The Deep Freeze Mice
Encyclopedia
The Deep Freeze Mice were an English
New Wave
band that were active between 1979 and 1989. They were based in Leicester
, and consisted of the core members Alan Jenkins (guitar
s and singing), Sherree Lawrence (organ
and other keyboards
), and Mick Bunnage
(bass guitar
). The band had two different drummers over the years: Graham Summers and Pete Gregory.
The band released 10 albums during their existence on their own labels: from 1979 to 1983 on Mole Embalming Records, from 1983 to 1989 on Cordelia Records. Their music was odd, often consisting of absurd
and surreal
lyrics delivered in Alan's deadpan
voice accompanied by bouncy pop
/progressive rock
music. Favoured lyrical concerns included animal rights
, conformity
, and science fiction
.
Alan Jenkins was also a member of The Chrysanthemums
in the late 1980s, and joined up with members of Po!
and The Ammonites in Jody & The Creams (later as "Alan Jenkins & The Creams") and Ruth's Refrigerator
. He has played guitar with The Thurston Lava Tube
since 2001.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band that were active between 1979 and 1989. They were based in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, and consisted of the core members Alan Jenkins (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and singing), Sherree Lawrence (organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and other keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), and Mick Bunnage
Mick Bunnage
Mick Bunnage is a cartoonist, journalist, comedy writer and was formerly the bass guitarist of The Deep Freeze Mice. He is the co-creator of the Modern Toss comic, which was also turned into a TV series by Channel 4...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
). The band had two different drummers over the years: Graham Summers and Pete Gregory.
The band released 10 albums during their existence on their own labels: from 1979 to 1983 on Mole Embalming Records, from 1983 to 1989 on Cordelia Records. Their music was odd, often consisting of absurd
Absurd
Absurd or The Absurd may refer to:* Absurdity, general and technical usage - associated with extremely poor reasoning, the ridiculous, or nonsense....
and surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
lyrics delivered in Alan's deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
voice accompanied by bouncy pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
/progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
music. Favoured lyrical concerns included animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
, conformity
Conformity
Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people.Conformity may also refer to:*Conformity: A Tale, a novel by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna...
, and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
Alan Jenkins was also a member of The Chrysanthemums
The Chrysanthemums (band)
The Chrysanthemums were an English pop group active between 1987 and 1998. The project began as a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist Terry Burrows and Alan Jenkins, the leader of The Deep Freeze Mice. The first releases were performed in the studio by Burrows and Jenkins alone...
in the late 1980s, and joined up with members of Po!
Po!
Po! was an indie rock band formed in Leicester, England in 1987, with releases dating up to 1998 on Rutland Records.-History:Po! was originally formed by Ruth Miller , with Julian Glover and Mark Fuccio . Usually subsumed under the C86 or twee pop headings - which is not essentially to...
and The Ammonites in Jody & The Creams (later as "Alan Jenkins & The Creams") and Ruth's Refrigerator
Ruth's Refrigerator
Ruth's Refrigerator were a psychedelic rock/indie pop band from Leicester, England, formed in 1990 as a collaboration between guitarist/songwriter Alan Jenkins , singer/guitarist Ruth Miller and bassist Terri Lowe , keyboardist Blodwyn P. Teabag, and drummer Robyn Gibson...
. He has played guitar with The Thurston Lava Tube
The Thurston Lava Tube
This article is about a musical ensemble. For information on the lava tube of the same name, please see Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.The Thurston Lava Tube is a psychedelic, experimental surf instrumental band from Leicester, England....
since 2001.
Discography
- My Geraniums are Bulletproof (1979)
- Teenage Head in My Refrigerator (1981)
- The Gates of Lunch (1982)
- Saw a Ranch House Burning Last Night (1983)
- I Love You Little Bo Bo with Your Delicate Golden Lions (double L.P.) (1984)
- These Floors Are Smooth (7" single) (1985)
- Hang on Constance, Let Me Hear the News (EP) (1985)
- Neuron Music (12" EP) (1986)
- Live in Switzerland (1986)
- War, Famine, Death, Pestilence and Miss Timberlake (1987)
- Rain Is When the Earth is Television (1987)
- The Tender Yellow Ponies of Insomnia (1988)