These United States Release Everything Touches Everything @ Black Cat

By DCist Contributor Ryan Little

These United States do not stop moving. They've put out three albums in the span of about two years (last was Crimes, which we learned about from the band), and they've played who knows how many shows in between (ed. note: guitarist Tom Hnatow estimates that tally at around 500). A staple on DCist's pages and a growing presence on the national music scene, Jesse Elliot and his ramshackle crew put on as grand a rock show as ever at their album release party this weekend at the Black Cat.

The band hit the ground running and opened with Crimes' single, "Honor Amongst Thieves." Elliott has had a number of different bandmates over the years (though the lineup has been mostly steady with Hnatow and Robby Cosenza plus occasional guests since Crimes' release), but it seems the current line-up is the most capable incarnation of the band so far. They played a few more older cuts just to warm up the audience before launching into the new album for the rest of the set. Their latest offering, Everything Touches Everything, is a noticeably more focused and polished affair than the previous TUS records.

In concert, the new songs find Elliott playing much less guitar and focusing more on the role of frontman. The band's more traditional folk-rock influences are still present in the new tracks, but they take a backseat to a more pop-centered feel. Jesse still drops surreal images into his lyrics, but the music is not quite so psychedelic. Perhaps the stylistic shift will help the band reach a wider audience.

After finishing up a well-received show, the band encored with an older TUS song and a boisterous rendition of Bob Dylan's "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got To Stay All Night)." Elliott and company seemed right at home ending with a Dylan tune, and the subsequent line at the merch table suggests the crowd felt the same way.

Grab the the first single off of Everything Touches Everything here. Buy the album from What Are Records here.