Combustible Edison

After a decade spent navigating the rock underground with only modest critical notice and scant artistic or commercial momentum, the Providence, Rhode Island ensemble formerly known as Christmas followed the path of David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter incarnation by recasting themselves as lounge revivalists. Their first release under the Combustible Edison name showcased cocktail jazz, exotica, torch ballads, and B-movie spy and guitar motifs. To seal the reinvention, the musicians took the stage in pastel tuxedos; one adopted the alias “the Millionaire,” while former Christmas vocalist Liz Cox performed as “Miss Lily Banquette,” delivering languid jazz-pop numbers. The group debuted this new identity in 1994 with I, Swinger, then released Schizophonic in 1996 and The Impossible World two years after that.