Forget about Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and Ross Perot.
Tuesday is The Presidents Of The United States Of America's day.
The Seattle trio, who delivered last year's infinitely hummable hits Lump and Peaches via their self-titled debut album, release their follow up album II this U.S. Election Day.
Music fans will then determine whether or not the incumbent hitmakers will be a one-term administration.
Enough politi-speak. Presidents Of The United States Of America singer and "bassitarist" Chris Ballew is happy just to be in politics -- er -- music.
"It's just a happy coincidence," says Ballew, who's more impressed by the fact that Tuesday is also Guy Fawkes Day, named for the 18th Century revolutionary who unsuccessfully tried to blow up English Parliament. "This was the earliest we could get our record out before Christmas."
The speedy arrival of II comes a mere eight months after the Presidents' debut peaked in the Top Ten. Ballew is unconcerned with equalling that album's success.
"We've achieved so much more than I'd ever imagined that it's irrelevant," he says. "I wrote songs my whole life without anything akin to traditional success, but was very fulfilled. Even if II sinks and we get dropped, I'll still be a musician.
"Like the Fun Loving Criminals say, `I'd rather be rich than famous.'"
And thanks to the Presidents' knack for oddball hits, rich they are.
"I haven't even absorbed the fact that our first album has sold four million copies worldwide," says Ballew.
Still, the band's mission was always to make light, catchy, sarcastic songs custom built for mass consumption.
The joke was lost on some critics, who felt the Presidents brought an unwelcome banality to rock -- as if it wasn't there in the first place.
"What's the point, otherwise?" says Ballew. "We want to write good songs that we enjoy playing. Our personalities dictate that we write silly, celebrational style rock 'n' roll."
Ballew admits that II has a bigger rock sound than its predecessor, although the group haven't abandoned their highly practical two and three-stringed guitars.
"We've spent the past year on tour, honing our sound and getting used to our limitations and capabilities with these intruments," he says. "We end up playing the same thing a lot. It's like how James Brown's band used to all play the same pattern so you'd get this big, overwhelming sense that it's all going in the same direction."
Ballew's trademark, stream-of-conscience wordplay is also fleshed out enough to trick the listener into thinking it's more than nonsense verse.
"Nothing is intentional," Ballew says. "I just paint a picture and any context that the lyrics take on is an afterthought.
"Our music doesn't lend itself to over-analysis."
Which is why II only took a month to make.
"We could make a record a year," says Ballew. "It just makes sense from a creative standpoint to keep it moving.
"We run a business," he adds with a sigh. "Putting creativity and fun first creates good business.
"When we don't have anything more to say, we'll make one every four years."
