The Presidents of the United States of America Artistfacts

The Presidents of the United States of America song list

The Presidents of the United States of America Artistfacts

1993–2016
Chris BallewLead vocals, bassitar
Dave DedererGuitbass1993–2005
Jason FinnDrums
Andrew McKeagGuitbass2006-2016
The Presidents Of The United States Of America formed in Seattle during the grunge explosion. They were influenced by Nirvana, but took a very different approach lyrically, writing songs with lots of levity. They described their sound as "funge" - grunge, but fun.
Chris Ballew carried the low end with a guitar fitted with just two strings, and Dave Dederer played one with just three strings. They called these contraptions a "basitar" and a "guitbass." Drummer Jason Finn was also handicapped with a much smaller kit than most rock drummers would use.

This gave them a signature sound and accentuated the vocals. Creatively, it worked well for Ballew, who told Songfacts: "One of the beautiful things about playing a 2-string is, you can take the Buzzcocks, Kiss, The Beatles, Boston, and Steve Miller and put them all through the 2-string and it sounds fresh. I can wear my my influences on my sleeve and still feel like I'm being original."
The band made a big impact in 1995 with their first major-label album, which contained the hits "Peaches," "Kitty," and "Lump." Their next one didn't do nearly as well, and they got burned out from the constant touring and promotion. In 1997 they announced their split, but still landed two big placements with cover songs: Their version of "Video Killed The Radio Star" appeared in the movie The Wedding Singer, and their version of "Cleveland Rocks" became the theme song to The Drew Carey Show.

The band returned to action in 2000, when they released their third album, but they kept a much lighter schedule. In 2016, they announced on Facebook that they have "retired from the PUSA business since we are OLD PEOPLE NOW!"
The band name is intentionally grandiose, intended to contrast with their stripped-down musical approach. They wanted to give the impression that they were trying really hard, getting the most out of their austere instruments.

It got annoying when they would show up for interviews at radio stations and be asked to do goofy election-related stunts, but it also opened up some opportunities. On Presidents' Day 1996, MTV gave them 30 minutes of airtime to play a concert in front of Mount Rushmore.
As a Seattle band in the mid-'90s, they got a lot of interest from record companies looking to sign them. The final two contenders were Columbia Records and Maverick, Madonna's label. They went with Columbia but at a meeting with Maverick they got some great advice from Madonna. "The advice was, don't be discouraged if you are never given any respect for the craft of what you're doing," Ballew told Songfacts. "Because you're very good at your craft, but it's fun music and it's funny, and nobody respects the fact that it takes craft to make something that is fun, so people will just pigeonhole you and put you in a very one-dimensional context."
Presidents Of The United States Of America earned two Grammy nominations, first in 1995 with their debut album for Best Alternative Music Performance, then in 1996 when "Peaches" earned them a nomination for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. The first award they lost to Nirvana (MTV Unplugged In New York); the second they lost to The Beatles ("Free As A Bird").
Chris Ballew is a very popular kids entertainer, recording and performing under the name Caspar Babypants since 2009.

Comments: 1

SixteanineBallew is legit good as Caspar Babypants. Check out Stompy the Bear, Mister Rabbit, and Stump Hotel. A bit of a "There Might Be Giants" vibe but without the underlying insanity.

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