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

Creature

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

United States Three Creature Flat Earth, 1999 RiYL: Fabric, Jellyfish, Beck

This Creature is a wild one.

The 8-track grab bag EP stands out from US-3's somewhat more conventional resume and shows a band graciously willing to juxtapose widely-varied song forms in close proximity.

The sparse, percussion-less landscape of opener "Creature" attests to a less-is-more philosophy of musical design that shows over much of the record. Frontman Vess Ruhtenberg seems more concerned with the nuances of texture and depth than with just presenting his hook.

"Over The Line" is the soundtrack to a late-night highway drive, a steady beat padded with organs, supporting Ruhtenberg's enchanting vocal melody. "Time: Alpha" and "Velour Kaboom" are rhythm-based excercises that express themselves through slight variances within repetition.

"Personality" is an acoustic garage-stomp, the verses translating the repetition motif to the words ("It's got a personality, that's a reality, it's a special place for me, what with all the personality"), but offering a reprise with the sublime chorus hook.

Many musical friends show up to help out US3's core on the EP, and members of Uvula add a nice touch of variation to "Mary, Anne, And Hideaway."

The record ends with a plodding lullaby, "Please Go Asleep," which continues the fashion of not sounding like anything heard so far. The bass melody in its second half is lovely and restrained enough to execute the song's title, if the listener is in the mood.

Creature's diversity is a great attribute for US3 to have picked up three records into its career. The EP doesn't shun the band's past work, but it certainly moves away from it, and instills a sense of wonder and anticipation in the listener. Pick it up.

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.