Cheerleader music has been on the rise as of late, and I for one wholeheartedly welcome it. Whether it’s used more as a prop (i.e. Sufjan Stevens’ entire band wearing matching “Illinois” sweaters and shouting cheers to introduce their songs) or as an entire ethos (i.e. The Go! Team), cheerleading in music gives everyone in the crowd the team spirit needed to sustain the band’s energy and help the listener feel like part of the group.

Of course, I should clarify that if Sufjan is the sweet, sensitive cheerleader who also takes AP math classes and volunteers at the homeless shelter, and if the Go! Team is the squad that goes to nationals almost every year (and even won once!), then the members of DraculaZombieUSA are the rebellious biker cheerleaders, snorting lines of coke under the bleachers after the game and having unprotected sex at will with unsuspecting members of the chess team.

But perhaps that’s not an entirely fair assessment. I mean, if DraculaZombieUSA were my daughter, heck, I’d be proud of her for seamlessly melding the playful electronics of Aphex Twin with the searing guitarscapes of Lightning Bolt, the instant danceability of !!! and the occasional lyrical poignancy of Modest Mouse.

True, I might scold her for getting a little bawdy on “Parallel Lives Perpendicular High Fives” (“I can’t help but look at asses”) or for going perhaps a bit too hard on the coke on “I Need I Need Money Money Money,” but I would still praise her for the undeniably cool, intricate beats that start out “The Summer Jam” and “I Like the Snow,” and for almost sounding accessible enough for “The O.C.” on “Thomas Window Paine.” Almost. You can still do a little better, DraculaZombieUSA. But don’t worry, I still love you very very much. Now let’s go out for some shakes!

Hmmm...now that I think about it, this review sounds an awful lot like it was written by my dad. Gooooooooooo team!-

brent[at]saltshakermagazine.com

For more information or to purchase this album online, go to www.seriousbusinessrecords.com.