I love flash

Well yes and no. I am in love with flash right now and lately I have been creating these animation shorts. Many of you might have been turned on to this bobble head animation through shows like South Park and also the jibjab website, particularly the one with George Bush and John Kerry the "This Land". Mine isn't as great yet, but I am learning the art. Here are my latest movies, http://www.kiddlive.com/movies/movieMFW.html and http://www.ilovepopeye.com. Yes be expecting some videos for our latest monkeyshyne CD, I will probably do at least 2 videos for that CD, who knows I may even do all 5, just depends on how much time I have. Enjoy.

Earning Potential

There I was having a conversation with my wife the other night at dinner about someones earning potential. The conversation never got heated, but there were some rough spots. It is my firm belief that education and wisdom are the 2 ways to increase your earning potential. The key word is potential, no one is garuanteed to make anything. I mean how many times have you heard about the guy that has a masters that can't get a job, it is like 1 in a million but it happens. I am a firm believer in constantly challenging yourself to learn new things, not only for yourself but it also increases your ability to make money. Lets apply it to music, makes sense since this blog is related to monkeyshyne. Most garage bands when they start make about $0 to $20 a show if they are lucky, the reason, because honestly they usually suck pretty good. I mean the drummer doesn't "need" a mentronome, the guitarist doesn't "need" to know notes, because he plays by feel and the singer doesn't need any formal training because that is just not what rock n roll is about...well bullshit. Of course that band will refust to play cover music or someone elses songs, because their stuff is that good. Sorry it is usually the opposite. You want to make money making music, learn, learn, learn, increase you wisdom and knowledge on your instrument, different styles of music and on the music business in general. This knowledge will never hurt you. I remember back in the day when I thought, "man if I learn how to formally play then I will loose the feel" damn, how sad was that. Now we make money at shows, trust me, we aren't "that good", but we are entertaining. Earning potential, go out learn things, experience things, grow, don't be afraid to F-up. Even go back to school and take some formal education, that is my belief, sure it isn't easy, but if it was everyone would do it...

Being sick sucks

This weekend was a good weekend as far as playing with bands we like and getting to play in front of great crowds. We got to meet a lot of new people and win over a lot of new fans. Recovering from my illness sucked. When I get sick and after I get sick my senses get hightened, my sense of hearing, smelling and taste are 10x's better than they usually are. Being in a smokey bar both Friday and Saturday night didn't help. Now I am an X smoker, but one that doesn't mind when other people smoke. But this weekend LORD have mercy what I would have paid to have been able to play in a smokeless bar. I mean that cigarette smoke just tasted like liking the inside of a chimney and trust me I know what that tastes like. Today I am much better, just a little flemmy. I usually only get sick about 2 times within a year, so I am done for this year, AMEN...smok'em if you gott'em...

I am still full

Yes I was sick yesterday and still not feeling great today. Somehow yesterday I still managed to eat 3 plates of food and I think I am still full today. I hope everyone had a great holidays now we are off to Witchita Falls this weekend to play at the Iron Horse Pub. Should be one helluv a weekend.

Dammit I don't feel good

I guess it all finally caught up to me. Working 2 jobs, playing in a band, making it to the gym 3 to 5 times a week and trying to have a relationship with my wife. And on top of all that trying to record a new CD. Yes I am sick and just want to be in bed...Happy Thanksgiving.

Recording Progress

We are finally able to see the light with the recording, we spent sometime this weekend working on it and we have a few more days left and we should be closer to having something. Of course we still have to get it pressed and duplicated. I am thinking that at the end of January we will have a CD release party. I am really excited about this CD and we even put a cover song on this one. Yes a cover song, meaning a song that someone else wrote, but I think everyone will like this song. I want to thank Craig at Deep Ellum Studios for pushing us on this one. He rocks and any bands out there looking for a good affordable place to record I recomend him highly. His website is http://www.deepellumstudios.com.

Life isn't a game of chance

I am starting to believe there is no such thing as luck. Our lives are actually a connect the dot puzzle. You see for every action there is a reaction, and those actions and choices lead to more actions and choices. Its starts to get a little confusing because everyone gets to make choices. So your choices are the only ones that matter, other peoples do to. For instance, you grow up turn 16, ask you dad to teach you how to drive, you learn, get your license and drive for 4 years, get in a couple of accidents, get a couple of tickets and WHAM one day a bird flies into your window and you swerve hitting another guy and both of you go flying into a ditch. Now you think "damn that was unlucky" but actually that is not the case. See the bird was actually from up North and one day when he was perched out on a branch a hunter took a shot at him with a BB gun. Well that bird never stopped running. When the bird finally made it to your highway and flew into your window he had been flying nonstop for 60 hours straight, see he was tired and flying to low. Luck, chance, nope just a hunter in the woods. What is the point of my story, I don't know...

Why local bands are local...

There are a couple of good reasons. First most of us don't know how to play our instruments properly. There is a running joke in just about any studio and it is "How do you get a guitar player to stop playing?"..."Put sheet music in front of him." See most of us musicians grow up watching MTV and all the pop stars and the glamarous life and we say, "man I want to live like that." Listen to Weezer's song Beverly Hills and that just about sums it up. Also most of us don't know how to write a song. Sure we can put chords together and we can write down some words, but actually understanding a song and how to craft it is an art, just like drawing. Sure anyone can draw a picture, but not everyone can draw a picture using Neo-Impressionism, Pointillism or Surrealism. And what about the musician that says "Dude I don't need a metronome, I have great timing and a metronome will just ruin the feel." Funny thing is that was us about 3 years ago. My advice to the local bands out there: Learn the notes on a guitar and basic chords Mel Bays Modern Guitar Method: Grade 1 (Grade 1) (Grade 1) is a great book to start with. Then read a book or two on writing a song and writing lyrics, just search on amazon and you will find plenty. Then listen to every kind of style of music you can stand, soak it in and try and understand it. I don't care if the style you play is pop, rock, metal or R&B, you can learn from all styles of songwriting even country, especially country. Then write your ass off, and let people critique it. Sure let your friends and family critique it but then let other musicians critique it. Yes you will probably get feedback that will hurt your feelings, but if you listen you have a great oppurtunity to grow. And then play live, everywhere and anywhere and listen to what people have to say, this will help you to experience real life.

Now why should you listen to me, I am only a local musician. I am not there yet, but I only wish I had someone clue me in a little many years ago then maybe I wouldn't feel so far behind right now. Good luck and if you love it, don't stop, creating a song out of nothing is something that most people will never understand.

Studio Pics from Colin's Blog (Chris is lazy?)

As most of you know we are in the studio right now recording our next CD. And yes this is going to be the BEST stuff we have EVER done, I hope...Well Colin has been documenting the experience with a camera at http://colinmonkeyshyne.blogspot.com/, and I noticed out of the 5 pictures he has of me 3 are me lying on the couch (1 with me lying with him), 1 is me rubbing our sound engineers back (totally not in a gay way) and only one of me actually doing something in the studio. That is a picture of me singing my heart out (of course he even makes fun of that saying I am trying to kiss the mic). I just want everyone to know that I have actually been doing something in the studio and it hasn't been a extended couch break as Colin makes it seem. I think he has an evil plot to make me look like a slacker and that I am only in the band for my good looks. Well things are going to change I believe I am going to bring a camera into the studio and show you how hard I really work.

Getting closer

Wow I am totally ramped up about the new CD. Yah it is a beating realizing that when you are under the microscope you really aren't that good, and you seem to get a little caught up in the whole project, but I know in the end we will have something that is worth it. I am a believer in working hard for things that you love...we will see if this labor of love was worth it real soon.

Recording

Yes recording is our blood, but DAMN, being locked in a little closet for 3 hours at a time playing the same guitar riff over in over thats called BUTTA. Meaning I meant to practice my guitar playing better BUTTA something else came up...yah thats right...

monkeyshine.info

Yes I am pimping our new website again. This weekend we are in the studio and Saturday night we are heading out to Temple, Tx. There are some GREAT shows this weekend in Dallas, if you are a local music fan get out there. I managed to get an email interview with Steve from the band The Chemistry Set. Oz and I have seen them a few times and we our biggest compliment to the band is they right a great song. Steve thinks about what he is trying to say in a song and he and his band write actual "hooks". For those who don't know what a hook is it is that line after hearing a song for the first time that won't go away. Woodbelly is also playing and these guys are VERY talented and remind me of Stevie Wonder, who by the way is my favorite singer (after him it would be Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes). And of couse also is the Mad Mexicans, another band that writes great hooks. For those who don't know them they are a party rap/rock band with a bunch of mad mexicans. The funny thing is every time I talk to Roy and Robert (2 guys in the band) they are so nice, I guess the "mad" is a stage thing. Anyway check out http://www.monkeyshine.info for an interview and links to these bands and many others that we recommend.

Public Apology to Dan Dyer

No this is not a sarcastic title, a couple weeks back I wrote a blog titled "Are you ever that big?" about Dan and how I thought that something he said was inappropriate, Dan replied back and corrected me that he did not mean for it to come out negative. His response was not the nicest response, but my blog was not the nicest blog. Looking back my comments were insecure and petty and he was right I should have titled it "how small are we?" It was petty of me to diss another musician that is working hard just to make a living doing what he loves. I claim to love music and claim to be supportive of local music, but this blog did not reflect that. I must say that Oz and Colin told me not to say anything about the incident and just let it go, but I choose to say something.

Being in the music business is tough, there is no money, long hours and lack of respect from most people in the "business". We, monkeyshyne, have been around for 6+ years. We have lost 2 bass players that we loved, we have had our name mispelt and mispronounced 1000's of times, we have been mistaken in magazines and newspapers as Pushmonkey, we have been told that we suck, we have been told that our music sucks, we have lost a lot of fans in search of "our sound", we have played many many many shows to the bartender, waitress and the sound guy, we have met many bands that were not very nice and on and on and on and on. BUT we are STUPID, we somehow find love in what we do, we love each other in the band, we love the music we make, we love the fans, friends and family who support us. And I have decided that I don't have to take the shit people dish anymore and I thought Dan Dyers was dishing it, I was wrong, and I am sorry.

monkeyshyne looking for a bass player and much more

The guys and I had an agreement that when we find our next bass player he will find us. And I agree, I am just going to put the word out there that we are looking. I really do enjoy being able to plug in an electric guitar and have the bass keeping the low end pounding with the drums. And I am not ready to stop playing live shows. Now I am not saying that Oz, Colin and I can't handle playing live by ourselves, because we can and we will continue to do just that. If you know any bass players that can play, are road ready, love music, would enjoy playing acoustic rock and can commit to something that is bigger than just them, then send them our way. If he/she can sing, well bonus. Also why I am asking, if you know any keyboard players that are interested, send them our way. Any violin players, send them our way and last but not least any sax players send them our way. Now most of my blogs are jokes, but believe me this one is not. If you would like to be a part of our destiny please let me know...

Why can't we just get along?

Lately there has been a disturbance in the force or I mean monkeyshyne. Colin and I have just not been on the same page. I think both are intentions are good even great, we just manage to stomp on each other. I think the fact that we are both set in our ways also helps. It sucks sometimes being the "leader" of the pack, most of the time you don't get thanked for what you do and the other times someone is mad at you for a choice that you made or something that you decided against. Of course I realize on the flip side it sucks being the one following, it is hard for me to give up control and let someone else lead my destiney. I have always tried to be as fair as possible, but it is hard enough to be fair to just yourself let alone others. I mean think about it everyday I do things that I told myself I wouldn't do. I promise myself that I am going to workout more, practice more, learn Spanish, write a song every week, learn the art of DJing, and these are things that I am doing outside of the work that I do. And I am lucky to fit 60% in a week. What is the point, it goes back to being a leader, I guess I don't feel I lead to well by example and that is probably where most of the problems stim from. I know that Colin is on edge like the rest of us, we are tired, beat down and on the verge of quiting (shocking huh), but the reality is this is hard. It was hard to loose 2 bass players we cared for. It was hard to try and change direction in our music. It is hard to play without a bass player. It is hard to play in your "home" town and draw 13 people to the show. Trust me I do love music and playing I think we all loose faith every now and then. Probably another reason why we aren't connecting too well. I could probably come up with 100 of reasons, but I won't.

This is probably the most unorganized blog I have ever written and for some reason I am going to keep it just like it is. Colin I love you bro in a good game kind of way.

2 more days till studio

That is right we are going back into the studio to record 5 more songs. Yep only 5 we like to keep peoplel wanting more, plus we weed through many songs just to pick what we think are the best tunes to get recorded. I will say that there will be a cover song on this CD, this will be a first for us and no I will not tell you which one you will just have to buy the CD when it comes out. When is it coming out? Don't know but probably around January time frame. I would like to get it out in December but that just isn't going to happen...