United State of Electronica
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| United State of Electronica | |
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| Country | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Genres | Dance/Rock |
| Labels | Sonic Boom Recordings in USA; Side-Out Records in Japan |
| Members | Jason Holstrom Jon E. Rock Peter Sali Noah Star Weaver Derek Chan Carly Nicklaus Amanda Okonek |
| Website(s) | Official Website |
The United State of Electronica, or U.S.E., is a Seattle, Washington-based dance/rock band formed in 2002. It includes the four members of the band Wonderful: Jason Holstrom (guitar), Jon E. Rock (drums, vocals), Peter Sali (guitar, vocals), and Noah Star Weaver (keyboards, vocoder), as well as Derek Chan (bass guitar), Carly Nicklaus (backup vocals), and Amanda Okonek (backup vocals).
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[edit] History
U.S.E. was formed when the members of Wonderful and Shane Tutmarc posed as an imaginary electronica band from Mannheim, Germany at a Seattle-area nightclub. When the group noticed the audience's enthusiasm about their improvised dance songs, they decided to form a side project that would take dance music more seriously. Carly Nicklaus, Amanda Okonek and Derek Chan joined the members of Wonderful to develop that project, which would become the United State of Electronica.
U.S.E. released its debut self-titled, self-recorded album with handpainted covers in 2004. With no distribution, U.S.E turned to the Internet and gave the album to the world for free via http://www.mannheimworldwide.com. The album was released nationally through Sonic Boom Recordings in early 2005 and released in Japan in 2005 on Side-Out Records. U.S.E continued to tour the U.S. extensively with The Presidents of the United States of America, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Hold Steady, Aqueduct, Schoolyard Heroes, The Divorce and many more. U.S.E made also made two trips to Japan in 2005, including the 2005 Fuji Rock Festival and played the Sasquatch! Music Festival in Central Washington.
After another trip to Japan and a tour to SXSW in early 2006, the U.S.E. album was again re-released in the U.K. by The Original Electronic Recording Company. The music continued to spread, finding success in radio and soccer stadiums England-wide.
As of February 2007, U.S.E is currently playing and writing what will become their second full-length album in their rehearsal space in Seattle.
[edit] Band Members
[edit] Current members
- Derek Chan — bass
- Jason Holstrom — guitar
- Carly Nicklaus — vocals
- Amanda Okonek — vocals
- Jon E. Rock — drums, vocals
- Peter Sali — guitar, vocals
- Noah Star Weaver — keyboards, vocoder
[edit] Past members
- Shane Tutmarc — bass
[edit] Discography
- Emerald City EP (2002)
- Emerald City 12" (2003)
- U.S.E. (self-titled) (2004)
- Live and Direct from the Emerald City EP (2005)
- Party People EP (2005)
