Formed in 1991, this band from
Massachusetts carved a
niche for themselves as a first-class
tiki lounge/
cabaret ensemble. Their demo tape quickly caught the attention of
Sub Pop in
Seattle, and their first major-release album, "
I, Swinger" (1994), was very well-received. The exotic soundscapes of
Martin Denny are an obvious influence on the group's sound, which includes
vibes, organ, strings, jungle animal sounds, and a twangy surf-guitar played by a mysterious man known only as The
Millionaire.
Along with their serious commitment to capturing the magic of lounge was a
manifesto that gave birth to an early 1990s movement known as
Cocktail Nation. If your favorite
dive bar was suddenly invaded by
chocotini-swilling
hipsters a few years back, you can thank Combustible Edison among others for making it the "in" thing to do.
The band never recaptured the glory of "I, Swinger", but did record quite a few good, albeit short, songs for the soundtrack of the failed
motion picture, "
Four Rooms".
Members:
Miss Lily Banquette (
chanteuse,
bongoiste)
Nick Cudahy (the
double bass)
Mr.
Peter Dixon (hi-fi
organ)
The Millionaire (the electrified
guitar)
Aaron Oppenheimer (trap drums and vibraharp)
It's only appropriate that Combustible Edison invented their own signature cocktail, which is as follows:
Combustible Edison
2 ounces
brandy
1 ounce
Campari
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
In a shaker full of
cracked ice, combine Campari and lemon juice. Shake and strain into a chilled
cocktail glass.
Heat brandy in a
chafing dish. When warm, ignite the brandy and pour in a flaming stream into the cocktail glass.
If the brandy is chilled and shaken rather than ignited, the drink is known as the
Edisonian.