Kudos to You!

When other bands in the rainy environs of the Pacific Northwest were writing heavy songs about the struggle of post-adolescence and reaping big record contracts and rewards for doing so, the future members of The Presidents of the United States of America watched from the sidelines. Then in 1993, Chris Ballew, Dave Dederer, and Love Battery drummer Jason Finn came together and quickly created the hilarious silliness and poignant cheekiness that provided a much-needed counterpoint. Though they recorded their debut album for a small indie label, Columbia Records came sniffing and rereleased their album to great success. In 2013, with Andrew McKeag replacing Dederer, the band reached their goal to fan-finance their new album in nine days. So the “full-time part-timers” went into the studio and came out with these tight, precise pop songs that reflect all the finest aspects of the group. Their signature low-end sound (learned from the late Mark Sandman of Morphine), brilliant harmonies, and silly-to-semi-serious lyrics all appear in highlights such as “Slow Slow Fly,” “Crown Victoria,” and the manic “Ohio,” where the power trio turn up the power.