Artist bio

United States Three, not to be confused with bop-fusion one-hit-wonders US3, was born under guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Vess Ruhtenberg in Indianapolis in 1996. The group rose to modest prominence in the U.S. Midwest, aligning itself with a rock revival scene in nearby college town Bloomington that also nurtured the likes of Velo-Deluxe and El Nino.

From its early power-pop leanings, the group expanded its sound and membership, evolving with the releases of the idiosyncratic Creature EP and companion LP Watergate into a rhythmically experimental outfit whose meddling with conventional songwriting formulas served to hone Ruhtenberg's pop melodicism rather than cause its abandonment.

Albums by this artist

Creature (1999)

Watergate (1999)

United States Three

Watergate

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

United States Three Watergate Flat Earth, 1999 RiYL: Fabric, Pavement, Of Montreal, Liz Phair

United States Three's third full-length album opens with the question "Do you believe in helping us along?" How exactly they want us to help is unclear, but they make it sound fun, for sure. Watergate is a kind album, and it is more enjoyable if you accept United States Three's songs as friends, with personalities of their own, rather than accept this as some unforgiving artistic statement by a distant rock star.

United States Three's growth chart since its early days as a power pop trio thriving on loud guitars has been a strange one. The band's membership has extended its reaches to include a large family of musicians, including singer Courtney Kaiser, second drummer LonPaul Ellrich and utility man Mitch Getz.

Vess Ruhtenberg still oversees the whole affair, singing, playing guitar and directing different players through his songs. The songwriting is warm, bare, crooked pop. Mellotrons, Wurlitzers, Farfisas, crazed guitar blurts and soothing background vocals weave melody over often busy percussion.

One might think this album a sort of companion piece to the Creature EP, released in Spring of 1999. Neither are longer than 30 minutes, and they both share a certain aesthetic not found in the band's earlier work.

It's good to make new friends with songs. Start here.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.