Search - Electric Six :: Señor Smoke

This Band is Criminally Underappreciated

R. Noto | Seattle, WA | 05/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many an E6 fan, I remain mystified as to why this wildly unique and innovative band has not blown up to monstrous levels of popularity. After hearing the album "Fire" back in 2004, I nervously anticipated seeing a gang of hip young sillouhettes spazzing around in a new IPod commercial to the song "Dance Commander" at any moment. In a purely selfish way, I kind of love the fact that they still have only an underground cult following(it's way more enjoyable to attend live performances in smaller venues with more intimate groups of hardcore fans), but I do hope these guys eventually get more of the recognition they deserve.



Owning every bit of sound ever recorded by Electric Six that I could get my obsessive little hands on, I say without a doubt that Senor Smoke is their tightest and most consistent album so far. Every song pops, rocks, bumps, and grinds in all the right places. Dick Valentine's hilarious exaggerated rock god/sex symbol (yet somehow still geeky average guy underneath) persona is in its finest form here, as are his brilliantly irreverant lyrics, which manage to incorporate an impressive spectrum of subjects ranging from male hyperlust to fast food to pop culture to politics(!). And the music is hooks galore! If you like hard rock with your funk and disco with your punk, and you agree with Frank Zappa that humor DOES belong in music, then please please for the love of the Supreme Being, pick up this album!! If you're not pumping your fist in the air, shaking your butt and smiling, then you should probably mention it to your physician. Cause maybe you're slightly anemic and need a B-12 shot or something."

A catchy, fun, interesting RIOT!!!

Alex Nennig | New London, WI | 07/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Electric Six play a sort of stone faced, tongue in cheek, bombastic hybrid of hard rock and dance music. Its a send up of how unintentionally silly rock and roll can be sometimes (only E6 is very intentional with their silliness). They could very easily be nothing more than a stupid novelty band except for one important thing:



They write fantastic songs.



Almost all the songs on this album will make you dance or rock out, all the while making you laugh your [...] off.



What sold me on giving the Electric Six a shot was their hilarious lyrics so if these make you laugh, you NEED this album:





"If money talks, then I'm a mime/If time is money, then I'm out of time"



"You were walkin' down the street/You were just across the street/So I had to cross the street/To get to your side of the street."



"Your body goes to waste every minute you don't give it to me./I'm dyin' for your sins on the dance floor, can't you see?!"



"Have a seat, I'll tell you what I did/I can't sit down 'cause I'm a dancer."



"She don't like it too hot/She don't like it too cold/ROOM TEMPERATURE!/ROOM TEMPERATURE!"



"Are you ready for my sucky sucky?/Are you ready to be set free?/Are you ready to siphon gasoline/Are you ready for the number three?"



"This is who you are/five dancing teenage boys who sing their way into our hearts/backstreets back... alright."





That last quote was from "Jimmy Carter," a song that almost made me pee my pants the first time I heard it.



Simply put, the Electric Six are hilarious (trust me when I say those lyrics I printed are only the tip of the iceberg), and their music is genuinely creative, fun, energetic and catchy, so even after you memorize all the jokey lyrics, you'll still have no problem dancing around the room playing air-guitar to this thing. Even their cover of "Radio Ga Ga" is pretty sharp.



If you like bands that can make fun of rock while they rock (Spinal Tap, The Dictators, The Aquabats), than you need "Senor Smoke" by the Electric Six. Its their best album."