Rahul Sharma (Editor)

The Mice (band)

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Active until
  
1988

Members
  
Bill Fox

Active from
  
1985

The Mice (band) wwwscatrecordscomimagesmicejpg

Albums
  
For Almost Ever Scooter, For Almost Ever

Record labels
  
Scat Records, Herb Jackson Records

Similar
  
Death of Samantha, Doug Gillard, Cobra Verde, My Dad Is Dead, Superchunk

The Mice were a young Cleveland-based power-pop trio active in the mid-80s. Brothers Bill Fox and Tommy Fox played with Bill's high school friends and performed music in various minor and untitled lineups. Together with a friend who would not end up in the band's final lineup, two recordings were made which appeared on a self-released ("Mouse Tunes") 500-copy 7" single, Can You Walk on the Water Baby?. An ad was placed in the newspaper that read closely to "Mice seek bassist. No metalheads!" and after the responses came in, Fox chose bassist Ken Hall to complete the trio's lineup. An EP was made on the Herb Jackson Record label called For Almost Ever, recorded in 1985, containing the song "Not Proud of the USA", which would receive considerable airplay on freeform station WFMU during the Bush presidential administration. The EP was followed up a year later with the full-length LP entitled Scooter on the St. Valentine record label. Scooter was also released in the UK on the What Goes On label.

Contents

The Mice played numerous Cleveland venues, performing a mix of their own songs as well as covers from The Who, The Beatles, The Ramones, and others. After touring the Midwest, they broke up when lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Bill Fox left the band, leaving behind the half-finished Canterbury Bells LP (which never saw a release) and canceling plans for a European tour.

In 2004, Scat Records released a reissue CD called For Almost Ever Scooter, which compiled together the two Mice professional releases, the For Almost Ever EP and the Scooter LP. The reissue CD was supposed to include the nine completed songs from the Canterbury Bells LP and selections of a live performance from Cleveland radio WRUW's Live in Cleveland show, but the extra material was taken out at the last minute at the band's request.

The Mice song "Bye Bye Kitty Cat" was covered by Superchunk on a 2014 Merge reissue of Indoor Living.

Singles

  • Can You Walk on the Water Baby? / Little Creatures (Self-released Mouse Tunes, 1984)
  • Split 7"

  • Little Rage (The Mice) / House Fall Down (Yo La Tengo) (What Goes On Records, 1987)
  • EPs

  • For Almost Ever (Herb Jackson, 1985)
  • Albums

  • Scooter (St. Valentine Records, 1986)
  • Compilations

  • For Almost Ever Scooter (Scat Records, 2004)
  • Compilation Contributions

  • Jim Clevo Presents - Listen (cassette compilation, Label Unknown, 1987)
  • Songs

    Not Proud of the USAFor Almost Ever Scooter · 2004
    Little RageFor Almost Ever Scooter · 2004
    Bye Bye Kitty CatFor Almost Ever Scooter · 2004

    References

    The Mice (band) Wikipedia