Chris DeLine

Although the Electric Six are long into their recording career, they have taken on much more of a life as a touring band since their mega-hit, “Danger! High Voltage,” than many might have expected. If by chance you haven’t heard the song, it catapulted the band into international fame with its repetitive call and response—the song begins, “Fire in the disco, fire in the Taco Bell,” and things only go up from there. While vocalist and primary songwriter Dick Valentine is the lone original member of the band, their sound has been a constant over the Electric Six’s seven albums. The band’s sound might best be described as a mixture between suburban funk and power-chord disco, while the lyrics, much like Valentine’s gratuitously macho vocals, ooze sexuality (especially if you’re into gratuitously macho vocals). While lyrically reaching for the levels of promiscuity and sexual freedom (straight, gay, whatever) that only a rock ‘n’ roll band might be able to achieve, Valentine has also been known to effortlessly shift between his overtly masculine growl and a yelp that is as close to that of the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb as anyone from Detroit might ever come. With the Gay Blades and Millions of Brazilians. 18+.

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]