These United States

by Margaret Reges
Combining Devendra Banhart's "new weird American" eccentricity with Flaming Lips-like electronic bells and whistles and a Wilco-esque twanginess, These United States lived up to their name insofar as their music served as a kind of melting pot that blended together a wide array of influences. Born of a collaboration between Jesse Elliott and David Strackany (the man behind Paleo), These United States put together the songs that would become their debut full-length in 2007. That disc, A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden, was released on United Interests the following year.