Popshifter‘s Best Of Lists

Top Five Albums of 2008: Electric Six

By Megashaun

While many of the albums I listened to obsessively throughout 2008 didn’t actually come out in 2008, at least a few did. It’s hard to believe that prior to 2008 I hadn’t even heard of Electric Six. Odd, then, that during the year I’d end up getting their entire catalogue of albums and loving each of them completely, and in totally different ways. My annual “best of” lists tend to favor things that are released toward the end of the year and are therefore more recent and memorable to me, but in 2008 an album found its way both into my heart and onto my list relatively soon after the start of the year. Here, then, are my top five favorite albums that I enjoyed in 2008. This list is completely truthful. I’m not joking: All of them are from the same band.

I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me Which Prevents Me From Being The Master

The album that made me cast my Priestess CD aside after less than a month of ownership is also what was responsible for my introduction to Electric Six. Upon hearing fellow Popshifter writer Christian Lipski talk about the band, Less Lee and I chanced upon it at Music World’s going-out-of-business sale in January 2008. The store was mostly empty save for a small assortment of completely different albums. These were the last of the last. The ones no one seemed to want, even at their new discount prices. We picked up I Shall Exterminate along with a few other albums including Andre 3000’s soundtrack to the cartoon Class of 3000. We listened to that for at least a week before opening the seal of I Shall Exterminate.

But when we finally did, it was like unleashing an evil that would not let us be. From the lead track “It’s Showtime” the album proceeded to destroy any expectations I might have had for it, which is an odd ting to have to realize and type out because truthfully I had zero expectation of it. I mean, the album name is so long I figured the band was either super pretentious or didn’t take itself seriously at all. Turns out, I didn’t have to write them off. Not only were their songs catchy as hell, the songs had some of the craziest yet most haunting lyrics I’d heard in a long time. The album art is bizarre, and the photos/illustrations of the band members really didn’t give any indication as to what the band members actually looked like. And I was afraid to look them up because I didn’t want to find out that my new favorite band was full of jackasses. Instead, I listened to the album seemingly endlessly and obsessively until I realized I should probably buy some of the band’s other albums. (Ask Less Lee—the CD did not leave the car stereo for months.)

Switzerland

By the time I actually found an Electric Six album in a store, I had seen a few photos of them and watched some of their hilarious videos on YouTube. Switzerland was the album that made me realize they were about more than just balls-out rock and synthesizer. Usually when discovering bands partway through their careers I try to go back and purchase the albums one at a time starting with the first one. For Electric Six, this option was not available to me. After searching the E section of music stores to no avail, I happened upon Switzerland and had to buy it.

At first I didn’t like the album. It starts off with a much mellower tune than anything on I Shall Exterminate and overall it didn’t feel to me as rockin’ as my first encounter with the band. Despite the initial letdown, it grew on me. And like all good obsessions, mine with Electric Six continued through a minor setback: I couldn’t find any more of their albums in stores. In a moment of weakness, I came to the conclusion that my only reasonable option was to buy them over iTunes.

Fire

The band’s first album, Fire, is the one that I later found out is the standard against which each subsequent one has been held. It’s an especially strong record for a first attempt, with its dance grooves and pop hooks. The singles “Gay Bar” and “Danger! High Voltage” are catchy enough to fall in love with at first listen, but meaty enough to come back to again and again. This age of digital downloads and single-song consumption has listeners tuning in to just these two songs, but I can’t recommend the complete album enough. From start to finish, Fire is rock shit hot. The disc gets bonus points for being excellent driving music, both in real life and in video games (I listen exclusively to Electric Six when playing racing games).

Señor Smoke

I bought this album digitally at the same time that I bought Fire, so I tended to listen to the two of them in tandem. Here, Electric Six continued their proclamation of love for the devil and dancing while taking stabs at then-president George W. Bush (the line “Mister President, I don’t like you; you don’t know how to rock” from “Rock and Roll Evacuation” can only be interpreted this way). Señor Smoke also has a few sketches peppering the album, adding a taste of goofiness. “The Usual” seems like a snippet of a short story that’s derivative of Invasion of the Body Snatchers whereas “Room Temperature” has Dick Valentine crooning over piano, “She doesn’t like it too hot; She doesn’t like it too cold; Room temperature!” and it’s anyone’s guess what he could possibly be talking about. Goldilocks certainly comes to mind, however.

The album’s songs tend to have an over-the-top dance flair to them but on top of that, there’s a darker, more ominous mood that’s present throughout. Included is a fantastic cover of Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga” which I admittedly enjoy far more than the original.

Flashy

Flashy is Electric Six’s latest album and was released in October 2008. Upon listening to it for the first time, it became my new favorite drug. I still have a copy of this album in my car stereo to this day. It’s the default soundtrack for any driving that I do, and the only time I’ll listen to something else is if I have a new CD I want to check out. But for the most part, it’s Flashy all the way.

Starting off with an in-joke and a jab at “fans” who want the band to recreate the song “Gay Bar,” Flashy instead veers off into another creative direction entirely while maintaining the band’s zeal for fun and havoc. “Gay Bar Part Two” sounds nothing like the song most people might have wanted it to, and that’s the point. The album has straight-up rock tracks like the outstanding “Formula 409” but its overall tone is laid back—a mood that’s perhaps encouraged by the use of horns and Latin-style percussion. Whereas Fire was an outright full-steam-ahead effort, Flashy seems to lounge about while encouraging listeners to enjoy it. That’s not to say it’s a bore—quite the opposite, actually. While the band’s earlier work is easy to take for granted and to be accepted at face value, Flashy‘s tone, subject matter, and attention to song construction beg the listener to give the songs attention even when they’re not playing.

In this respect, Flashy is the band’s most meaningful album. It’s one that can be accepted as fun at first listen, but further listening entices you to try to figure out the stories and meaning behind the songs. For the most part, they’re really dark and foreboding.

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