Catching up with the Deedle Deedle Dees

Miller takes youngsters on a musical time trip.

Don’t let their silly name fool you—the Deedle Deedle Dees have a serious goal: to celebrate unsung historical heroes. The Brooklyn-based pop-rock quartet, whose members take their stage monikers from famous folk, has always crooned kooky educational tunes. But its third, as-yet-untitled CD, scheduled for release at the end of October, is its first all-American-history album. While youngsters may or may not recognize the figures mentioned in the songs—Amelia Earhart and John Muir are among those name-checked—“the details of their tales are under-told,” says history buff and father-of-two Lloyd Miller, a.k.a. Ulysses S. Dee. Lead singer Miller, along with fellow band members Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Anand Mukherjee, test-drove new material at public-school concerts. “There’d be, like, 600 kids, and we’d come out, some dorks in ties, and have to win them over,” Miller says. “It’s surprising how many badass-looking kids come up to us and say things like, ‘I like that music, mister. Can I have an autograph?’”

To complement the album, the Dees are shooting a handful of music videos this fall—with the help of their littlest fans. Tots will get to star in footage that backs numbers like “Little Red Airplane” in kid-friendly locales in Brooklyn. Check the band’s website, thedeedledeedledees.com, for more info. It’s the perfect way to go down in (Deedle Deedle Dee) history.—Raven Snook

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