Hailing from Chicago, The Eclectics have combined a wide range of musical influences, from King Diamond to Krautrock, from Naked Raygun to the Buckinghams, or from the English Beat to the Jacksons. The end result is a wonder to behold. Over the past few years, The Eclectics have gone through numerous line-up changes though two things have always rang true: 1) no individual is too far out for the band, and 2) every member has been dedicated to putting on a tight and energetic live show to please just about any audience. The current line-up is the strongest yet, hosting a wide variety of characters. Topping it off is the singer Damon, the newest member, a native of Detroit and former frontman for midwest ska-pioneers The Exceptions. Then there's Russ on guitar, the self-proclaimed heir to Jerry Garcia. Dan on bass is the band grandfather, in on his newest money-making scheme to supplement his early retirement. Dale is the drummer, or "phat beats" as we like to call him. On trombone, there's Marc, former mullet, current muscle-t metal god, and Graham, the hardcore kid. last but not least is Jake on tenor sax--sci fi bookworm. The Eclectics teamed up with Chicago's very own Steve Albini (producer for such bands as Bush, Nirvana, and PJ Harvey) to create a much-needed new angle on"ska-punk". "Idle Worship" is out now on indie ska label Jump Up! on a limited basis, with Universal dist to a wider market in the Spring. The band has been included on the massive ska comps "Misfits of Ska II" and 'Return of American Skathic", and have made numerous trips around the eastern half of the U.S. supporting Less Than Jake among others. Look out for this energetic troop coming you way in 1998, and pick up their album now!