Of Great and Mortal Men "James Monroe: The Last Cocked Hat feat. Marla Hansen"

• Words: Bryant Rutledge
• Label: Standard

The idea behind Standard Recording Co's latest release came about due to "February Album Writing Month," in which songwriters were challenged to create 14 songs in 28 days. Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken, and Jefferson Pitcher ended up writing 42, each one dedicated to a U.S. president. When it came time to compile Of Great & Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 Presidencies, the only person left to cover was Dubya. The three-disc release sees contributions from Xiu Xiu, Califone, and Wooden Wand, and come January, the boys will compose a tune for our 44th president. Start with this slow, country-flavored number about our fifth president, James Monroe.