Electric Six is an 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 Wale ...
band formed in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
in 1996. They are known for combining elements of
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 Wale ...
,
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
,
garage rock
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
,
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
,
new wave, and
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
.
Since achieving widespread recognition in 2003 with the singles "
Danger! High Voltage" and "
Gay Bar
A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...
", they have released 20 studio albums, two rarities albums,
one live album and
one live DVD. Each band member is given a unique
stage name
A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
; the line-up has undergone changes over the years; co-founder, lead vocalist, and primary songwriter
Dick Valentine has been the only constant member. The current line-up consists of Valentine, lead guitarist Johnny Na
$hinal, keyboardist
Tait Nucleus?, rhythm guitarist Herb S. Flavourings, drummer Dr. Jay and bassist Rick Schaple.
History
1990s
The band formed in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
in 1996 under the name the Wildbunch, but eventually dropped that name due to pressure from English musical collective
the Wild Bunch
''The Wild Bunch'' is a 1969 American epic revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang ...
. Throughout the late 1990s, they played regularly at the Old Miami and Gold Dollar clubs in Detroit,
the center of a scene that also produced acts like
the White Stripes
The White Stripes were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of 2000s indi ...
. The band was originally composed of lead singer Dick Valentine (
Tyler Spencer), drummer M. (Cory Martin), lead guitarist The Rock and Roll Indian (Anthony Selph), rhythm guitarist Surge Joebot (Joe Frezza), and bassist Disco (Steve Nawara, formerly of
the Detroit Cobras).
Valentine has always been the primary songwriter, both music and lyrics, of the band. 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 a rough draft of "Vengeance and Fashion", a song that later appeared on Electric Six's breakthrough album ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
''.
2000s
The band had 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 for his ''Sybil'' album.
The 2003 release of "Danger! High Voltage" proved a massive hit for the band, particularly in Britain.
The song also garnered attention after a rumor began to spread that the unidentified second vocalist featured on it, officially credited as someone named John S O'Leary, was
The White Stripes
The White Stripes were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of 2000s indi ...
' frontman
Jack White
John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subse ...
before his band became popular.
Although this was presented as fact in multiple sources,
Electric Six guitarist Surge told an interviewer who asked about the singer's identity, "It's a fan. We put a competition out, and he won. He's a mechanic, it wasn't Jack White." Bassist Disco then added, "Yeah, he was probably the only person that entered." In another interview, drummer M. said that his lawyer had "advised
he bandto neither confirm nor deny the presence of Jack White". In a video published on his YouTube channel in 2018, Valentine confirmed that White is the secondary vocalist on the song.
The band's 2003 debut ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
'' (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. Their second single, "
Gay Bar
A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...
", 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
Crazy Town (sometimes abbreviated as CXT) was an American rap rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by Bret "Epic" Mazur and Shifty Shellshock (Seth Brooks Binzer). Their 2000 single "Butterfly", reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' H ...
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.
The Rock and Roll Indian, Surge Joebot and Disco all left the band after finishing the recording of ''Fire'' in June 2003, leaving Dick Valentine, M, and Tait Nucleus? as the remaining members. Four new musicians joined Electric Six shortly afterwards - lead guitarist (John Nash of The Volebeats, The Witches and solo effort The Alphabet), rhythm guitarist The Colonel (Zach Shipps, 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 Mis ...
, The Atomic Numbers, and
Mood Elevator), guitarist John R. Dequindre (Chris Peters) and bass player Frank Lloyd Bonaventure (Mark Dundon), the last two both being ex members of Ann Arbor's whirlingRoad, Getaway Cruiser, and Six Clips. The Colonel had to opt out of early performances due to prior touring commitments. Bonaventure soon left to attain a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
degree, and Dequindre consequently switched from guitar to bass.
In early 2004, Electric Six played at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
.
The band's second album, ''
Señor Smoke'', 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 that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania ...
. The first single from the album put the band at the center of controversy with
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
fans, following a cover of the hit Queen 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 as the opening track on the ...
".
The controversial music video showed lead singer Dick Valentine portraying the ghost of late Queen frontman
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
and performing with a backing band of
poodle
The Poodle, called the in German () and the in French, is a breed of water dog. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Poodle is no ...
s. Queen drummer and "Radio Ga Ga" writer
Roger Taylor said that he was "unimpressed" with the video, though Queen guitarist
Brian May
Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...
reportedly liked it.
Valentine addressed the controversy and said, "Some have claimed this video portrays me dancing on Freddie Mercury's grave, but that wasn't the idea. Actually it's more like we are resurrecting Mr. Mercury for the duration of the song and his grave is the logical starting point.
..I guess a video like that can be taken the wrong way, but we hadn't looked at it like that.
..Everyone knows we disliked the fact that we had to put this song on our record, so this ridiculous video took a little bit of the sting out of it for us and made it somewhat bearable.
..I definitely respect Freddie and his work."
In November 2004, drummer M. left the band, 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
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
'', 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."
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'', 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.
A fifth album, ''
Flashy'', 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'' was released and made available at those shows. In May 2009, Metropolis records released "Covered in Gas" by
Evil Cowards, a project by Valentine and Fall On Your Sword's William Bates.
''
KILL
Kill often refers to:
*Homicide, one human killing another
*cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death
Other common uses include:
*Kill (body of water), a body of water, most commonly a creek
*Kill (command), a computing command
*K ...
'' 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
Other common uses include:
*Kill (body of water), a body of water, most commonly a creek
*Kill (command), a computing command
*K ...
''. 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".
2010s
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" 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 and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
''. It was released on September 28, 2010.
The band's eighth studio album, ''
Heartbeats and Brainwaves'', was 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, titled ''
Absolute Pleasure'', in late 2012. The album was recorded at shows in Minneapolis and Chicago in May. ''Absolute Pleasure'' was initially reported to be a
double album
A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...
, with the first disc containing the entirety of their first album, ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
'', 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 original ...
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'' under the Dick Valentine moniker on May 14, 2012.
On February 16, 2013, the band launched a
Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign for a live DVD called ''
Absolute Treasure''. 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'', 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'' was released for download in February 2014.
Towards the end of their 2013 tour, Dick Valentine confirmed on stage that they were working on a new 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 List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
on October 13, 2014.
On June 6, 2014, Electric Six launched their second Kickstarter project; this time for a two-disc album titled ''
Mimicry and Memories''. 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 included on ''Mimicry'' include covers of "
One
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
" by Harry Nilsson, "
The Warrior" by Patty Smyth and Scandal, "
The Look" by Roxette, "
Do You Love Me?" by Kiss, "
Everywhere
Everywhere may refer to:
* Everywhere (band)
* ''Everywhere'' (Roswell Rudd album), 1966
* ''Everywhere'' (Gerald Wilson album), 1968
* ''Everywhere'' (Tim McGraw album), 1997
** "Everywhere" (Tim McGraw song), title track from the album
* "E ...
" by Fleetwood Mac, "
Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey, "
Turn Me Loose" by Loverboy and "
Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" by David Bowie.
Disc 2, ''Memories'', served as a sequel to ''
Sexy Trash'', 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.
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, titled ''
Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!'' It was originally released for streaming via
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
on
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a record label that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania ...
.
On January 7, 2016, the band suggested via their
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
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 Celtic folk songs, contemporary/political folk songs, and original compositions.P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (London: Rough Guides, 2 ...
band
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1997, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.
Histor ...
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'' project, a mockumentary feature film starring the band as themselves, funded by Kickstarter and complete with soundtrack album.
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!'', 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.
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 titled ''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.
In July 2018, the band announced that its fourteenth studio album would be titled ''
Bride of the Devil''. It was released on October 5, 2018.
2020s
Electric Six performing in Edinburgh in November 2023 as part of the ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
'' 20th Anniversary Tour.
In 2021, Cleopatra Records issued an album of covers by Electric Six called ''
Streets of Gold
''Streets of Gold'' is the third studio album by American electronic music duo 3OH!3. It was released on June 29, 2010 in the United States and July 19, 2010 in the United Kingdom. The album debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200, ...
''.
The band spent most of 2022 and 2023 touring North America and Europe.
In 2023, the band released ''
Torquoise'', ''Tourquoise'' was their first album of new material since 2018's ''Bride of the Devil''. Work on the album initially began in January 2020, but was interrupted by the Covid pandemic. Though ''Turquoise'' was completed in 2022, its release was held for a year to coincide with a U.S. tour.
Electric Six collaborated with Canadian synth-funk band
TWRP on their single "VHS" in August 2023, with Valentine providing lead vocals.
The band completed a "Fire 20th Anniversary" tour of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in late 2023, followed by a "Greatest Hits" tour of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in mid 2024.
The band intend to release a greatest hits record in 2025. With some songs of new material.
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 language, 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 ...
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 "disaffected, angry, ironic, and lustful", expressing "macho flippancy" and "tongue-in-cheek pomposity". Dick Valentine has estimated that "90% of
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
songs, maybe even higher" are "about absolutely nothing".
Songs by Electric Six are often concerned with subjects such as sex, dancing,
masculinity
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as Social construction of gender, socially constructed, and there i ...
,
hypersexuality
Hypersexuality is a proposed medical condition said to cause unwanted or excessive sexual arousal, causing people to engage in or think about sexual activity to a point of distress or impairment., according to the website of ''Psychology Toda ...
, fast food, and fire; the band's official biography states that their debut album ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
'' was so named because they "noticed an abundance of the word fire on this record and decided to go with it".
Commenting on their usual lyrical material while promoting the band's album ''
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
'', frontman Dick Valentine said, "For the first time, none of the songs have the word 'dance' or variation of 'dance' in the title. But fear not. We have songs with 'drugs' and 'girls' and 'tonight' and 'night' and 'louder' and 'party' in the title, so we haven't given up on our philosophy just yet."
Valentine cited
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
,
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.[Talking Heads](_blank) ,
Falco,
Devo
Devo is an American new wave 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 No. 14 ...
,
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 known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the M ...
as his musical influences, as well as
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
, and
KISS
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
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)
* Herb S. Flavorings – rhythm guitar
(2023–present), bass
(2020–2023)
* Dr. J – drums
(2021–present)
* Rick Schaple – bass
(2024–present, live 2022)
Touring members
* Clown Loudman – rhythm guitar
(2023–2024)
* The Janitor – drums
(2024–present)
* Poison – bass
(2024–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)
* The Colonel – rhythm guitar
(2003–2012)
* John R. Dequindre – bass
(2004–2007)
* Percussion World – drums
(2004–2016, 2021)
* Da Vé – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
(2012–2023)
* Rob Lower – bass
(2015–2020)
* Two-Handed Bob – drums
(2016)
* Hyperkube Bonanza – drums, backing vocals
(2016–2021)
* Smorgasbord – bass
(2007–2015, 2023–2024)
Timeline
Discography
* ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Señor Smoke'' (2005)
* ''
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
'' (2006)
* ''
I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master'' (2007)
* ''
Flashy'' (2008)
* ''
Kill
Kill often refers to:
*Homicide, one human killing another
*cause death, to kill a living organism, to cause its death
Other common uses include:
*Kill (body of water), a body of water, most commonly a creek
*Kill (command), a computing command
*K ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
'' (2010)
* ''
Heartbeats and Brainwaves'' (2011)
* ''Mustang'' (2013)
* ''Human Zoo'' (2014)
* ''
Mimicry and Memories'' (2015)
* ''
Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!'' (2015)
* ''
Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit'' (2016)
* ''
Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres'' (2016)
* ''You're Welcome!'' (2017)
* ''
How Dare You?'' (2017)
* ''
Bride of the Devil'' (2018)
* ''A Very Electric SiXmas'' (2018)
* ''
Streets of Gold
''Streets of Gold'' is the third studio album by American electronic music duo 3OH!3. It was released on June 29, 2010 in the United States and July 19, 2010 in the United Kingdom. The album debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200, ...
'' (2021)
* ''
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone for millennia due to its hue.
The robi ...
'' (2023)
Filmography
References
External links
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{{Authority control
1996 establishments in Michigan
American funk musical groups
American musical sextets
Bands with fictional stage personas
American 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