Tyler Spencer (born January 22, 1972), also known as Dick Valentine, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. He is best known as the lead vocalist, main lyricist, and co-founder of the rock band Electric Six.[1][2]
Tyler Spencer | |
|---|---|
 Spencer in October 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tyler Spencer |
| Also known as | Dick Valentine Taylor Spencer Jackson Pounder |
| Born | January 22, 1972 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock, dance-rock, dance-punk, folk, freak folk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, author |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, drums, keyboards |
| Website | Official website |
Career
editSpencer founded Electric Six in 1996, at which time the band was named the Wildbunch, but this was changed because another band had the same name.[3] He is also one of the two members of the dance group Evil Cowards,[4] is one of the vocalists for hard rock band Bang Camaro, and was temporarily a member of the short-lived band The Dirty Shame. He released his first solo album, Destroy the Children, under the Dick Valentine pseudonym on May 14, 2012.[5]
Discography
editElectric Six
editThe Dirty Shame
edit- Smog Cutter Love Story (2000)[6]
Evil Cowards
edit- Covered in Gas (2009)
- Moving Through Security (2012)
Solo
editBite Me
editExcluding appearances on other artists' songs, Dick Valentine's first solo venture was the soundtrack for Machinima original series Bite Me. Valentine's Evil Cowards bandmate, William Bates, scored the series, while Valentine wrote and performed a variety of original songs. Despite repeated claims that the songs would be made commercially available, Machinima are still yet to release any of them.[7]
On September 11, 2011, Machinima released a music video for Valentine's song "Zombie, Zombie Skeleton" to promote the release of Dead Rising 2.[8]
On June 14, 2012, Dick Valentine collaborated with Mighty Tiny to create The Dick Valentine Band. They performed a live show of the Bite Me soundtrack.[citation needed]
Albums
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Destroy the Children | Studio album |
| 2013 | Halloween Fingers | Studio album |
| 2015 | Here Come the Bags! | Studio album |
| 2016 | Quiet Time | Studio album consisting of acoustic renditions of songs originally by Electric Six and Evil Cowards |
| The Dick Valentine Raw Collection | Compilation album composed of demo material produced for Dick Valentine solo albums and Electric Six projects. Was released exclusively as a pledge gift for Electric Six's Kickstarter campaign relating to Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit. | |
| 2017 | Robocalls | Studio album |
| 2019 | Illuminati Bees | Studio album |
| 2019 | Bite Me: Songs from a Zombie Show | Studio album |
| 2020 | Parrot People | Studio album |
| 2021 | Coma Watching | Studio album |
| 2023 | This Is Hell! | Studio album |
| 2024 | Do You Notice? | Studio album |
Singles and Appearances
edit| Year | Title | Project | Vocals | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Private Affair"[9] | Bantam Rooster song, released as a B-side on their single, "Big Mess" | Yes | No |
| 2006 | "Unstoppable"[10] | TV Rock song featured on their album Sunshine City - credited as Tyler Spencer | Yes | No |
| 2009 | "Nuclear Cowboy" | J-Lobster song featured on their album Mindless Pleasures[11] | Yes | No |
| "I'm a Vampire" | Shitting Glitter single - credited as Rich N. Famous[12] | Yes | No | |
| 2012 | "The Shrinking Planet" | Single by Massive Horse, later included on their album About Last Night recorded under the new name of Nightmares from the Discothèque | Yes | No |
| 2013 | "He's a Freak"[13] | Andy D song featured on album Warcries | Yes | No |
| "Last Christmas"[14] | Cover version single by Fall On Your Sword | Yes | No | |
| 2017 | "I Love You, I Steal Your Gas!" | Single by Dick Valentine and Mark Mallman[15] | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | "Summer Wine" | Single by Victoria Liedtke & Dick Valentine - Cover of Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood song[16] | Yes | No |
Bibliography
edit| Release Date | Title | Project |
|---|---|---|
| 3 January 2014 | "Residential Intruders in the 21st Century: Real Demons, Aliens and Monsters That Visit My Apartment" | 5-page pamphlet on the "demons, monsters and aliens that constantly visit [Dick] in [his] home".[17] |
| 13 May 2014 | Chinatown Reacharound | Pornographic thriller novella. The first book in the Bart Ducane trilogy.[18] |
| 17 July 2014 | "Dick Valentine's 2014 Party Planner" | 41-page party planner.[19] |
| 27 January 2015 | "Dick Valentine's 2015 Party Planner Guide" | 57-page party planner - an updated version of the 2014 Party Planner[20] |
| 22 January 2016 | Fairfax Facial | Pornographic thriller novella. Sequel to Chinatown Reacharound and the second book in the Bart Ducane trilogy.[21] |
| 30 January 2017 | Glendale Glory Hole | Pornographic thriller novella. Sequel to Fairfax Facial and the final book in the Bart Ducane trilogy.[22] |
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Project | Writer | Executive Producer | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Danger! High Voltage" | Electric Six music video to promote Fire | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Man |
| 2003 | "Gay Bar" | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Abraham Lincoln | |
| "Dance Commander" | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Dick Valentine | ||
| 2004 | "Radio Ga Ga" | Electric Six music video to promote Señor Smoke | No | No | Yes | Freddie Mercury |
| 2006 | "Mr. Woman" | Electric Six music video to promote Switzerland | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine |
| "I Buy the Drugs" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine | ||
| "Chocolate Pope" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine (voice) | ||
| "Rubber Rocket" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Singing Voice | ||
| 2007 | "Infected Girls" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine | |
| "It's Showtime!" | Electric Six music video to promote I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me from Being the Master | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Singer's Voice | |
| "Down at McDonnelzzz" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Centaur | ||
| "Randy's Hot Tonight" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine | ||
| 2008 | "One Gallon Axe" | White Gold music video | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Voice of White Gold |
| "Tame the White Tiger" | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Voice of White Gold | ||
| "Is It Me Or Do You Love My Hair?" | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Voice of White Gold | ||
| "There's Something Very Wrong With Us, So Let's Go Out Tonight" | Electric Six music video to promote Switzerland | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Grim Reaper | |
| "Formula 409" | Electric Six music video to promote Flashy | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine | |
| "Making Progress" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Singer | ||
| "Pulling the Plug on the Party" | Electric Six music video to promote Switzerland | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Singing Voice | |
| 2009 | "Body Shot" | Electric Six music video to promote KILL | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Man |
| "Battle for Milkquarious" | Promotional short film | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes (uncredited) | Singing voice of White Gold | |
| "Love Pigs" | Evil Cowards music video to promote Covered in Gas | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Evil Coward | |
| 2010 | Starlight & Superfish | Feature film | No | No | Yes | Bill Laserman |
| 2011 | "Zombie, Zombie Skeleton" | Dick Valentine music video | Yes (songwriter) | No | Yes | Singing voice |
| "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" | Electric Six live performance video produced for The A.V. Club | No | No | Yes | Dick Valentine[23] | |
| 2012 | "Psychic Visions" | Electric Six music video to promote Heartbeats and Brainwaves | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine |
| "That Voodoo You Do, or 'The Legba Luncheon'" | Short film | Yes | Yes | Yes | Flatbrush Frank | |
| "Bedford Avenue Wine Distributors" | Evil Cowards music video to promote Moving Through Security | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Evil Coward | |
| "The Shrinking Planet" | Massive Horse music video | No | No | Yes | The Colonel | |
| 2013 | "Last Christmas" | Fall On Your Sword music video | No | No | Yes | Singing Voice |
| 2014 | Absolute Treasure | Electric Six concert film | Yes | Yes (uncredited) | Yes | Himself - Dick Valentine |
| 2016 | Roulette Stars of Metro Detroit | Electric Six mockumentary feature film | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine and Voice of Darren Nucleus? |
| 2017 | "I Love You, I Steal Your Gas" | Dick Valentine and Mark Mallman music video | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine |
| "I'll Be In Touch" | Electric Six music video to promote Fresh Blood for Tired Vampyres | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Dick Valentine | |
| "I Got the Box" | Yes (songwriter) | Yes | Yes | Flatbrush Frank[24] | ||
| 2018 | Chill Out! | Electric Six concert broadcast | Yes | Yes | Yes | Himself - Dick Valentine[25] |
References
edit- ^ "Electric Six to perform at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit Saturday". Booth Newspapers. November 26, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "MUSIC: SPINS; Burning Down the Garage". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ "Sax as a Weapon: You Didn't Know That Rock 'n' Roll Burned". Village Voice. April 1, 2003. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ "Electric Six Frontman Is An Evil Coward". College Music Journal. May 11, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "The Politics Of Dancing: An Election Year Blog By Dick Valentine @ Antiquiet Blogs". Antiquiet.com. March 5, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ "Smog Cutter Love Story". Discogs.
- ^ "Other Bands". Electricsix.co.uk.
- ^ Zombie, Zombie Skeleton. YouTube. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011.
- ^ Discogs.com
- ^ AllMusic
- ^ Discogs
- ^ Reverbnation.com
- ^ Beatport.com
- ^ iTunes
- ^ Discogs
- ^ Discogs
- ^ Amazon.com
- ^ Electricsix.co.uk
- ^ Amazon.com
- ^ Amazon.com
- ^ Electricsix.co.uk
- ^ Amazon.com
- ^ The A.V. Club
- ^ Facebook.com
- ^ Kickstarter.com