-Somewhere in Kent there is a British girl whos saved up three pounds to buy her first Monkey Power Trio record. I cannot tell you how cool I think this is not necessarily the fact that well be taking a young girls savings, but that she would choose to save for an MPT record when theres so much out there competing against us. We dont have billboards, vocal coaches, pitch correctors, teams of publicity people, image consultants, MTV, and all the rest of it. We just recorded a few songs one afternoon and mailed them on a piece of vinyl to John Peel with a note saying, Please like us. The feeling I get from that is the closest thing Ive known to happiness I just cant get over the fact that someone could 1) hear us on the radio in the UK, 2) care enough to remember our name until she got to a computer, 3) make the effort to hunt us down, and 4) ultimately decide to convert pounds to dollars and invest her allowance in us. For a brief moment, I forget the colossal asteroid hurtling toward earth and the fact that our nation is being governed by people I would never even allow to handle my personal finances.
-The middle finger of our band and his wife just had a baby son this afternoon. This kid, their third, is to be called John Michael Bell. Hes not even one day old and already hes being written about on the internet It took me thirty-some years to get that far in life.
-Do you want to be a writer? Do you think youve got what it takes to be a real Rock-n-Roll journalist? Well, Ive just been informed that theres an opportunity for someone looking to break into this highly lucrative profession… Apparently the folks at Roctober magazine like our last record and want to run a feature on the Monkey Power Trio, but, since they have no real staff to speak of, they have no one to write it. They have asked us if we know of anyone willing to work for free. It crossed our minds to write the article ourselves and credit it to some fictional character, but weve apparently become somewhat more ethical in our old age. The other option would be for us to go out and make friends with other people. Well, none of us want to do that either. So, Im setting the opportunity in front of you, my invisible friends from the internet. If you would like to interview the Monkey Power Trio and write a feature article for a really good indie rock magazine with international distribution, just let me know.
-Or, heres another opportunity to write. It looks as though the good folks behind the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of sentimental/inspirational books has chosen to focus their attention on music. The title of their upcoming book is, Chicken Soup for the Music Lovers soul. Well, theyre accepting submissions Heres the note that came to us through our extensive web of industry contacts.
CAN YOU COOK UP A SOUP STORY?
The Chicken Soup for the Soul series is currently looking for heartwarming, true, inspiring short stories related to music for the upcoming book, “Chicken Soup for the Music Lover’s Soul.” Stories should be approx. 300-1,200 words in length, and must make the reader “Laugh, cry or get goosebumps.” If your story is accepted into the book, the writer receives $300 and a promo blurb to introduce yourself to millions of readers. For example stories, guidelines and submission information, please visit MusicLoversSoul.com. Please email all questions and submissions to Gail Swanson at MusicLoversSoul@aol.com.
They even include an email address! And it pays $300! What have you got to lose? Just listen to an MPT song on our website, have a glass of scotch and let your mind wander. Im sure youll come up with something. Perhaps our music stopped you from committing a horrible criminal act. Or, maybe you decided to reconnect with the mother who gave you up for adoption after hearing our music. Or, maybe you used our music to seduce the attractive young man living down the hall from you and make him see you not as an overweight cat-lover with a hair-lip, but for what you really are inside My grandmother has every book in this series and I would consider it a personal favor if you would get us mentioned somehow.
OK, I want to write about non-band stuff now.
