" that enforce the band's "energetic sound." However, the band members themselves have rejected such genre classifications as "disco-metal" and "disco-punk." Critics have termed their lyrics as "disaffected, angry, ironic and lustful", expressing "macho flippancy" and "tongue-in-cheek pomposity". Dick Valentine has estimated that "90 percent of our songs, maybe even higher than 90 percent" are "about absolutely nothing." Songs by Electric Six are often concerned with subjects such as
human sexual behavior Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their Human sexuality, sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g. ...
,
masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
, dancing,
hypersexuality Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...
, fast food and fire (The band's official biography states that their debut album ''
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' was so named because they "noticed an abundance of the word fire on this record and...decided to go with it."). Lead singer Dick Valentine had commented on the aforementioned lyrical tendencies in song content with regards to the band's third album: Valentine cited
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
,
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...
, Falco,
Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...
, and
Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...
as his musical influences, as well as
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
,
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and
KISS A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
for the rest of the group.


Band members

Current members * Dick Valentine – lead vocals (1999–present) * – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present) * Tait Nucleus? – keyboards, backing vocals (2003–present) * Da Vé – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–present) * Rob Lower – bass (2015–present) * Hyperkube Bonanza – drums, backing vocals (2016–present) Former members * The Rock and Roll Indian – lead guitar (1999–2003) * Surge Joebot – rhythm guitar (1999–2003) * Disco – bass (1999–2003) * M – drums (1999–2004) * John R. Dequindre – bass (2004–2007) * The Colonel – rhythm guitar (2003–2012) * Smorgasbord – bass (2007-2015) * Percussion World – drums (2004-2016, 2021) * Two-Handed Bob – drums (2016) * Herb S. Flavorings – bass (2020; live substitute for Rob Lower) Timeline ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:130 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:Bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Lead value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:Rhythm value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:Keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album Legend = orientation:vertical columns:4 position:bottom ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1999 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1999 LineData= layer:back color:studio at:05/20/2003 at:02/14/2005 at:09/12/2006 at:10/09/2007 at:10/21/2008 at:10/20/2009 at:09/28/2010 at:10/11/2011 at:10/08/2013 at:10/14/2014 at:03/01/2015 at:10/02/2015 at:07/14/2016 at:10/07/2016 at:09/01/2017 at:10/13/2017 at:10/05/2018 at:07/31/2021 BarData = bar:Dick text:"Dick Valentine" bar:Indian text:"The Rock and Roll Indian" bar:Nash text:"Johnny Nashinal" bar:Surge text:"Surge Joebot" bar:Col text:"The Colonel" bar:Dave text:"Da Vé" bar:Tait text:"Tait Nucleus?" bar:Disco text:"Disco" bar:Johnr text:"John R. Dequindre" bar:Smorg text:"Smorgasbord" bar:Rob text:"Rob Lower" bar:M text:"M" bar:World text:"Percussion World" bar:Two text:"Two-Handed Bob" bar:Hyper text:"Hyperkube Bonanza" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Dick from:01/01/1999 till:end color:Vocals bar:M from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2004 color:Drums bar:World from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2016 color:Drums bar:Two from:01/01/2016 till:10/07/2016 color:Drums bar:Hyper from:10/07/2016 till:end color:Drums bar:Hyper from:10/07/2016 till:end color:Bvocals width:3 bar:Disco from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2003 color:Bass bar:Johnr from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2007 color:Bass bar:Smorg from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2015 color:Bass bar:Rob from:01/01/2015 till:end color:Bass bar:Indian from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2003 color:Lead bar:Surge from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2003 color:Rhythm bar:Nash from:01/01/2003 till:end color:Lead bar:Nash from:01/01/2003 till:end color:Bvocals width:3 bar:Col from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2012 color:Rhythm bar:Dave from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Rhythm bar:Dave from:01/01/2012 till:end color:Bvocals width:3 bar:Tait from:05/20/2003 till:end color:Keys bar:Tait from:05/20/2003 till:end color:Bvocals width:3


Discography

* ''
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' (2003) * ''
Señor Smoke ''Señor Smoke'' (2005) is the second album from Electric Six, following ''Fire'' in 2003. It was released in the UK February 14, 2005 by Warner Music imprint Rushmore Records. Due to complications with Electric Six's former record label, Rush ...
'' (2005) * ''
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
'' (2006) * ''
I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master ''I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master'' is the fourth album by the Detroit rock band Electric Six. Music videos were made for the tracks "Down at McDonnelzzz" and "Randy's Hot Tonight!". Track listi ...
'' (2007) * ''
Flashy ''Flashy'' is the title of the fifth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six. The album was accompanied by a music video for track "Formula 409" which appeared online on July 30, 2008. A claymation video for the track 'Making Progress' was als ...
'' (2008) * ''
KILL Kill often refers to: *Homicide, one human killing another *cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death Kill may also refer to: Media *'' Kill!'', a 1968 film directed by Kihachi Okamoto * ''Kill'' (Cannibal Corpse album), 2006 * ...
'' (2009) * ''
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...
'' (2010) * '' Heartbeats and Brainwaves'' (2011) * ''
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
'' (2013) * ''
Human Zoo Human zoos, also known as ethnological expositions, were public displays of people, usually in a so-called "natural" or "primitive" state. They were most prominent during the 19th and 20th centuries. These displays sometimes emphasized the sup ...
'' (2014) * ''
Mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...
'' (2015) * '' Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!'' (2015) * ''
Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit ''Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit'' is an American mockumentary film starring members of the rock band Electric Six as fictional versions of themselves. The film was written by lead singer Dick Valentine and was crowd-sourced through a Kickstart ...
'' (2016) * '' Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres'' (2016) * ''
You're Welcome! Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness is from the Latin word ''gratus,'' which means "pleasing" or "thankful." Is regarded as a feeling of appreciation (or similar positive response) by a recipient of another's kindness. This can be gifts, h ...
'' (2017) * '' How Dare You?'' (2017) * '' Bride of the Devil'' (2018) * ''A Very Electric SiXmas'' (2018) * ''Streets of Gold'' (2021)


Filmography


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1996 establishments in Michigan American funk musical groups Bands with fictional stage personas Dance-punk musical groups Indie rock musical groups from Michigan Kerrang! Awards winners Metropolis Records artists Rock music groups from Michigan Wonky pop musical groups XL Recordings artists Cleopatra Records artists Warner Records artists