Richard Cheese
Cover band performing popular songs in lounge/swing style.
Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine is a comedy cover band that reworks popular songs into lounge and swing arrangements. The lounge singer persona of Richard Cheese is a character played by Mark Jonathan Davis, a Los Angeles actor, comedian, and singer. Davis previously served as Director of Comedy Network Programming for Premiere Networks and first came up with the lounge singer concept in the mid-1990s. The band's material debuted on the radio in 2000, airing on KROQ-FM and the Dr. Demento show. Since then, they have put out 27 albums.
The debut album, *Lounge Against the Machine*, came out in 2000 on Oglio Records. Two more albums—*Tuxicity* (2002) and *I'd Like a Virgin* (2004)—were released independently on Davis's own label, Ideatown Entertainment, later renamed Coverage Records. Between 2005 and 2006, Surfdog Records issued three Richard Cheese albums: the studio record *Aperitif for Destruction*, the holiday-themed *Silent Nightclub*, and the compilation *The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese*, which included six newly recorded versions of older covers plus four new studio tracks. Surfdog also re-released *Tuxicity* and *I'd Like a Virgin* under its own imprint. Starting in 2007, the band returned to self-releasing albums through Coverage Records.
The band's music has appeared in several films. A cover of Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" was featured in Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of *Dawn of the Dead*. In 2016, one song was used in *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice*, and the band released a one-track parody album titled *Live at Wayne Financial Tower*, where the performance is interrupted by Superman's heat vision. Warner Bros. included the band as animated LEGO mini-figures in *The Lego Batman Movie* (2017). The Richard Cheese character appeared in the 2021 comedy *Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar*, and in May 2021, Snyder's *Army of the Dead* featured Cheese singing "Viva Las Vegas" as a duet with Allison Crowe.
As of 2015, the band's lineup consisted of Richard Cheese on vocals, Bobby Ricotta on piano and keyboards, Frank Feta on drums and percussion, and Billy Bleu on upright bass. All these names are pseudonyms referencing types of cheese. The pianist and musical director Bobby Ricotta is played by Noel Melanio. The band's first drummer, Buddy Gouda, was portrayed by Todd LaValley, then by Charles Byler.
Quick Facts
- Background
- group_or_band
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Genre
- Lounge / comedy / swing revival
- Years Active
- 2000–present
- Label
- Coverage Records (current), Surfdog, Oglio
- Current Members
- Richard Cheese (Mark Jonathan Davis) / Bobby Ricotta (Noel Melanio) / Frank Feta (Brian Fishler) / Billy Bleu (Ron Belcher)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mark Jonathan Davis, who performs as Richard Cheese, previously worked as Director of Comedy Network Programming for Premiere Networks. He developed the Richard Cheese lounge singer idea in the mid-1990s. The band's debut album, Lounge Against the Machine, was released in 2000 by Oglio Records. Subsequent albums Tuxicity (2002) and I'd Like a Virgin (2004) were independently released on Davis's own label, Ideatown Entertainment (later renamed Coverage Records). From 2005 to 2006, Surfdog Records released three Richard Cheese CDs: Aperitif for Destruction, Silent Nightclub, and The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese, which included re-recorded versions of six covers plus four new studio recordings. Surfdog also re-released Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin. Beginning in 2007, the band returned to self-releasing albums through Coverage Records.
Reader's Guide
Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine gained recognition for transforming well-known songs into lounge/swing arrangements, often with comedic effect. Their cover of Disturbed's 'Down with the Sickness' was featured in the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. The band appeared in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with two songs and released a parody album, Live at Wayne Financial Tower. Warner Bros. included the band as animated LEGO mini-figs in The Lego Batman Movie (2017). The character appeared in the 2021 film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and in May 2021, Richard Cheese sang 'Viva Las Vegas' in a duet with Allison Crowe for Army of the Dead. Several of their albums charted on the Billboard Comedy Album Chart, including The Sunny Side of the Moon (No. 9, 2006), OK Bartender (No. 15, 2010), Numbers of the Beast (No. 6, 2020), and Big Cheese Energy (No. 10, 2021). The band's legacy lies in its sustained output of comedic lounge covers and appearances in major film soundtracks.
The Birth of a Lounge Persona
Mark Jonathan Davis, a Los Angeles-based actor, comedian, and singer, conceived the Richard Cheese character in the mid-1990s. Before creating his lounge-singer alter ego, Davis had built a career in television, serving as Director of Comedy Network Programming for Premiere Networks. That behind-the-scenes experience in comedy programming likely sharpened his sense of timing and audience, qualities that would later define the character's smooth, unhurried delivery. The concept was straightforward yet effective: take well-known popular songs and rework them into a swing-inflected lounge style, performed by a singer who treats every rock anthem as though it were a 1960s supper-club standard. The idea first reached a wider audience in 2000, when KROQ-FM and the long-running Dr. Demento radio show broadcast recordings of the act. That initial airplay set the stage for what would become a prolific career spanning nearly three decades of albums, live performances, and high-profile film placements.
A Prolific Catalog and a Shifting Label Landscape
Since 2000, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine has released 28 albums, a remarkable output for a comedy act. The debut, Lounge Against the Machine, came out in 2000 on Oglio Records. The second and third records, Tuxicity (2002) and I'd Like a Virgin (2004), were issued independently through Davis's own label, Ideatown Entertainment, which was later renamed Coverage Records. Between 2005 and 2006, Surfdog Records took over distribution, releasing three new CDs—Aperitif for Destruction, the holiday-tinged Silent Nightclub, and the compilation The Sunny Side of the Moon—while also reissuing Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin. From 2007 onward, Davis returned to self-releasing through Coverage Records, and the catalog has grown steadily ever since, reaching as far as Blue No Matter Who in 2024. Several albums have charted on the Billboard Comedy Album list, with Numbers of the Beast peaking at number six in 2020.
From Blockbuster Soundtracks to LEGO Mini-Figs
Richard Cheese's lounge covers have found their way into some of the most unexpected cinematic contexts. In 2004, the band's rendition of Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" appeared in Zack Snyder's remake of Dawn of the Dead. A full decade later, two of their songs scored the 2016 superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the band also released a one-track parody album, Live at Wayne Financial Tower, in which their performance is abruptly cut short by Superman's heat vision. Warner Bros. went a step further in 2017 by including the band as animated LEGO mini-figures in The Lego Batman Movie. In 2021, the Richard Cheese character appeared in the Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and Snyder's Army of the Dead featured the act singing "Viva Las Vegas" in a duet with Allison Crowe. These appearances span horror, superhero spectacle, animation, and indie comedy, underscoring the character's genre-defying appeal.
The Cheese-Named Band and Its Shifting Lineup
The Lounge Against The Machine band operates under a charming naming convention: every member's stage name references a type of cheese. Richard Cheese handles vocals, Bobby Ricotta plays piano and keyboards, Frank Feta covers drums and percussion, and Billy Bleu takes upright bass. The real musicians behind these pseudonyms have changed over the years. The pianist and musical director role of Bobby Ricotta is currently filled by Noel Melanio. The drum chair has seen the most turnover: the original Buddy Gouda was played by Todd LaValley, then Charles Byler, who departed in 2004. Brian Fishler stepped in next, and the stage name was changed to Frank Feta. Bassist Billy Bleu is portrayed by Ron Belcher. As of 2015, this four-piece configuration represented the core of the act, a tight ensemble that translates popular songs into the lounge and swing aesthetic that defines the Richard Cheese sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Richard Cheese?
Richard Cheese is the comedic lounge-singer persona of an American comedy band that rearranges well-known pop and rock hits into smooth jazz and swing styles. The character is performed by Mark Jonathan Davis, a Los Angeles-based actor and comedian.
What makes Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine different from a typical cover band?
Rather than simply replicating the original recordings, the group reimagines each song as if it were a 1960s lounge or big-band arrangement, complete with Davis's theatrical deadpan delivery. The humor comes from the absurd contrast between the source track and the polished, over-the-top swing presentation.
How did the band get its start?
Davis conceived the lounge-singer concept in the mid-1990s, and the material first hit the airwaves around 2000 on KROQ-FM and the Dr. Demento radio show. That early radio exposure launched what has since become an ongoing touring and recording career.
How much music has Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine released?
Since their debut album *Lounge Against the Machine*, the group has put out 27 albums of lounge and swing reworkings. Their active career spans from 2000 to the present.
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