Guilty Pleasures-- It's almost party time, and here's the band to do it with

When the synth-pop band United State of Electronica shimmied its way onto dreary Seattle's indie scene seven years ago, it was like an explosion of neon-colored confetti. It was exuberant, cotton candy-coated music that got hipsters from here to Japan dancing with wild abandon.

Like U.S.E.'s legion of party people, Guilty Pleasures couldn't get enough of the band's super-sweet celebration of the power of music drenched in vocoder and dance beats.

Which is why Guilty Pleasures is all kinds of giddy that U.S.E. is releasing a new album -- and is booked for the third annual Guilty Pleasures Party on July 17 at the Yakima Sports Center.

The septet -- Amanda Khanjian and Carly Nicklaus (vocals), Peter Sali and Jason Holstrom (guitar), Noah Star Weaver (vocoder, keyboard), Jon e. Rock (drums) and Derek Chan (bass) -- will self-release "LOVEWORLD" next month, the collective's sophomore disk. (The band members have been busy with their other musical outlets and life stuff like getting married, guitarist Sali explains about the five-year gap in albums.)

The new record features the band's trademark brand of feel-good, over-the-top party-pop revelry on tracks such as "K.I.S.S.I.N.G," in which the refrain exclaims, "Nothing's going to break your heart."

But Sali, who grew up in Yakima, says the album also has "funkier, sexier, downtempo stuff."

"The last record was very bubble gummy and produced up," notes Sali. "This one is more raw."

One thing is for sure, though: U.S.E. is the "band that brings the party," as is touted in the new track "Get That Feeling."

And Guilty Pleasures can't wait!

* Guilty Pleasures is a weekly look at whatever Guilty Pleasures wants to look at, including self-serving parties.