Chocolate USA

**Chocolate USA** (sometimes stylized as **Chocolate U.S.A**) was an American indie rock/pop band based in Tampa, Florida. Formed in 1989 as **Miss America**, they renamed the band to its current name in 1992 after a complaint from the Miss America Pageant Inc. They released two studio albums on Bar/None Records in 1992 and 1994. Chocolate USA is known to be one of the earliest bands of the Elephant 6 family to have a wide release.

## Biography

At the age of 16, New York native Julian Koster moved to Seminole, Florida. Koster notes this as a difficult period in his life: "I didn't make any friends for the longest time, and when I did, it was through the music." While attending Seminole High School, he formed the band Mesopotamia in his sophomore year, a band that played weekend keg parties. In his senior year, he formed Miss America, citing inspirations from Curtis Mayfield to John Zorn to "music for your life stuff, basically the over-65 crowd pleasers" like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. The name "Miss America" comes from a conversation between Koster and a heroin addict: when Koster expressed worries about her, she would respond with "It's okay, honey, I'm Miss America."

In 1991, the band recorded their debut album, *All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today* at Panda Productions at Clearwater, FL, and was originally scheduled for an October release the same year. The band self-released the album on cassette in 1991/1992 before being signed to Bar/None Records the same year, who reissued the album through their own label. Around this time, Miss America changed its name to Chocolate USA amid a cease-and-desist letter from the Miss America pageant, which was celebrated at the "We're Getting Sued By the Sexist, Fascist, Corporate Pigs" party in Ybor City, FL. Chocolate USA hosted their own radio show *Spacely Been Hurt* for the Tampa, FL station WMNF, which occasionally featured guests like Daniel Johnston and Eugene Chadbourne. A monthly tape club called the "Chocolaty Good Smash Hit of the Month Club" was sent exclusively to members and featured Chocolate USA songs, stories, and miscellaneous sounds, and lasted until at least August 1993.

   A vinyl-only EP was planned for release during the fall season of 1993, but nothing surfaced of it. Approximately 25 songs were recorded for the band's next album, originally planned for release in January 1994. *Smoke Machine* was released October 4, 1994 on Bar/None. The album received positive reception from publications like Trouser Press and AllMusic, the former wrote that it "retains the determinedly unpretentious vibe of the first album, but the songwriting and arrangements are surer and more fully realized."

By the end of the band's 1994 tour, Koster had become disillusioned with Chocolate USA. He enjoyed the spirit of the band, but hadn't felt it translated well on their records. The band's last (known) show was a June 1995 show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Jeremy Barnes' band opening for them. Both Koster and Barnes joined Jeff Mangum's band Neutral Milk Hotel soon after.

In 1999, a double CD compilation featuring *All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today* and *Smoke Machine* was released exclusively in Japan through Quattro Disc.

## Members

* Julian Koster - lead vocals, guitar, accordion, mandolin, turntables
* Keith Block - drums, vocals
* Helen A.S. Popkin - bass
* Eric Morrison - lead guitar, keyboards (1991)
* Liza Wakeman - violin, vocals
* Alan Edwards - guitar
* Paul Wells - bass, mandolin, guitar, vocals

## Discography

**Studio Albums**

* 1992 - *All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today* - Bar/None Records
* 1994 - *Smoke Machine* - Bar/None Records

**Singles**

* 1992 - *100 Feet Tall / Skateboard Heaven* - Bar/None Records

**Compilations**

* 1999 - *All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today / Smoke Machine* - Quattro Disc (JP only)

**Compilation Appearances**

* 1993 - *Let's Make The Wiener Kid Sing His Song* (includes "100 Feet Tall") - Twin City International

## References

1. ↑ https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1991/07/21/the-man-behind-miss-america/
2. ↑ http://www.bar-none.com/chocolate-usa
3. ↑ https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn94029049/1993-07-14/ed-1/seq-14/
4. ↑ https://www.connollyco.com/discography/chocolate\_usa/smoke.html
5. ↑ https://trouserpress.com/reviews/chocolate-usa/