Song of the Day 2/17: The Presidents of the United States of America, “Volcano”

Hey, it’s Presidents Day, so who better to play at the party? PUSA, like virtually all ’90s alt-rock bands, made a splash with its debut in 1995, then quickly faded from view. The songs on their second album, released the next year, were more structured than their earlier shambolic singles (“Peaches,” “Lump”), and by the next year the record company was cashing in with rarities and greatest hits releases. PUSA disbanded in 2015, but they left behind this one power-pop gem from their second album, “II.”

I don’t know what happened to the plan to release this as a single. They chose it for their live late-night TV shot with Conan O’Brien in early 1997, with Max Weinberg sitting in for the group’s ailing drummer.