I Agree Ozzy

Oz is sooo right, dude we are a rock band. We should be talking about drugs and sex and duct tape. Dude I am so ready to play in Temple this weekend and melt some faces with our low key acoustic rock style. And I mean MELT baby MELT. Dude I can so see the whole place catching on FIRE when we RIP through "Love is", or the walls crumbling down when we play "Every Rose." WORLD BE PREPARED...

You Go Boy

I know how I am gay, I almost got teary eyed reading Colin's blog. He is so right on. We have done so much in this band and what a ride it has been. I always have had a dream of being a "rockstar" and having that "hit" song on the radio and touring around the world several times. And maybe writing that "hit" song and touring around the world may never happen, who knows.

I know that I have tried and done everything I thought that was right to make this band the best it could be. I have read many music books (writing and business), been in endless conversations about the business and writing with musicians, bookers and promoters, quit my high paying job to go work in low paying radio, helped Colin get a job in low paying radio, written everything from alternative hard rock songs to songs about getting high, practiced endless hours on my guitar and singing by myself and with the band, joined a songwriters association, have toured around the South in a beat up old van to improve our stage performance, built a studio in my garage where we could practice and record, and drank myself silly on many stages all in the name of Jaeger and rawk. Is there still more I can do, hell yes and do it I will.

I actually once wrote a song about it http://www.monkeyshyne.com:443/Songs/IllTry.mp3, it was off of our live CD we did a couple years back and this song still holds a special place in my heart...Dammit Colin now I sound on sappy...You know how I know I am gay...

You know how I know your gay?

Lately for some reason we, the guys in the band, have been on this “Do you know how I know you are gay” kick. For some reason with guys this never gets old, well at least with us. Ok every once in a while it does get on Keith’s nerves. I do recall him saying “dude how old are you guys? 5?” Why yes we are. I guess when you have 4 (now 5 with Cliff) driving around in a van all over Texas with no radio you have to find things to keep you entertained. And calling each other gay always seems to help the time go by that much quicker. You can only sing “Kumbaya my lord” so many times…

It has gotten so bad that it just doesn’t matter what you do you are gay. Keith was labeled gay just because he served his country and they have a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy, so obviously to Colin and I that means he is gay. I know that is so bad, the guy has put his life on the line for our freedom and somehow we can turn that into a gay joke. I was labeled gay because I asked a guy on the road for directions to get to our gig in Tomball, Tx. Oz was labeled gay because most people think he’s gay. He is way to pretty to be straight. And Colin was labeled gay because he likes big chocolate salty balls, hold on, big chocolate salty balls…ok maybe Colin is gay. See I just did it right there, I can’t get away from the gay jokes.

Do you know how I am gay? I just wrote a blog about how everyone in the band is gay…

(added 7/24/2006)
Oh and let me not forget our promotions/marketing/road guy/merch man Cliff, he is gay because he likes to hang out with 4 guys that talk about how gay each of us are...

Lyrics to "I think we're evolving"

I have had several requests over a long period of time for us to post the lyrics to our last CD. And I figure since we are about to put out a new one, it is ok for us to publish the lyrics. Here are the lyrics to 3 of the songs. Maybe if everyone asks nice enough Oz will post the lyrics to "Dreaming" and if you want the lyrics to "Happy Together" just jump on google and do a search.

Now
No thought to your safety
I was careless and foolish
Persuading you to follow me
And now lately
Never felt more useless
Cause I promised more than I can give

Now is the time
Now is the time to live like you know how

Waiting patiently
You say its time for me to see
How you’re all grown up
I’ve been failing in the choices life’s given me
I know its time to let you go

Tried to be helpful give some good advice
Cause I’ve been there before
But letting go is the hardest part
It’s a scary world

Gone Mad
Come right in step up take a whirl and give it all that you can
Don’t want to worry about the price for this prize because their not going to stand
Throw it slow, throw it easy, throw it any way that you can
Line’em up knock’em down just take your time and do what I can

It’s the choice of a new generation
A generation gone mad
We don’t worry about the things we love
We want to love all the things that we don’t have

Come right over stand in line your just in time for the time of your life
Buckle up strap in hold on tight this rides about to begin
Close your eyes imagine happy time and colorful rainbow lines
When its said and done you where the one that stepped up this time

You are Mine
I overheard you say that I was wrong
And when I said I’m sorry you don’t think I meant it cause it takes to long
Then I overheard you talking with your friends about how our troubles never seem to end
And how mean and you are just pretend

You can say what you want about me
You can say I spent my life just wasting time
You can say what you want about me
Just as long as one day I hear you say
That you are mine
I overheard you say that I don’t care
And when you look in my eyes you see a blank stare and you wish I wasn’t there
Then I overheard you talk the other day
I never listen to what you say
You don’t understand why you stay

Hope you enjoy!

Studio Time

Studio time is right around the corner and I can say I am excited and prepared to be beaten down. I like the studio, but I am a live musician, which means I have a lot of leverage to screw up. Drunken people are a lot more forgiving then the digital recording device. The first day I am usually totally pumped with energy, but by the 40th hour I will be balled up in a corner in a small dark sound room repeating to myself “You are OK, You are OK, I like me, You are OK…”

This time we are re-recording 2 songs that we have done in the past “Carry On” and “Superman.” We have never really been happy with either one of these past recordings, so we will finally be able to give them the time they deserve. We have 3 new songs we are putting on it as well, including “Get High” the song we wrote about feeling good, or to be completely honest it is about smoking a big FAT DOOBIE, everyone needs a good drug song, right?

Table Scraps Song

Yesterday I went on a rant about table scraps. Well I with the help of Oz sat down and wrote a song about table scraps. It is kind of kewl being able to sit down write a song and put it up on the web for everyone of you to enjoy or should I say the 2 people that read my blog (Colin and Kieth).

Here it is:
http://64.23.5.113/TableScraps.mp3

"No More Table Scraps Please!!!"

Table Scraps

Table scraps, that is what most of us live for. We sit there at the feet of our masters (bosses) and wait for them to throw us a nice piece of partly chewed steak fat that they don't want because their doctor told them they needed to start eating healthier. And when we chomp into that piece of fat we wag our tails like good dogs and sit backing waiting for more.

I am starting to think there is something wrong with me. I am smart enough to see the problem, but to dumb to do anything about it. I read books, listen to people and try and pick up all the worldly wisdom I can, just to have a chance and improving my life and achieving my dreams. But I feel all I do is chew on table scraps. Sometimes you get steak fat, sometimes you get the large green stalk of a half eaten piece of broccoli and neither are really that good.

Here is a song I am writing about it:

No more table scraps please,
I ain't no dog and don't have fleas,
excuse while I get off my aching knees,
thanks, but no thanks, I'll find another place to eat...

Congrats Keith

I want to say congratulations Keith WestyHeimer you have made it! You are finally out of the Air Force and it is time for you new life. Luckily for you monkeyshyne is going back in the studio in August and we will record 2 HIT songs that will catapult us to fame and fortune. Dude I know that starting a new life is difficult, lucky for you I am right with you man. I know what it feels like to leave something that makes you feel comfortable (and miserable) to something unknown. Welcome to a brave new world.



My buddy, even though I am no longer his number 1 friend on myspace...

Oz and I look so smart?

Here are some pictures that Cliff took of Oz and I talking with the crowd the other night for the Dallas Songwriting Association. If you ask me we really look like we know what we are talking about.


See that guy right there to the bottom right, he has his hand on his chin and was probably thinking "Wow that Oz guy is hot..." or "Wow that Chris guy looks like he would beat my ass, or spank me." actually I am sure he was thinking "Who the hell are these guys?"



In this picture I was explaining that some men are bigger than others. Or maybe I was explaining that if you give out hugs with merchandise you seem to sell more merch...Or I was talking about boobs...


It just doesn't matter where you go someone is always going to yell Skynard or Slayer. Oz and I suggested when learning covers learn some Slayer and Skynard.

Just looking at the pictures reminds me about how smart we really looked. Remember its not whether you win or loose it is how you look when you play...and we looked FABuLous...

Dallas Songwriters Association Speech

Last Wednesday Oz and I gave a speech for the DSA. And to be honest it went really well. We aren't really public speakers, we are more like 2 monkeys that like to get on stage and fling poop into the audience. I must say that night we actually made some sense. We covered everything from writing a song, to playing cover music, making money, promoting your band and running your band like a business.

We have been running this band for the last 6 years, so we have picked up a lot of things and most by trial and error. For me it means a lot to be able to share with fellow musicians who want to listen. For instance just simple things like putting up posters and flyers are a lost art. This band used to run VH1 and MTV commercials and overnight radio ads in Dallas. Also we actually make money doing this now. Not tons of money, but enough for the band to run the band.

I said it is a tough business and there is a lot to it. It is a business and 1 out of 10 businesses actually make it past 5 years, so the odds are WAY against you.

I am just proud that Oz and I actually gave something back...other than poop...