When it comes to electronic music, I’m a dilettante. Sure, I’ve been a fan of bands like New Order and Kraftwerk for years, love plenty of Synth-Pop, but not that “obscure” electronic stuff that raises eyebrows of your co-workers (for example). When the poorly named "electronica" revolution* of the mid-to-late 90s was all the rage, I set out to appreciate these acts armed with synthesizers, drum machines, laptops, and fancy software programs, to unearth “bands” who would appeal to my unsophisticated taste. If it’s melodic, all the better. This pursuit exposed me to the many sub-genres of electronic music, magazines and Internet sites helped shape opinions, thus, giving me base for my critical chops.

Recently, I came across the debut full-length from Seattle’s United State Of Electronica. As I read the group’s name, choked laughter rose out of me, I shook my head; this moniker not only begs, deserves, to be scoffed, jeered, hrumphed, regardless of motive, ironic or not. Naturally, I had to give it a listen.

Vocoder-ed up vocals, conventional Euro-Dance/disco beats, diva BGVs, soritory-house-dance-pop, classic-Synth-Pop, white-boy-dance-funk-Hi-NRG, dancey-hip-hop burst forth pulses, bumps, coos, thumps, preens, pumps over these 12 tracks. It’s all been heard before.** Still, it’s undeniable that this electronic music (equally appropriate for the club or the living room party) is relevant.

United State of Electronica simultaneously incorporate the best (pounding beat, tight rhythm, chorus as anthem) and the worst (overused sounds, the vocoder, cheesy lyrics) of electronic music with vocals; this sounds like a recipe for disaster, and really it should be. Eiffel 65’s huge crossover hit “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” and Daft Punk come immediately to mind. Not only that, U.S.E. is more than halfway to Haddaway in sound. There are two things that U.S.E. possess that forgive any cheeky irony and the lack of originality: contagious hooks and pure energetic fun.

It should be noted that in addition to those synths, U.S.E. employs real drums, bass guitar, and electric guitars -- the tools of the rock band. Their approach is similar to indie pop bands -- solid melody, big hooks, and stellar arrangements.

“It Is On!” is a most appropriate opening track with its call to “party people come on” (a major theme throughout the record -- check out the spoken word shout-out/preacher man of “All Sounds All People” for the U.S.E. manifesto). This song demands a packed dance floor; exuberance filling every nuance of the track. The vocals alternate between Noah Star Weaver’s vocoder and indie diva crooning (courtesy of Amanda Okonek and/or Carly Jean Nicklaus). “Climb The Walls (Umbrella Of Love)” asks “Who doesn’t want to have fun now?/Who doesn’t want to be happy under the umbrella of love?” It’s a question that U.S.E. has the answer, just listen to their record, tap into their source, and you will find happiness, and love. The intro to "Open Your Eyes” is bizarre as it sounds exactly like that Dave Matthews Band hit that was everywhere a few years back (I don’t know the friggin’ title … maybe it’s “Trippin’ Billies?" “So Much To Say?” Ah hell, I don’t know the damn song). While the track is utterly repetitive, centered on a call-and-respose “Everybody! Open your eyes," still, it’s quite effective … and again, to be redundant, it’s gonna move you.

“Emerald City” is the combo at their songwriting best as it extols the wonder and joy of the dreary city of Seattle. The ever-present vocoder melody opens the track (“I got more love then anyone could ever handle/I got more happiness too/I got more love than anyone could ever wish for, and baby, it’s all ‘cause of you”) that segues into a wonderful bass line, then the verse drops hard and the song launches into melodic dancealicious brilliance. Apparently the city of Seattle is the base of this unbridled happiness and love Weaver sings about. There is a section of the song calling out various parts of Seattle ("U-Town!" "Capitol Hill!" "Queen Anne!") followed by a shout of "WE LOVE IT!" -- a fun take on Randy Newman’s "I Love L.A."). Equally pure cheese and blissful songwriting, the track epitomizes U.S.E.

“There’s Always Music," another stellar track, cranks an absolutely epic intro (rhythm and lead guitars with “fake” horns kick it hard), then slam dances into the verse. While the song is absolutely repetitive, U.S.E. sympathizes with whatever has “got you down," it’s no worries, the music is the cure. This is straight up massive, a total booty shaker with a goofy rap (much better than the horrid, white-soul-stiffness-rap of “Night Shift”), vocoder lead vocals, and the divas with the guitars adding a nice crunch.
U.S.E. is simply a fun record. Like the Polyphonic Spree, this endless summer giddiness becomes irritating at times. The same goes for the hooks, while huge, amazingly catchy; they are always delivered by either Weaver’s vocoder (really, there can be too much) or the indie divas making the implementation overly formulaic (another problem inherent in electronic music). But with the songs so catchy, the cynic in you steps aside. What it lacks in songcraft, U.S.E. compensates with energy and unfailing humor, its addictive: you want to hear that chorus, that wonderful hook, that ass-shaking beat. As with much of clubby dance music, the songs get repetitive -- basically, most of the songs are a series of hooks, but that’s the purpose, to get you moving, dancing, basking in glory, being happy in a George Bush world.

* As we all know, this electronic music revolution never happened, finding its place on the pop culture landscape in television commercials, game shows/news magazine bumper music, and meat-market dance clubs while electronic music continued to evolve (and devolve) in the “underground.”

**  “Electronica” is so incestuous -- just take a look at the obsessively comprehensive Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music website -- peruse House, Techno, Trance, Breakbeat -- you get the idea.

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© 2004 Bandoppler Publishing