Richard Cheese

Years active2000–presentLabelsCoverage Records (current), Surfdog, OglioMembersRichard Cheese (Mark Jonathan Davis)
Bobby Ricotta (Noel Melanio)
Frank Feta (Brian Fishler)
Billy Bleu (Ron Belcher)Websiterichardcheese.com

Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine (or simply Richard Cheese) is a cover band and comedy act, performing popular songs in a lounge/swing style. Lounge singer Richard Cheese is a character created and portrayed by Los Angeles–based actor/comedian/singer Mark Jonathan Davis.

History

Davis developed the Richard Cheese lounge singer idea in the mid-1990s.^{[citation needed]} The band's work was first broadcast in 2000 by KROQ-FM and the Dr. Demento show.^[1]

Releases

The band's debut album Lounge Against the Machine was released in 2000 by Oglio Records.^[2] Cheese's second and third albums, Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin were independently released in 2002 and 2004 by Cheese's own label, Ideatown Entertainment (later renamed to Coverage Records).^{[citation needed]} From 2004 to 2006, Surfdog Records released three Richard Cheese CDs: Aperitif for Destruction, a studio album, Silent Nightclub, a collection of songs tangentially related to the holiday season, and The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese, which included newly re-recorded versions of six covers plus three new covers. Surfdog also re-released the Richard Cheese albums Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin on their label.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning in 2007, the band returned to releasing its own albums through its independent Coverage Records label: Dick at Nite, Viva La Vodka: Richard Cheese Live, OK Bartender, A Lounge Supreme, Live at the Royal Wedding and its companion behind-the-scenes album The Royal Baby Album, Back in Black Tie, and a Christmas album, Cocktails with Santa.^{[citation needed]} Cheese released a studio album on CD titled Licensed to Spill in 2017, and a greatest hits digital compilation titled Lord of the Swings: The Best of Richard Cheese, Volume 2 in 2018. In 2019, the band released Richard Cheese's Big Swingin' Organ, an album of instrumental organ versions of nine of their songs. Also, in 2019 it released a one-track parody album titled Richard Cheese: Live on Titan which satirized the ending of the motion picture Avengers: Infinity War.^{[citation needed]} A studio album titled Numbers Of The Beast was released digitally on July 31, 2020, and another studio album titled Big Cheese Energy was released digitally on February 26, 2021.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2000, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine band has released 28 albums.^{[citation needed]}

Film work

Richard Cheese's cover of Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" was featured in the 2004 Zack Snyder-directed remake of Dawn of the Dead.^[3] In 2016, the band had two songs in the motion picture Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and released a one-track parody album called Live at Wayne Financial Tower in which the band's performance is cut short by Superman's heat vision.^[3] Warner Bros. hired the band to perform and appear as animated LEGO mini-figs in the 2017 film The Lego Batman Movie.^[3] In May 2021, Snyder's Army of the Dead movie featured Richard Cheese singing the opening song "Viva Las Vegas" in a duet with Allison Crowe.^[3]

The character of Richard Cheese appeared in the Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, released in February 2021..^[3]

Band members

As of 2015 the lineup of the Lounge Against the Machine band was:

• Richard Cheese – vocals
• Bobby Ricotta – piano, keyboards
• Frank Feta – drums, percussion
• Billy Bleu – upright bass, bass

The names are all pseudonyms that refer to types of cheese (ricotta, feta, bleu).^[1]

The role of pianist and musical director Bobby Ricotta is currently^[when?] played by Noel Melanio. The band's first drummer Buddy Gouda was played by Todd LaValley, and then by Charles Byler. Byler left the band in 2004; he was replaced by Brian Fishler and the drummer's stage name was changed to Frank Feta. The current bass player, Billy Bleu, is portrayed by Ron Belcher.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

All self-released as Coverage Records except where noted.

Studio albums and singles

• Lounge Against the Machine (2000) (Oglio Records)^[4]
• Tuxicity (2003) (Surfdog Records)^{[4] [A]}
• Aperitif for Destruction (2005) (Surfdog Records)^[4]
• Silent Nightclub (2006) (Surfdog Records)^[4]
• I'd Like a Virgin (2006) (Surfdog Records)^{[4] [B]}
• Dick at Nite (2007)^[4]
• Viva la Vodka (2009)^[4]
• OK Bartender^[4] (2010)^[5]
• Lavapalooza^[4] (2010)^{[citation needed]} (as Richard Cheese presents Johnny Aloha)
• Richard Cheese: Live at the Royal Wedding^[4] (2011)^{[citation needed]}
• Cocktails with Santa^[4]
• A Lounge Supreme^[4] (2011)^{[citation needed]}
• Back in Black Tie^[4] (2012)^{[citation needed]}
• The Lounge Awakens^[4] (2015)^{[citation needed]}
• Supermassive Black Tux^[4] (2015)^{[citation needed]}
• Bakin' at the Boulder [Live at the Boulder Theater]^[4] (2015)^{[citation needed]}
• Licensed to Spill^[4] (2017)^{[citation needed]}
• The Royal Baby Album^[4]
• Richard Cheese's Big Swingin' Organ!^[4] (2019)^{[citation needed]}
• Numbers of the Beast^[4] (2020)^[6]
• Big Cheese Energy (2021)^[7]
• Snappier Than Ever: The Original Songs (2021)
• Besame Queso (2022)
• Pussy Party (2022)
• Live From Hollywood (2023)

Compilation albums

• The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese (2006) (Surfdog Records)^[4]
• Hail to the Cheese: Richard Cheese's All-American Greatest Hits (digital only) (2012)^{[citation needed]}
• Down With the Dickness: Richard Cheese's Dirtiest Greatest Hits (digital only) (2012)^{[citation needed]}
• Lord of the Swings: The Best of Richard Cheese, Vol. 2 (digital only)^[4] (2018)^{[citation needed]}

Film soundtracks

• Dawn of the Dead Down with the Sickness (2004, Universal)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Night and Day, first meeting of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent (2016, Warner Bros.)
• The Lego Batman Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017, Warner Bros.)
• Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar Soundtrack (2021, Milan/Sony)
• Army of the Dead Soundtrack (2021, Milan/Sony)

Charts

• The Sunny Side of the Moon – No. 9 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, March 17, 2006^[8]
• OK Bartender – No. 15 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, April 9, 2010^[5]
• Numbers of the Beast – No. 6 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, August 15, 2020^[6]
• Big Cheese Energy – No. 10 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, March 13, 2021^[7]

See also

• The Lounge Kittens, an English comedy band who performed rock and heavy metal songs in a lounge music style.
• Black Velvet Flag, an American trio who performed punk rock songs in a lounge music style.
• Frank Bennett, an Australian jazz singer who recorded several big band arrangements of popular songs.

References