2008 Woodie Awards
The Electric Six stays fresh with new release
Joe McPeak '08
Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Entertainment
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"Get out on the floor, do things to make 'em adore ya/Show 'em why you were born," Dick Valentine tells us during the first track. "And put a little mustard on it!"
The Electric Six have never fit in too well with America's musical mainstream. Singing about high voltage, gay bars, and the commanding of dances on 2003's "Fire" brought them some success, but the band quickly fell beneath the radar despite their consistent touring and studio work. Between the frenetic bass line, clarinet segments, and out-of-nowhere transition of "It's Showtime!," it is apparent that not much has changed.
Valentine has continued to sing about everything from politics to his libido, regardless of whom he offends or creeps out in the process. The result is a small but dedicated fan base from a plethora of musical backgrounds that cannot seem to get enough of his band's funk-meets-metal-meets-dance-meets-punk sound.
For the band's fourth studio release, "I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me that Restricts Me From Being the Master" (yes, that's the complete album title), Valentine has decided to collaborate with his bandmates on songwriting more than he has on previous releases. This is an important step for The Electric Six's career, considering that the same basic lineup has stayed with Valentine and keyboardist Tait Nucleus? for the past three albums (save for bassist John R. Dequindre, who has recently quit) after the band practically dissolved upon releasing their debut album in 2003. Specifically, this is a change of pace from 2006's "Switzerland," an album largely lacking in the band's trademark balance between powerful guitar riffs and new-wave style keyboard melodies. A lot of this style is recaptured on their new album - for example, "Down at McDonnellzzz" combines Valentine's falsetto with a slick piano tune and a funky guitar riff. The band maintains this balance for the remainder of the album as well; The Colonel and Johnny Na$hinal's guitars work well with Tait's keyboard. In the past one of these might take the back seat to the other. This is not the case on "I Shall Exterminate…" and the result is an Electric Six that plays at full capacity, serving up the kind of music that can compel you to bang your head just as easily as it makes you want to get up and dance.
The Electric Six have never fit in too well with America's musical mainstream. Singing about high voltage, gay bars, and the commanding of dances on 2003's "Fire" brought them some success, but the band quickly fell beneath the radar despite their consistent touring and studio work. Between the frenetic bass line, clarinet segments, and out-of-nowhere transition of "It's Showtime!," it is apparent that not much has changed.
Valentine has continued to sing about everything from politics to his libido, regardless of whom he offends or creeps out in the process. The result is a small but dedicated fan base from a plethora of musical backgrounds that cannot seem to get enough of his band's funk-meets-metal-meets-dance-meets-punk sound.
For the band's fourth studio release, "I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me that Restricts Me From Being the Master" (yes, that's the complete album title), Valentine has decided to collaborate with his bandmates on songwriting more than he has on previous releases. This is an important step for The Electric Six's career, considering that the same basic lineup has stayed with Valentine and keyboardist Tait Nucleus? for the past three albums (save for bassist John R. Dequindre, who has recently quit) after the band practically dissolved upon releasing their debut album in 2003. Specifically, this is a change of pace from 2006's "Switzerland," an album largely lacking in the band's trademark balance between powerful guitar riffs and new-wave style keyboard melodies. A lot of this style is recaptured on their new album - for example, "Down at McDonnellzzz" combines Valentine's falsetto with a slick piano tune and a funky guitar riff. The band maintains this balance for the remainder of the album as well; The Colonel and Johnny Na$hinal's guitars work well with Tait's keyboard. In the past one of these might take the back seat to the other. This is not the case on "I Shall Exterminate…" and the result is an Electric Six that plays at full capacity, serving up the kind of music that can compel you to bang your head just as easily as it makes you want to get up and dance.
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