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Combustible Edison

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Combustible Edison was a group founded in the early 1990s in Providence, Rhode Island, and was one of several lounge music acts that led a brief resurgence of interest in the genre during the mid-1990s. Unlike other bands with a more ironic take on the lounge scene, Combustible Edison took the music seriously and strove to add to what its members saw as a canon of works, such as those by Esquivel, Henry Mancini, and Martin Denny. Before Combustible Edison, the artists known as The Millionaire and Miss Lily Banquette were members of a band called Christmas.

History

Originally formed around 1991 to serve as the musical accompaniment to a stage show entitled "The Tiki Wonder Hour," the 14-piece "Combustible Edison Heliotropic Oriental Mambo and Foxtrot Orchestra" slimmed down to its five core members, shortened its name, and put out a debut album, I, Swinger, on Sub Pop records. The band put out two more full-length discs - Schizophonic! and The Impossible World - and several singles. The band also recorded the soundtrack to the Quentin Tarantino (and others) film Four Rooms, with music produced by Mark Mothersbaugh.

The main theme for the Four Rooms soundtrack, "Vertigogo," was submitted for consideration for an Academy Award but was ultimately disqualified from consideration because of its incomprehensible lyrical content, despite the fact that the band submitted a lyric sheet with their best written approximation of the lyrics.

Unlike other musical acts who, to warm up live audiences, employ an opening act, Combustible Edison instead chose to display a short film, "Dark Night in the Ultraviolet City," which was billed as "Combustible Edison's Opening Act". Director Guy Benoit described it as a vignette exploring the Combustible Edison mindset. Combustible Edison provides the music for this short film, and The Millionaire himself has a cameo as a robot. During some shows, the film was played during intermission instead of an opener. Experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger was invited to direct an accompanying video for the song Bluebeard, but declined commenting that he didn't care for the music. (He also commented that the song was never released as a result, on the contrary it featured on Schizophonic! and was released as a single in its own right.)

After Combustible Edison, The Millionaire went on to help build the online music community site Luxuriamusic.com. A cocktail enthusiast, he also contributed the Combustible Edison Cocktail, the recipe for which was printed on the back cover of the band's debut "I, Swinger" CD. It was later collected by Paul Harrington in his book Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century. The Millionaire has been credited with coining the term "Cocktail Nation".

Members

Original line-up

  • Miss Lily Banquette (vocals, bongos) (AKA Liz Cox)
  • The Millionaire (electric guitar) (AKA Michael Cudahy)
  • Nick Cudahy (double bass)
  • Mr. Peter Dixon (organ)
  • Aaron Oppenheimer (percussion)

Additional members

  • Michael "Laughing Boy" Connors
  • Brother Cleve

Complete Discography

Miscellaneous Tracks

  • Monopoly Queen (7" with Boyd Rice)
  • Happy Holidays from Sub Pop (promotional cd featuring "Christmas Time is here" and "Sleigh Ride")
  • Secret Agent S.O.U.N.D.S. (contributed Mancini cover "A shot in the dark")
  • Lounge-a-palooza (contributed Esquivel cover "Miniskirt")

Unreleased

  • Montenegro Non Tropo (from Schizophonic! sessions, also name of cocktail)
  • Incomplete (unmastered track recorded in collaboration with Brian Ferry)

Side Projects

  • Miss Lily Banquette - "My Secret Love" on the Grace of My Heart Original Soundtrack, and "Oahu" on The 6ths album Hyacinths & Thistles.
  • The Millionaire - "Supercasanova" loungey pop album created with Eric Bonerz, and involvement with the Velvet Hammer Burlesque group as The Millionaire and his Mahorajah's or The Millionaire and his Bad, Bad Men - including four tracks on a soundtrack to a documentary on the group.
  • Brother Cleve - Released music under Brother Cleve and his Lush Orchestra, including tracks for "Two Zombies Later" 2CD compilation. Producer for exotica band Waitiki. Also known as keyboardist for Indo-pop band Dragonfly.
  • Mike Connors - Replacement drummer for Tiki band Waitiki.

External links

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