Dewey Defeats Truman

Taking a stab at the media and its propensity to distort reality, San Diego indie rockers Dewey Defeats Truman made their band the namesake of the famous Chicago Tribune headline. After their previous band, Red Dye No. 5, broke up, James Reader (bass, vocals), and drummer Scott Frazier joined Mark MacBride (guitar, vocals) in 1997. Frustrated with a lack of places for an independent band to play in a mainstream city, the band began scheduling road trips around their day jobs. In 2000, Dewey Defeats Truman collected the best of recordings done over three years and, with its wry sense of humor, released its debut album, B-sides, Rarities and Out-Takes with the small San Diego label, Silver Girl Records. Although the album contained only legit recordings, the gag did work on some members of the band's favorite target -- the media. ~ Ron DePasquale