Mouse Rat - The Awesome Album

Dualtone Music Group, in partnership with Entertainment 720, will release the debut album from Mouse Rat, the band fronted by local Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation shoeshine employee Andy Dwyer. Dwyer is known around town as a prolific genius, fronting many local acts through the years including: A.D and the D Bags, The Andy Andy Andies, Andy Dwyer Experience, Angelsnack, Crackfinger, Death of a Scam Artist, Department of Homeland Obscurity, Everything Rhymes with Orange, Fiveskin, Flames for Flames, Fleetwood Mac Sexpants, Fourskin, God Hates Figs, Handrail Suicide, Jet Black Pope, Just The Tip, Malice in Chains, Muscle Confusion, Ninjadick, Nothing Rhymes with Blorange, Nothing Rhymes with Orange, Penis Pendulum, Possum Pendulum, Punch Face Champions, Puppy Pendulum, Radwagon, Razordick, Scrotation Marks, Tackleshaft, Teddy Bear Suicide, Threeskin, Two Doors Down and Scarecrow Boat.

Momentum began building at the first Mouse Rat performance of “5,000 Candles In the Wind,” during the funeral of Pawnee town mascot legend, Li’l Sebastian. Today marks the 10-year anniversary of that performance and the passing of the miniature horse. To mark the occasion, “5,000 Candles In the Wind” is available on all digital services now.

News of the song’s digital release was met with rapturous response by fans and media alike throughout Pawnee. Esteemed local talk show host Perd Hapley, of the acclaimed show Ya Heard? With Perd!, immediately alerted viewers to the song’s availability on DSP’s.

“5,000 Candles In The Wind” is the bedrock to Mouse Rat’s The Awesome Album which will be released on August 27th – for the first time – in partnership with Dualtone / Entertainment 720.

The buzz from Mouse Rat’s performances at Pawnee’s Snakehole Lounge led to Dualtone’s partnership with Entertainment 720 co-founder and Snakehole Lounge part owner Tom Haverford. “Any creative business coming out of Pawnee is tied to Haverford” said Dualtone President Paul Roper, “From Rent-a-Swag to Tommy Fresh cologne and Tom’s Bistro, not to mention his business ideas not yet formed like the scented phone, talking tissues, contact lenses that display text messages and the glitter-infused laundry detergent Sparkle Suds, partnering with Entertainment 720’s hype machine was essential. The man is an idea factory.”

Roper continues, “This is about the team as much as it is the music. Andy’s wife and manager April Ludgate Dwyer is a marketing genius. Selling CDs at the Parks and Recreation shoeshine stand for $18 each, $40 for the set?? I don’t know anyone else who could pull that off.”

In an extra dose of AWESOME, Scott Tanner, of the legendary Pawnee band Land Ho!, has contributed two new songs to the album in a symbolic passing of the torch, identifying Mouse Rat as the next band to break from the underground Pawnee music scene. Dwyer and Tanner originally connected when Dwyer organized a Land Ho! reunion for the famous Pawnee-Eagleton Unity Concert.

Other than Guns N’ Roses Chinese Democracy, which took over 15 years to get to market, there has never been a more highly anticipated album release. Pirated versions of songs have appeared on the internet for a decade, amassing millions of plays.