Presidents of the United States of America
employed a bit of synergy on Election Day 2004, releasing lovingly remastered, expanded editions of their 1995 debut and the 2000 LP
Freaked Out and Small
. It was the debut that blew up originally, positing
the Presidents
in the midst of the mid-'90s
grunge
explosion with singles like
"Peaches,"
"Lump,"
and
"Kitty."
With their modified lineup -- vocalist
Chris Ballew
played a "basitar," while cohort
Dave Dederer
rocked the "guitbass" --
PUSA
couldn't create the thick sonics of their fellow Seattle grungers. But their quirky take on
punk-pop
did help expand the palette of
MTV
and alternative radio, and make their oddball singles part of the enduring sound of the era. This expanded edition arrives via
Ballew
,
Dederer
, and drummer
Jason Finn
's own
imprint. It includes the original album in its entirety, as well as 12 bonus tracks and demos dating from the same era. (And mindset, as
"Carolyn's Booty"
proves. "I caught a glimpse of Carolyn's booty/As she was going from the bathroom into my bedroom....")
Presidents
fans will dig the demos, especially. Taken from
's four-track cassette demos, they're a gloriously weird jumble of muffled
Mellow Gold
-era
Beckisms
(
"Stranger"
"Boll Weevil,"
particularly) and the kind of loopy humor that would bloom on
itself. If that's not enough bonus material, this "Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary" edition includes a "Super Bonus Thrillpack DVD," with videos, live material, and commentary from the band. Vote yes on
! ~ Johnny Loftus