all jets are gonna fall today

last year i took in my first nfl game. i went and saw the jets get trounced by the broncos. i was very much not sober and throughout the afternoon this tune was stuck in my head. this is a track for fans of everything with even the loosest ties to Neutral Milk Hotel. formed in Tampa Bay in 1989, one of Chocolate USA's founding members was none other than a teenage Julian Koster who before wowing people playing a musical saw during NMH shows was vocalist for this ambitious group of lo-fi pop misfits. the group was rounded out by violinist Liza Wakeman and drummer Keith Block with a number of friends contributing. i say ambitious because they didn't simply self-release a demo (under the name Miss America before a lawsuit), but began a low-fi tape of the month fanclub, hosted a radio show on WMNF and co-organized a popular annual indie fest. the group was picked up by Bar None who gave their demo cassette a proper release followed by their second and final album, Smoke Machine. Smoke Machine featured an expanded line-up that included two future members of Olivia Tremor Control. parts of that album were recorded in Athens, where much of the band eventually relocated and which is when Koster probably hooked up with the fellows who would also have a short, but much celebrated run of it with. meanwhile Liza went on to form noise rockers and Terrastock veterans Alva. the following is the titular track from their first album and sound wise serves as a fairly on-par predecessor to the artfuly-instrumented retro pop of the Elephant 6 hey day that soon followed the groups disbanding.

Chocolate USA "All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today"