Mika Miko was an American band formed in 2003 in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. In 2004, they gained local popularity for their frenetic live performances. Featuring Victor Fandgore (Jennifer Clavin), Jet Blanca (Jenna Thornhill), Michelle Suarez, Jessica Clavin, and Jon Erik Edrosa, the original line up of the band made its first demo

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, its first 7" record, and toured the West Coast extensively before replacing their original drummer with Kate Hall and embarking on their first national tour in the summer of 2005. Also in 2005, they were featured on two compilations released by Los Angeles–based

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, produced their first two self-released cassettes, and two members of the band appeared on the

Hawnay Troof Hawnay Troof is an American Electronic music, electronic Indie rock, indie band formed in late 2001. Despite the band's American punk and electronic background, many elements of pop music, pop, dance-punk, electronica, soul music, soul, noise ...

EP, ''Community''. Their first full-length album was co-released by Post Present Medium and

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in the summer of 2006. A second pressing on vinyl was later released by

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based label Deleted Art. In August 2006, the band appeared on the cover of ''

Maximum Rocknroll ''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly online zine of punk subculture and radio show of punk music. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and ...

'', alongside an interview and photoshoot by Vice Cooler. In July 2006, they were featured i
''ANP Quarterly''
Members of the band appeared in the film '' 40 Bands/80 Minutes!'', released in 2006. The band was featured in the Static section of Punk Planet's 76th issue (November/December 2006). They often played at

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, an all-ages venue in Los Angeles, where they were also volunteers. The band toured in Europe and Japan in 2008. Despite a sizable discography, the band stated they are best appreciated live. As Jessica Clavin told ClashMusic.com: "I think we come off better live than we do recorded. It's better to have that impact as a live band, isn't it? If we had to choose to be better live or recorded, we'd go with live." In October 2009, the band decided to disband due to the members' wishes to return to school and work on other projects. On December 30 and 31, 2009, and January 1, 2010, the band played their last shows at The Smell in downtown Los Angeles. In 2011, the Clavin sisters formed a new band,

Bleached Bleached is an American pop band consisting of sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin, formerly of Mika Miko. The band plays a style of rock, pop, rock and roll, and indie rock. Bleached was established in Los Angeles in 2011. The group has relea ...

; they released their debut album, '' Ride Your Heart'', in 2013. Mika Miko reunited in August 2023 for a show at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.

Band line-up

*Victor Fandgore (Jennifer Clavin) – vocals, guitar, keyboards *Jet Blanca (Jenna Thornhill) – vocals, saxophone, keyboards *Michelle Diane Suarez – guitar, keyboards *Jessie Clavin – bass *Kate Hall – drums

Discography

EPs/singles

*Demo CD-R (Self-released, 2003) *''Mika Miko'' 7" (Post Present Medium, 2004) *''Mika Miko'' Tape (Self-Released, 2005) *''Live and Rare!'' (Self-Released, 2005) *''666'' EP (Post Present Medium, 2007) *''Sex Jazz'' 7" (Sub Pop, 2008)

Albums

*''C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.'' (Kill Rock Stars / Post Present Medium, 2006) *''We Be Xuxa'' (Post Present Medium) (2009)

Compilations

*''666 and Rare'' CD (Post Present Medium, 2007)

Compilation appearances

*''Treasure Tropics'' EP (Not Not Fun, 2005) *''Under 21: Los Angeles! A Compilation of Rad Youth'' (Olfactory Records, 2005)

References

External links

Mika Miko at Post Present MediumMika Miko on Five Tunes
{{Authority control 2003 establishments in California 2010 disestablishments in California American noise rock music groups Musical groups from Los Angeles Punk rock groups from California Riot grrrl bands Musical groups established in 2003 Musical groups disestablished in 2009 Kill Rock Stars artists Sibling musical groups