These United States are appropriately named. They're not straight out Americana, but on Everything Touches Everything seem like John Fante driving with a really good veteran club band in a near-decimated old Caddy down Walt Whitman freeway, juking the spiritual anthem of "going out there with our hearts strapped to our chests" in the title track of their new album. "It is breath-taking just to be here."

"Here" might be Washington D.C. and Lexington, Kentucky, where the band members are from, but I doubt they stay in either place very long, with as tight as they sound and a glance at their tour itinerary. Lead TUS Jesse Elliott's band's third album was released on September 1st, and they are planning both a High Dive show and a KEXP Live in-studio appearance on September 25, two performances in a long stream of dates all over the places for the next zillion months. By the time you read this, they will have played over 500 shows. 

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