Have you heard of Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken, or Jefferson Pitcher? I certainly haven't. But regardless of who they are, the three songwriters have taken on a Herculean task, and that merits some further investigation. The trio has composed a song for each American president, from Washington through what's-his-name and recorded all of them on a three-disc set. Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 Presidencies (Standard Recording Co.) will be available September 9.

The set features collaborations with a number of better-known artists, including Mark Kozelek, Califone, Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart, Smog's Bill Callahan, and the dude from Cake. Some of the tracks sound pretty promising, with names like "There Was No Longer Use To Hide The Fact That It Was Gout," for Taft, "2 Under Par Off the Coast of Africa," for Nixon.

What happens, you ask, when our 44th president is elected? Never fear, Kiefer, Gerken, and Pitcher will pen a new song once he's elected and make it available for download in November.
06.17.08