You would think that since we, the five members of the Monkey Power Trio, only get together one day a year to write and record music, that we’d have a lot of free time on our hands to do other band work, like sending out records and the like. The truth, however, is that, after 21 years as a band, we have very little of the energy and enthusiasm that we started with. That’s why it took us a total of three years to finally get around to pressing our last record, Left Behind, which includes songs from our 2011, 2012 and 2013 sessions. And it’s why, since we received them back from the record company in November of last year, they’ve just been sitting here in my office. Sure, I mailed out about five to the college radio stations that always play our stuff, but, other than that, I haven’t sent out a single one.
Well, last night, prompted by the fact that the University of California Davis station, KDVS, played three of our most recent songs back-to-back, I cleared off the kitchen table and began filling orders and getting more records packaged up college radio stations. So, if you’re one of the few people who placed an order online back when I mentioned that we’d gotten this latest record back from the pressing plant, your copy of Left Behind should now be on its way. And that’s true even for the guy in England who paid $15 for a copy that just cost me $22.50 to mail this afternoon. [Remind me, the next time I get a burst of energy, to change our website so that we no longer accept orders from people with foreign sounding names.]
In case you want to hear the KDVS DJ wondering out loud, “I’m pretty amazed that they send us stuff every year. How do they know we like them?”, you can listen here. [The three songs he chose were “I Really Want It”, “Two Miles from Mormon Row” and “I am the Falconer”, one of which is pretty good.]
For what it’s worth, I also got word today that the folks at KFJC, right outside of San Francisco, have deemed the new record, absurd, juvenile and amateurish. So I don’t imagine they’ll be airing another four hour long Monkey Power special again this year. [If you’ve never heard their 2008 MPT special, it’s pretty awesome.]
Anyway, if you should want a copy, you can order one here. And I promise it won’t take me four months to get it in the mail this time.
One last thing. Those are our dogs at the top of the page. That’s Freeda laying down on the left. The young, spry one is Ollie. Freeda, who was diagnosed with lung cancer a little over a year ago, is finally starting to fade. Walking is getting difficult for her, and her breathing is becoming increasingly labored. A vet is coming out to the house to look at her tomorrow and discuss our options. It’s not easy letting go, but I think we’re all coming to accept that she’s not going to be with us much longer. So we’ve been feeding her a lot of good food lately and reminding her every chance we get just how much we’ve enjoyed having her as part of our family. She’s been an awesome dog these past 13 years, since our friend Monica found her wondering around Southwest Detroit and brought her to us, and she will be very much missed. As Clementine said to us tonight, “Freeda has always been here with us, since I was born. She’s always been a part of my life.” So, yeah, there have been a lot of tears shed these past few weeks, and I’m sure there are going to be a lot more.
16 Comments
This must cost a fortune now.
This post has given me an idea. If we want to stop Monkey Power once and for all, all we need to do is encourage the people of England to order records.
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BankruptTheMPT.com is available.
Peter Larson hates international mail
I am so sorry to hear about Freeda. My thoughts are with you and your family.
I have no opinion on international mail.
This is not true. Pete has subscribed to International Male since 1991.
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–22D2oUkV–/17mrsb107iavsjpg.jpg
Aww, dude. I’m sorry about your dog. I’m glad you had a year to do the proper good-byes.
Oh, Freeda!!! She’s been a rock, that’s for sure. Hugs and liverwurst!!!
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Sorry man.
I was on the bus today and several college kids were talking about dogs they missed and all I could think of was how hard it was for their parents to have to actually make the decisions regarding the pets, and that the kids had such simple relationships compared to that. I am old. Thinking of you.
For what it’s worth… what you are quoting as the opinion of the folks at KFJC regarding “Left Behind” (…”absurd, juvenile, and amateurish…”) is actually the opinion of ONE staff member who was given the record to review. I personally think he was the wrong person to review the record because he clearly does not understand the appeal of MPT. Granted most people don’t, but they shouldn’t be reviewing the record then, should they? And for your information, a KFJC “MPT – Part 2” special may in fact be proposed at some point. Probably after a couple of guys in the band have died, to make it more interesting.
How many have to die before we can get this special that you talk of?
It sounds as though you are considering killing one or two of the guys if it means there will be another MPT radio special. Please don’t. Let’s say if a couple of the guys get bad colds–that’ll be close enough.