November 2 – Cleveland – The Grog Shop Detroit, MI – “It helps that we love doing this and love to do whatever it takes to stay on the road,” says ELECTRIC SIX frontman Dick Valentine, about how prolific he and his five bandmates are. “I’ve always said that all we need is for each guy in this band to write two songs a year and we have another new album.” The result of this ‘two songs per band member’ ideology, HEARTBEATS AND BRAINWAVES, was released on October 11, 2011 via Metropolis Records. The band is currently on its Hello, Destructor!!!! Tour, which rolls into The Grog Shop on November 2. Heartbeats and Brainwaves marks a return to synth-heavy dance rock that the band cut its proverbial teeth on (i.e. classic like “Danger (High Voltage)”, “Gay Bar”, “Down At McDonnelzz”) while continuing to push the boundaries of its rock exploration. “We consciously decided to do a synth-heavy album,” Dick explains. “When I first started talking to [guitarist] Johnny Na$hinal about going in that direction for this album, he simply said, ‘It’s time’.” The album that Electric Six created is one of their most cohesive and expansive records to date. From the smoky “Bad Seeds-esque” swankiness of the opening track “Psychic Visions” to the big-bottomed R&B of “It Gets Hot” to the big, bright pop of “The Intergalactic Version”, this album keeps their funk/dance rock core intact while expanding in textures, rhythm and melody. “The intention of ‘The Intergalactic Version’ was to make the outro as poppy and triumphant as possible,” he says. “We think we did that, but it also ended up sounding like it belonged in a bank commercial. Banks can be triumphant too… though it’s been awhile.” “I personally love every track on this album,” Dick surmises about how it seems to encompass their whole identity. “I think that the lyrics on ‘We Use The Same Products’ are some of my best… and the lyrics on ‘Free Samples’ are some of my dumbest.” And while “French Bacon” tends to rate as his favorite (“for the Giorgio Moroder-reason”), he doesn’t play favorites. “We definitely like our albums to be all about the album as a whole and not just one particular song,” he concludes. “This one holds up in that regard as well as any we’ve done.” Electric Six is Dick Valentine (vocals), The Colonel (guitar), Johnny Na$hinal (guitar), Smorgasbord (bass), Tait Nucleus? (synths) and Percussion World (drums). Their eighth album, Heartbeats and Brainwaves, was produced by Zach Shipps and will be released on Metropolis Records on October 11, 2011. Hello, Destructor!!!! Tour Sep16 Lansing MI The Loft Sep17 Ferndale MI DIY Festival Sep18 Covington KY The Mad Hatter Sep19 St.Louis MO Firebird Sep20 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall Sep22 Minneapolis MN First Avenue Sep23 Des Moines IA Vaudeville Mews Sep24 Omaha NE Waiting Room Sep25 Kansas City MO Record Bar Sep26 Columbia MO Mojo’s Sep27 Little Rock AR Stickyz Rock N Roll Sep28 Norman OK Opolis Sep30 Denver CO Bluebird Theater Oct 01 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge Oct 02 Boise ID Neurolux Oct 03 Seattle WA Neumo’s Oct 04 Portland OR Dante’s Oct 06 San Francisco CA The Independent Oct 07 Los Angeles CA Key Club Oct 08 Santa Ana CA Galaxy Theater Oct 09 San Diego CA The Casbah Oct 10 Tempe AZ Sail Inn Oct 11 Tucson AZ Plush Oct 13 Dallas TX Prophet Bar Oct 14 San Antonio TX The Ten Eleven Oct 15 Austin TX Emo’s Oct 16 Houston TX Fitzgerald’s Downstairs Oct 17 New Orleans LA House of Blues Oct 19 Jacksonville FL Jack Rabbit’s Oct 20 Orlando FL The Social Oct 23 E. Atlanta GA The Earl Oct 24 Carrboro NC Cat’s Cradle Oct 26 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda’s Oct 27 Cambridge MA Middle East Oct 28 New York NY Bowery Ballroom Oct 29 Baltimore MD Sonar Oct 30 Washington DC Black Cat Nov 01 Pittsburgh PA Brillo Box Nov 02 Cleveland OH Grog Shop Nov 03 Grand Rapids MI The Intersection Nov 04 Chicago IL Double Door Nov 05 Toledo OH Frankie’s Photo by Alicia Gbur