Year: Tape 1997; CD 1998
"Stunt Monkey has a funny way with words, and the mild punk accompaniment
contributes to the band's quirky sound. On "Bachelor Pad," Stunt Monkey sings, "Martha
Stewart hates our new decor/We matched the sofa to a stain that's on the floor." On
"Cartoon," a song about wanting to be a cartoon character, the lyrics run "I'll never
age/I'll never die/My life is sponsored by Eskimo Pie." With themes ranging from an
elementary school crush ("Handball Queen") to more serious topics like depression
("Suicide"), For the Ear will take you for an enjoyable ride that ends all too quickly."
Andrea Connor, Andrea's Web-o-Rama, 9/17/98:
...The California Bay Area band Stunt Monkey was kind enough to send me a tape of
For the Ear. So here I am, keep in mind - a total non-expert in the matters of music, giving
my review of it. Here goes.... Things started off well, when I saw the tape's lovely shade of blue. Being a
visually stimulated person, this made me quite happy. Then I popped the tape
into the deck and told myself to get serious and listen to the tape with a
reviewer's frame of mind. But I quickly realized I didn't know how to do
that, so I got over it and listened to it like I would to any other music. All right, time for the details. Spy Girl, the first track, is a damn fun
song (actually the whole album is). It's a good song for dancing around and
acting like a spazz. Even Suicide is a catchy little ditty. Yep, it is a
song about suicide, but it's not angst-ridden, woe-is-me fare. You'd just
have to hear it yourself. Bachelor Pad is one of my favorites off the album.
With lyrics like "Empty bottles stacked on dirty socks/ My last six meals
came out of a can or box", I'm glad I'm not a guy though. I also really like
the intro for White Trash Puppet Show, but I'm illiterate when it comes to
music terms so I couldn't really tell you what exactly I like about it. I
just like it. As for the lyrics of White Trash, I actually know a few people
like that... which is funny and scary at the same time. And the line "My
sister's got the Franklin Mint in her wedding registry" cracks me up.
The song Cartoon has probably saved me from bashing my head into a wall. I
had that awful Goldfish crackers jingle stuck in my head for about a week
(a week!), until I heard it. Now, thankfully, Cartoon is stuck in my head,
and believe me it is MUCH more enjoyable. Handball Queen is a good song too,
but for some reason my least favorite. I really like the back-up singing in
it though. Who was that singing back-up? Hmm, I don't know. The last song is
High Mass. It's about a guy who gets drunk right before going to church.
This concept amuses me, and I believe I would not have quit going to church
when I was 14 if I could've witnessed something like that.
Label: Originally self-released; re-released on Tastes Like Chicken Records (so it's basically still self-released)
Songs: Spy Girl, Suicide, Bachelor Pad, White Trash Puppet Show,
Cartoon, Handball Queen, High Mass,
My Alabi (CD bonus track),
Selfish (CD bonus track)
Studio:Skylab, San Jose, CA.
Produced by: Jeff Pinn and Stunt Monkey
Availability: Still in print.
Click here to get your grubby little paws on it.
Review(s):
Overall, here's how the album holds up in a series of personal tests:
Is it fun to sing along with?
Yes, it definitely is. It's got clever lyrics that are often downright
funny.
Is it fun to listen to while taking a bubble bath? (i.e. -- is it bubble
worthy?)
Yes it is, but I recommend something like Mr. Bubble. A bubble bath with a
floral bouquet doesn't mix well with Stunt Monkey.
Is it good whether you're drunk or sober?
Yes I think so. To be honest I haven't listened to it while drunk yet. But
I'm sure it will be enjoyable then too.
Is it possible that any one of the songs will get stuck in your head? And
if so, is it annoying?
Yes it is very likely that the music will get stuck in your head. No, at
least in my case, it's not annoying at all.
Year: 1997
Label: Self-released
Songs: Spend the Day, Selfish, Bottom of the Ocean,
No Not Really, Fun in the Sun
Studio: Skylab, San Jose, CA.
Produced by: Jeff Pinn and Stunt Monkey
Availability: Out of print.
current shows and news
old shows and news
disc/tapeography
biography
frequently asked questions
merchandise
obligatory links