The Presidents of the United States of America
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Indie rock
Years active	1993–1998, 2000–present
Label(s)	PopLlama (1994) Columbia (1994–1998) MUSICBLITZ (2000–2002) PUSA Inc. (2004–present)
Website	http://www.presidentsrock.com/
Members
Chris Ballew Dave Dederer Jason Finn Andrew McKeag

The Presidents of the United States of America are a Seattle grunge pop band best known for their quirky, often nonsensical songs that defied the typical sound of most bands from the Pacific Northwest at the time. They were one of the biggest groups to come from Seattle following the decline of grunge in the mid-1990s. Their name was chosen as a means of getting people's attention. Image File history File links Pusa. ... Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King Incorporated December 2, 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels (NP) Area    - City 369. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music[1] or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... PUSA Inc. ... Chris Ballew in 2005 Christopher Ballew (born May 28, 1965) is a member of The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Dave Dederer, best known as guitarist and singer for the Presidents of the United States of America, was born on October 5, 1964. ... Jason Finn (born 1969) is drummer and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America (band). ... Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King Incorporated December 2, 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels (NP) Area    - City 369. ... Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ...

Biography

Early years and rise to fame (1993-1998)

The band was formed in late 1993 by Chris Ballew (basitar and lead vocals) and Dave Dederer (guitbass and backup vocals). Initially a drummerless duo, Ballew and Dederer performed a half-dozen or so shows in 1993 as "The Lo-Fis"," "The Dynamic Duo," and "Pure Frosting." Ballew eventually came upon the name "The Presidents of the United States of America" while playing music high on marijuana with a few of his friends in a North Seattle basement. Of the names he made up on the spot that night, "The Presidents" got the biggest rise out of the eleven stoners who happened to be listening. Shortly after settling on their name, Ballew and Dederer added drummer Jason Finn; the band played their first show as a trio at Seattle's Romper Room in early December 1993. At the time, Finn was also the drummer in a "real" band, Love Battery, who had recently changed record labels from Sub Pop to Atlas Records, an A&M subsidiary. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Chris Ballew in 2005 Christopher Ballew (born May 28, 1965) is a member of The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Dave Dederer, best known as guitarist and singer for the Presidents of the United States of America, was born on October 5, 1964. ... Cannabis Sativa Look up marijuana in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jason Finn (born 1969) is drummer and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America (band). ... Love Battery are an American grunge band from Seattle. ... Sub Pop logo Sub Pop is a record label in Seattle, Washington famous for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, and many other bands from the local scene. ... A&M Records is a record label formed in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. ...

The Presidents recorded a 10-song cassette, Froggystyle, in early 1994 in one day at Laundry Room Studios. The band sold the cassette at shows in 1994. Finn also sold the cassette from behind the bar of Seattle's legendary Comet Tavern, where he bartended.

In 1994, the Presidents signed with the tiny Seattle label PopLlama Records and released their self-titled debut in the following year. Columbia Records signed the band shortly thereafter and re-released the album in late July 1995. Driven by the singles "Lump," "Peaches," and "Kitty," their debut album proved to be a smash. Critics praised the Presidents' catchy, humorous, and self-deprecating songs, which were a major departure from the grunge/post-grunge sound. The album received Grammy nominations in 1996 and 1997. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Lump was a breakthrough hit single by the grunge pop band Presidents of the United States of America. ... Post-grunge is a subgenre of American alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as an offshoot of the Seattle grunge movement. ... Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards, commonly abbreviated as the Grammys or GRAMMYs ), presented by the Recording Academy known as NARAS, (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards...

In 1996, "Weird Al" Yankovic, world famous parodist, created a parody of the Presidents' "Lump", entitled "Gump". This song was released on Yankovic's album Bad Hair Day. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Weird Al Yankovic (album) Alfred Matthew Weird Al Yankovic (IPA pronunciation: ; born October 23, 1959) is an American musician, satirist, parodist, accordionist, and television producer. ... Parody of Back to the Future In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Lump is a 1999 greatest hits album by the Presidents of the United States of America. ... Gump is a word that relates to many things. ... Bad Hair Day is the ninth album by Weird Al Yankovic, released in 1996. ...

A follow-up album, II, received similar praise, but did not match the explosive commercial success that the Presidents' debut album had. A worldwide tour to support the album followed, and the Presidents played venues in Europe, Australia, and Japan. They were so popular in Japan that Sony Records released a compilation of B-sides and demos entitled Rarities that was only available in Japan. II is the second album by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia; Epic; and American Recordings. ... Rarities is a compilation album by The Presidents of the United States of America. ...

The Presidents broke up in January 1998 as Ballew quit to spend more time with his young family and explore other musical terrain. Pure Frosting, a final album composed of new songs, covers, and demos, was released in 1998. The CD also contained videos for "Lump," "Peaches," "Mach 5," and "Dune Buggy." 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Pure Frosting is the third album released by Presidents of the United States of America. ...

Pure Frosting featured two songs that had previously been used in a movie and as a television show theme. "Video Killed the Radio Star" was included on the soundtrack for The Wedding Singer, while "Cleveland Rocks" was chosen as the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. The Presidents also wrote the theme song for the 1998 TV movie My Date with the President's Daughter. Video Killed the Radio Star is a New Wave song released in 1979 by the British group The Buggles that celebrates the golden days of radio. ... The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci that stars Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart, a wedding singer, and Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan, the object of his affections. ... Cleveland Rocks by Presidents of the United States of America is a remake of a rock song originally written by Ian Hunter. ... The Drew Carey Show was a popular American sitcom starring Drew Carey, set in Cleveland, Ohio. ... My Date with the Presidents Daughter is a 1998 movie made for tv comedy about the free-spirited 15 year-old daughter of the American President who makes a date with a nerdy high school kid, then sneaks away from her secret service detail and has a wild night...

Indefinite break (1998-2000)

Following the breakup, each band member devoted time to his own solo projects. Ballew was the most prolific of the three, releasing albums with The Giraffes and The Tycoons, two of his side projects. Dederer collaborated with former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan as The Gentlemen, and Finn played drums for several bands, including The Nevada Bachelors and Love Battery, his original band. The Giraffes is a Seattle-based band that featured Chris Ballew, better known as a member of the Presidents of the United States of America. ... Guns N Roses are an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in March 1985. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Love Battery are an American grunge band from Seattle. ...

The Presidents also collaborated with Sir Mix-A-Lot as Subset, a short-lived rock and hip-hop band. They had a brief tour and recorded several songs, but never released an album. The band broke up because Sir Mix-A-Lot wanted to take the band in a harder, more electronic direction, but Finn and Dederer were not interested. [1] Sir Mix-a-Lot (born Anthony Ray, August 12, 1963) is a rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington, USA. He created his own brand of hip hop - influenced by Electro, Kraftwerk and Gary Numan, and funk - but was mostly known for his West Coast take on Miami bass. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...

In 1998, Columbia Records released Lump, a discount greatest hits compilation, without the band's approval or collaboration. Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... Lump is a 1999 greatest hits album by the Presidents of the United States of America. ...

Reformation (2000-present)

Presidents of the United States of America in 2005

The Presidents reunited in 2000 to release a new single, "Jupiter," on MUSICBLITZ Records. Because of the single's popularity, the label convinced the band to release a new album. Freaked Out & Small was released that year to critical praise, but it sold fewer than 25,000 copies. Dederer blamed MUSICBLITZ, which later went bankrupt, for being unable to handle the demand for the album. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 112 KB) Dave Dederer and Jason Finn from w:Presidents of the United States of America playing at the w:KeyArena 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 112 KB) Dave Dederer and Jason Finn from w:Presidents of the United States of America playing at the w:KeyArena 2005. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

For the next four years, the band members worked on their own solo projects. Ballew continued to produce and record his own work and collaborated with Tad Hutchison of The Young Fresh Fellows as The Chris and Tad Show. The Young Fresh Fellows are an American alternative rock group that was formed in 1982 in Seattle, Washington. ...

The Presidents formed their own record label, PUSA Inc., in 2004 and released their latest album, Love Everybody. As with their previous albums, it received praise from many critics. Two singles from the album have been released through the Apple iTunes store. In late 2004, the rights to the debut album were returned to the band, who have since reissued the album through PUSA Inc. twice: once as a Ten Year Anniversary edition with extra tracks, and again in the spring of 2006 in a low-price edition. PUSA Inc. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Love Everybody is the fourth album released by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Apple Inc. ... iTunes is a digital media player application, introduced by Apple Computer on January 10, 2001 at Macworld Expo in San Francisco,[1] for playing and organizing digital music and video files. ... PUSA Inc. ...

Andrew McKeag, Seattle guitarist (formerly of Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver, Shuggie, The Black Panties and others), joined PUSA on guitbass in late 2004, as an occasional live-performance stand-in for Dave Dederer, who had expressed an interest in spending more time with his family. As of late 2006, however, Andrew has been touring full-time with the band for over two years, which has given rise to speculation in various music publications that he has replaced Dave for all practical purposes. Although such rumors have been repeatedly denied by the group and their management, the band's official website does prominently feature McKeag in many of its more prominent photo layouts.

Despite their chosen name, The Presidents' music has remained largely apolitical, although the band did perform for President Bill Clinton at a 1994 Democratic Party fundraiser in Seattle. The band also supported John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States (1861-1865) The majority of this article is about heads of states. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Instruments

Ballew and Dederer respectively play a basitar and guitbass, which are regular, six-string guitars modified to use two strings (for bass) or three strings (for guitar). The original idea came from Morphine frontman Mark Sandman, with whom Ballew had previously worked. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... Morphine was an alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, in 1989. ... Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an indie rock icon and a legendary figure in the Boston music scene, best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine. ...

The modified guitars use heavy-gauge strings for a heavier sound and are normally tuned in Drop D, though the Presidents play half a step lower in C#. Because of the wider strings, the saddles at the bridge and headstock may need to be filed to accommodate the strings. For a basitar, the strings are placed in the D and A positions; on a guitbass, the strings are placed in the A, D, and G positions. Drop D tuning (or simply drop-D) is a guitar tuning style in which the lowest (sixth) string is tuned (dropped) to D rather than E as in standard tuning. ...

Members

Chris Ballew in 2005

Dave Dederer in 2005

• Chris Ballew – vocals, basitar
• Dave Dederer – guitbass, vocals
• Jason Finn – drums, vocals (1993–present)
• Andrew McKeag – guitbass, vocals (2004–present)

Two of the original presidents, Dave and Chris, went to the Bush School in Seattle. Jason went to the Northwest School. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 110 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): The Presidents of the United States of America (band) Chris Ballew ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 110 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): The Presidents of the United States of America (band) Chris Ballew ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 131 KB) Dave Dederer from w:Presidents of the United States of America playing at the w:KeyArena 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (532x800, 131 KB) Dave Dederer from w:Presidents of the United States of America playing at the w:KeyArena 2005. ... Chris Ballew in 2005 Christopher Ballew (born May 28, 1965) is a member of The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... Dave Dederer, best known as guitarist and singer for the Presidents of the United States of America, was born on October 5, 1964. ... Jason Finn (born 1969) is drummer and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America (band). ... Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863 Several American Indian-style drums for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian. ... Bush School is a private K-12 school located in the Washington Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. ... Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King Incorporated December 2, 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels (NP) Area    - City 369. ...

Discography

Albums

Singles & EP's

The Presidents of the United States of America (1995, see 1995 in music) is the first album released by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... II is the second album by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Rarities is a compilation album by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia; Epic; and American Recordings. ... Pure Frosting is the third album released by Presidents of the United States of America. ... Lump is a 1999 greatest hits album by the Presidents of the United States of America. ... Freaked Out & Small is the third studio album, released in 2000, by the band Presidents of the United States of America. ... Love Everybody is the fourth album released by The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Fuck California is a 7 record single released by the band Presidents of the United States of America in 1994. ... C/Z Records is a Seattle based label that was established, in early 1985, by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. ... Lump was a breakthrough hit single by the grunge pop band Presidents of the United States of America. ... Peaches is a single by the grunge pop band The Presidents of the United States of America. ... Plastic Bertrand was a new wave punk-rock group and solo artist (Roger Jouret, born February 24, 1958) from Belgium, most famous for the parody Ça plane pour moi (roughly translated as Thats alright with me), although the song was neither written nor sung by Jouret and used the... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group. ... The Seattle SuperSonics (or simply Sonics or Supes) are a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington. ... Video Killed the Radio Star is a New Wave song released in 1979 by the British group The Buggles that celebrates the golden days of radio. ... The Age of Plastic The Buggles were a New Wave band formed in 1977 consisting of Geoff Downes (percussion, keyboards), Trevor Horn (bass guitar, guitar, percussion, vocals) and Bruce Woolley. ... New PUSA Video Posted by PUSA on September 18, 2005 Australian production company, Film Headquarters has made an innovative music video for the Presidents of the United States of America, for their Australian single “Some Postman”. This is the first music video in the world to be shot using mobile... Apple Inc. ... iTunes is a digital media player application, introduced by Apple Computer on January 10, 2001 at Macworld Expo in San Francisco,[1] for playing and organizing digital music and video files. ...

External links

• The Presidents of the United States of America's official Web site
• Access All Areas.net.au, your source for the Presidents Of The United States Of America!
• Fan-created Web sites
• A Marxist Interpretation of the song "Peaches"
• Fabchannel.com - a free full length video recording of their Amsterdam show in 2005
• Fabchannel.com - another great recording, this time their 2006 concert at Paradiso, Amsterdam