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Electric Six To Release ‘Zodiac’ Sept. 28th

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14 years ago

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There are many things ELECTRIC SIX is known for: awesome singles (“Danger (High Voltage)”, “Gay Bar”, “Down At McDonnelzz”, “Formula 409”), awesome videos (“Body Shot”, “Synthesizer”), and a new album every September. And this year, Electric Six will not disappoint. Their seventh studio album “Zodiac” is due out on September 28, 2010 on Metropolis Records and marks a huge evolutionary step for the band. “I think Zodiac is the byproduct of putting out one record per year,” says vocalist Dick Valentine. “I think we keep ourselves so busy that we don’t spend a lot of time overanalyzing what we do. So when we happen to make a record that hits on all cylinders like this one, it’s immediately noticeable that we’ve taken a step forward.”
Without losing any of its trademark sardonic sense of humor and funk/dance rock core, Electric Six have crafted an album whose cohesion is evident from the first listen and one of which the band is especially proud. “Creating this album was a little different in that we consciously tried to go for the ‘Neil Diamond’ approach on a couple of the songs,” Dick explains, in reference to their songwriting, especially “Table and Chairs” and “I Am a Song”. “I think the rest of the album didn’t really veer from the methodology we have been using lately to make albums. It should be said that [lead guitarist] Johnny Na$hinal and Smogasbord wrote some of the best tracks on this record.”

Tracks like the funk-heavy “American Cheese”, the herky jerky dance rock of “Jam It In the Hole”, and the loungy acoustic pop of “Table and Chairs”, Zodiac, like its astrological namesake, appropriately contains twelve songs, each with personality traits all its own. “We don’t believe in that horsesh*t,” he says of the title. “The actual reason is that one of the songs we discarded from the record is called ‘Typical Sagittarius.’ It was a good song, but in the end, too corny… even for us. I like that the song was the impetus for us to name the record Zodiac and then we didn’t even put it on the record.”
Also included on the album is “Rubberband Man,” their first cover since 2005’s remake of Queen’s “Radio Gaga”. Originally recorded by legendary R&B band (and fellow Detroit natives) The Spinners, the song recalls a special memory for Valentine. “I’ve always loved the song and I’ve felt for a long time that our band could pull it off,” he muses. “The first time I remember being cognizant of it was the mud wrestling scene from [the Bill Murray film] Stripes. I don’t think anyone in our band is a rabid fan of Motown, per se, but I’ve always felt The Spinners kind of stood out in that they had much poppier songs than a lot of other acts in that genre.” Electric Six’s cover is a faithful remake that, unironically, speaks quite appropriately about Zodiac. “Hey, y’all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man / You’ve never heard a sound like the rubberband man / You’re bound to lose control when the rubberband starts to jam.”
Electric Six is Dick Valentine (vocals), The Colonel (guitar), Johnny Na$hinal (guitar), Smorgasbord (bass), Tait Nucleus? (synths) and Percussion World (drums). Their seventh album, Zodiac, was produced by Zach Shipps and will be released on Metropolis Records on September 28, 2010.
THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH TOUR
DATES
Sep 15 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
Sep 16 The Basemant Columbus, OH
Sep 17 Double Door Chicago, IL
Sep 18 DIY Street Fair Ferndale, MI
Sep 19 Frankie’s Toledo, OH
Sep 21 The Brillobox Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 22 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
Sep 25 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
Sep 27 Sonar Baltimore, MD
Sep 28 Black Cat Washington, DC
Sep 30 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Oct 01 New Brookland Tavern Columbia, SC
Oct 04 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL  
Oct 06 State Theatre St. Petersburg, FL
Oct 07 The Social Orlando, FL
Oct 09 Exit/In Nashville, TN
Oct 10 Hi-Tone Café Memphis, TN
Oct 14 White Rabbit San Antonio, TX
Oct 15 Emo’s Outdoors Austin, TX
Oct 16 The Boiler Room Denton, TX
Oct 18 Plush Tucson, AZ
Oct 19 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
Oct 20 The Casbah San Diego, CA
Oct 21 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA
Oct 22 Key Club Los Angeles, CA
Oct 25 Neumos Seattle, WA
Oct 26 Dante’s Portland, OR
Oct 27 Neurolux Boise, ID
Oct 28 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 29 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
Oct 30 The Riot Room Kansas City, MO
Oct 31 The Firebird St. Louis, MO
Nov 02 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, IA
Nov 03 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
Nov 04 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
Nov 05 The Mad Hatter Covington, KY
Nov 06 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
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Music

“He Walks By Night” – Listen to a Brand New John Carpenter Song NOW!

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1 week ago

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April 9, 2024

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John Carpenter music

It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.

Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.

Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.

“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”

You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…

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