Al Gore Concedes; America's Swingin'-est Anti-Bush Folk Group Does Not
More Tuneful Taunts Will Annoy Illegitimate President a Whole Lot More

December 20, 2000, AUSTIN, TEXAS -- In a way, the Publicity Seekers are happy that George Duh-bya Bush stole the presidency.

As America's Swingin'-est Anti-Bush Folk Singers and co-founders of the Georgy Bush Project website (www.georgybush.com), these lyrical lampooners are grateful to Brother Jeb, Cruella DeHarris, and the Supremely Partisan Court for prolonging the group's career for a few more years.

"We're elated that Bush will be moving into the Oval Office," said the group's lead guitarist, Erik Marr. "For the longest time, we were worried that democracy might prevail and Bush would lose. We thought our careers were over -- there isn't much of a market for parody songs about lame-duck Texas governors."

"Of course, Bush's presidency doesn't bode well for the poor, minorities, gays, the environment, public safety, economic progress, social justice, world peace, or humanity's future in general," said lead singer Leslie Wiegle. "But at least the Publicity Seekers will have a chance to be more than a very obscure footnote in the history of the 2000 election."

With their smash 1999 debut single, "Georgy Bush" (based on the Seekers' "Georgy Girl"), the Publicity Seekers were pioneers in today's anti-George W. Bush music scene. Soon enough, other talented tunesters joined them with their own brand of musical muckraking: The Austin Trio was a musical sensation throughout the nation with "N.R.A." (based on the Kingston Trio's "M.T.A."), and the Hashpipers released "Gana Dinero" (based on the folk standard "Guanatanamera," with sincerest apologies to its composers -- dead Cuban patriot Jose Marti and Bush operative Pete Seeger).

So, now that America is stuck with King George II, what's next for the Publicity Seekers and their brash brethren? "More parody songs and therefore more trouble for Bush," said J.M. Roe, owner of Solitary Confinement Studios, where many of the anti-Bush groups record.

"There is also a distinct possibility of more drinking," said engineer Tamara Cryar.

While America can't look forward to the Bush presidency, it certainly can look forward to more catchy creations from these groups in the near future. Other satirical songmeisters will soon join them. The Swinging Chads are putting the finishing touches on "Unexciting Right-Wing Zany Former Congressman Dick Cheney" (based on Brian Hyland's seminal "Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini"), and word on the streets of satire is that the Who Cares will soon release "Inauguration" (a rollicking rework of The Who's "My Generation").

In a campaign speech, Bush asked, "Is our children learning?" Perhaps a better question is, "Is Americans laughing?" Thanks to the likes of the Publicity Seekers and the Georgy Bush Project, the answer is clear: America certainly are!

A Growing Musical Genre: Anti-Bush Folk Songs
Austin Trio, Hashpipers Jump on Satirical Musical Bandwagon

March 27, 2000, AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Riding on the coattails of The Publicity Seekers' coast-to-coast smash hit, "Georgy Bush," other shining stars of the folk music world are jumping on that ol' swingin' bandwagon that is today's anti-George W. Bush folk music scene.

Based on The Seekers' "Georgy Girl," "Georgy Bush" has found its way onto the trendsetting airwaves from New York to Los Angeles. Its smash success has inspired The Austin Trio and The Hashpipers to record their own powerfully profound musical statements about the Texas governor. With their respective singles, "N.R.A." and "Gana Dinero," these happenin' groups are the hippest hit-makers in the most happenin' musical scene going down today: politically satirical (not to mention satirically political) parody songs about "Dubya" Bush.

With "N.R.A." (based on the Kingston Trio's "M.T.A."), the Austin Trio aims squarely (pun intended) at Bush's record of coddling those unapologetic lackeys for America's death merchants, the National Rifle Association. According to lead singer Ryan Hill, "Dubya's record on gun control isn't lackluster -- it's just sad. When a gunman went on a shooting spree and killed several people in a Ft. Worth church, did Bush fight for stronger gun control? Of course not! He blamed it on a 'wave of evil' and went merrily on his way, hippity-hopping down the campaign trail.

"You wanna see evil, Georgy Boy?" Hill continued, picking up a shotgun and pointing it at his talented young bandmates, Jonathan Roe and Tim Wilson. "This is evil, Governor Dubya. This is evil...And you are evil." (Ironically, Roe and Wilson have their whole lives ahead of them, like far too many victims of America's other happenin' scene -- gun violence.)

The starry-eyed songters behind "Gana Dinero" are the Hashpipers, featuring classically trained lead singer Emilio Bernstein, talented vocalists Don Clinchy and Kelli Hardin, and guitarist Erik Marr. "Gana Dinero," ("He Gets Money," based on the long-cherished Spanish folk song "Guantanamera") purveys the Pipers' poignant perspective on Bush's laughable attempt to connect with Hispanic voters by speaking Spanish to them. "Bush claims to be bilingual. I guess means that he can lie about his record in two languages," said Bernstein. "If Bush is an amigo to the Hispanics, I'm a major contributor to the Republican Party."

"N.R.A." and "Gana Dinero" join "Georgy Bush" on The Georgy Bush Project website. (Free downloads are available at www.georgybush.com.) An Austin, Texas-based anti-Bush group, The Georgy Bush Project is dedicated to annoying the governor throughout his campaign. The group's goal, according to president Bradley Von Ripptrapp, is to remind Bush why he believes "there ought to be limits to freedom."

Groovy Austin Folk Group Releases "Georgy Bush" Song Parody
Tuneful Taunt Will Annoy Texas Governor a Whole Lot

July 25, 1999, AUSTIN, TEXAS -- The Publicity Seekers have got it made. With their debut single, "Georgy Bush," they've created just about the biggest and best sound coming out of today's anti-George W. Bush folk music scene.

What's their secret? Their sensational sound is a blend of superb musicianship, a talent for picking just the right song, and, above all, unrepentant impudence. A little thing called the First Amendment also helps. This groovy group's lead singer, Leslie Wiegle, put it this way: "We really don't like the governor, and we don't care if he doesn't like us, either. 'Georgy Bush' is our way of exercising our right to free speech. Some people are pyromaniacs, so they burn flags. We're musicians, so we make music."

The Publicity Seekers came to be when lyricist and vocalist Don Clinchy was listening to the radio and heard everyone痴 favorite mid-sixties folk/pop movie theme song, "Georgy Girl," by The Seekers. According to Don, "I started singing along in the car, and then I thought, 'Hey, there, Georgy Girl...Hey there, Georgy Bush!' And the rest of the lyrics just fell into place. Can't you see ol' Georgy swingin' round the country fancy free, boppin' from fundraiser to fundraiser?"

Don showed the lyrics to a few of his friends (all musician-types, you know) and the group knew they had something special on their hands. They became The Publicity Seekers, and when they first played the song together, the result was like Wowsville! As vocalist Ryan Hill said, "'Georgy Bush' has a really happenin' sound." Indeed it does -- not to mention those happenin' lyrics about all the bad things that are happenin' in politics these days.

Aside from Leslie, Don, and Ryan, this sensational group includes J.M. Roe on bass and percussion, guitarist Erik Marr, keyboardist Erol Caglarcan, and Dipu Bhattacharya on violin. Tamara Cryar's engineering gives the group its distinctive sound, and webmaster extraordinaire Kelly Holmes makes sure the group can sing out to the world. ("Georgy Bush" is available for download at www.georgybush.com.)

The Publicity Seekers hope to take "Georgy Bush" all the way to the top. And one thing's for certain about these talented young people from Austin -- they're bound to remind Gov. Bush why he believes "there ought to be limits to freedom"!