Come and Take It...If you can!!

I had never heard that statement before in my entire life..."Come and Take It" until I moved to Texas.  I saw it on flags, shirts, bumper stickers, buildings, tattoos...and I thought, "Come and take what?"

So naturally I did what I always do when I don't know shit about shinolah....I google it!  Upon Google'ing the phrase "Come and Take It" I ran into another ol' online pal of mine...Wikipedia...well hell, if it's on Wikipedia it must be true!!!  Wikipedia said so!!

You can check HERE if you like, but basically here's the gist:

"Come and take it" is an American patriotic slogan most notably used in 1778 at Fort Morris in Georgia during the American Revolution, and later in 1835 during the Texas Revolution. The phrase is similar to Molon labe, which is a classical expression of defiance reportedly spoken by King Leonidas I in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae.

Remember that movie, 300??  The one that made every male look at their gut and wince with shame??  Well yeah, that's where it started, when the Persians were demanding...well you can read above...

So it's not "just" a Texas thing, but brought to my attention by Texas and even more important than that, extremely huge in Texas history.  So with all that being said, I thought, "Well slap my ass and call me Gonzo, that there needs to be put in a song!"  The seeds had been planted, the idea was starting to form. 

I view "Come and Take It" as statement from SSP to the world about our Music, about our Love, about our Desire...Discipline...and flat out pure Determination to succeed.  When everyone else decides to go home, when everyone else is tired and wants to quit...there's good ol' Snake Skin Prison...slugging away at the man!  

Or so I like to think anyways!!  LOL 

We just released our new EP, "Smokin Whiskey" at Red Eyed Fly and had a blast, you can check out Pictures here!!  and here!!  

Also, "Smokin Whiskey" was released digitally on Oct 30, so be sure to check it out HERE on iTunes!!

The future is bright for Snake Skin Prison!!  That's for sure, it's exciting times to be the hardest working band in Texas!  

FIRE IT UP...LET'S BURN ONE DOWN

WE'LL FLOOD THE STREETS OF THIS WHOLE DAMN TOWN

WIND EM UP TIGHT...AND WATCH THEM GO

BY THE TIME WE'RE DONE...THAT WHOLE WORLD'S GONNA KNOW

YOU'LL HAVE TO PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS

AND I'LL PROTECT IT LIKE THE PROMISED LAND

YOU CHOOSE TO SIT...I'M GONNA STAND

WHAT'S MINE IS MINE, AND WHAT'S YOURS I'M COMING TO..

TAKE ME AS I AM...SOMETIMES THE TRUTH CAN HURT A MAN

IT AIN'T HARD TO UNDERSTAND...SO COME AND TAKE IT...IF YOU CAN

STAND WITH ME...YOUR FIST IN THE AIR

I'M WAGING WAR...ON THAT COLD DEAD STARE

YOU WANT SOMETHING...SO BAD YOU CAN TASTE IT

DON'T WAIT FOR IT...NO YOU COME AND TAKE IT

PRE-CHORUS

CHORUS

CHORUSX2

When We Leave...

..We leave you beggin more...knock down...drop dead...drunk on the floor....Oh No...this ain't the last time...Smokin' Whiskey...and Drinking Cheap WINE!!"

Man...sometimes I look at my lyrics and think, "Matthew, it doesn't get more philosophical then that!"  LOL. Sometimes words just come, and it's my job to write then down...not to question where they are coming from and/or where they are going.  Mostly with me, creativity is like a faucet...when it's on it's on, and you better not stop it...but when it won't turn on, just leave it alone and come back to it.  Kind've like a woman :).

Anyways, moving forward, the LINEUP is completed for Oct 27!!  There's some killer bands on this baby, and it's gonna be a blast right up your...well ... you catch my drift.  So, check these guys out, if know that if I like em, then chances are you are gonna like em...cause we like a lot of the same things...like oxygen, free money, low gas prices, tow trucks with flat tires :) ...

Starting off the night will be See You in the Morning , they are from San Marcos...dig it!  Next up will be Austin's Critical Assembly, SSP shared the stage with these dudes at Texas Independence Festival last year.  

Main support for the almighty Snake Skin is The Heroine from San Antonio.

If you've been keeping up, and if you're here then I hope you have, you'll notice that not one SSP show is alike.  We always try to bring you something different, from our own set to the bands we surround ourselves with.  This will be an epic night for sure, I personally have been looking forward to it for months!!

Oh yeah, and I can't wait for you guys to see the EP Cover Artwork!!  It's the kitties titties on tha realzy!!

As always, with respect to you all, Austin the Dog decided to stand behind the picture, he is spellbound with excitement to find out...you should be too!!  We'll be revealing this bad boy...and when I say bad I mean Texas Twister running through a Hillbilly Trailer Court bad...at the EP release!!  

If you haven't gotten your tickets, you can email me HERE or just grab them up online, have them waiting for you at will call HERE

Mark your calendars, it's time to flood the streets again!!  Snake Skin Prison only plays Austin about 3 times a year so let's make this one count!!  

Make sure to RSVP to the EVENT ON FACEBOOK!!

Yee Haw!

MB

Over The Mountain!!

When I moved to Austin I had no idea...and when I say no idea, I mean no idea!!  I knew how to play guitar (some would argue with that!), I knew that I could somewhat sing (listening to the likes of Lemmy, Dave Mustaine, and latter day Phil Anselmo gave me hope!), but one thing I did not know...how to give up.

Goonies never say die!! Remember that??  Same principle.  It's amazing to me, the "Sink or Swim" theory.  I truly am a product of that while conducting this roller coaster of a train we call Snake Skin Prison!!  I had no intention of playing lead guitar, yet...when we were standing there with only myself on guitar, I had no choice but to play lead guitar!  I had no idea how to book a gig, yet when it came time to play shows, I started booking gigs (and some dandy ones too...ask Marc and Keith about the TRASH bar...seriously that was the name). I had no idea about contacting radio personalities, but when it came time...we were able to debut our first album..."Get Bit!!" with Loris Lowe on 93.7 KLBJ!!  The point I'm making is ... you don't sit around and make excuses, say "I CAN'T"....I've said it a million times and I'll say it again...only difference between winners and losers is...winners do...losers don't. Period.

So...when it came to designing graphics...oh man, talk about finger painting 101.  I am proud of how far I myself have come in designing posters, and other graphic work, however when you get to the big leagues you sit back and pay the professionals and let them do what they do!

I'm super excited to reveal the EP Artwork, and that is just what it is...Artwork!!  We're ironing out the details, but I have seen it and it's PIMPIN!!  Perfect visual display of what we're gunning for here at SSP HQ!!!  So keep your ears to the ground...cause you're gonna wanna see this!! We'll be debuting either right before or the night of the actual Release!!

PRE-SALE TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!! 

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!!

You buy the whole chair but only need the edge!

Till Next Time!

MB

Never Get Out of this World Alive!!!

Things are heating up as we get closer to that fateful day!!  October 27, the Release of SSP's newest body of work the EP: Smokin Whiskey!! Gonna be the kitties titties if you're picking up what I'm laying down!  This has been a long and winding road for SSP in the year of 2012...that my friends I can assure you!!

(Harp music as the picture fades and we do a classic time travel back to the days gone by...)

I met Matt Noveskey in Dec of 2011, we had a sit down, talked about music and then about the future of SSP.  I actually DID know of Matt Noveskey, however if you do not, he's the bass player for a little band called "Blue October".  He's done a ton of other things and has a ton of irons in the musical fire so to speak.  Google him...he's around LOL.  Matt hooked up with us at the Music Lab, we jammed some tunes, and talked about the new material, made some plans and BAM we're of to the studio.  We recorded at Test Tube Audio in South Austin, with Kevin Butler and in classic SSP fashion like a thief in the night we came and were gone, with nothing left but some empty liquor bottles and smoldering cigarettes.

Jump ahead a couple weeks and we're playing the first annual "Very Metal Christmas" and among the 300+ people there, was one that I've had the pleasure of getting to know...Mr. John Moyer.  John, like Matt N., has been around the block...and around again...plenty of times.  He's played bass in SOAK, Union Underground, Disturbed, and now Adrenaline Mob...yeah I said Disturbed...one of the biggest metal bands of all time!!  No need to say much more about that...Google him...he's there :).

The heavy Southern metal gods aligned, John and Matt N. put their wits together and spoke with the SSP camp...HAWT Dog if we weren't back in the studio working with Matt Noveskey and John Moyer two of the most respected bass players in the industry...it's times like these I'm glad I'm not Keith!

We worked out one final song, added it to the EP and off it went to Sterling Winfield for mixing and Maor Applebaum for mastering.  I could spit our their discographies, but I got rehearsal tonight, so plug their names into your favorite search engine and you'll find them just fine.

We've been playing these tunes out live, we always like to do that cause at the end of the day, the PEEPS are the shot callers, they decide what they want, then we give it to em like a nice big heapin helpin of southern country fried steak slathered in moonshine gravy.  

We're super excited to be releasing this EP...titled..."Smokin Whiskey" at the end of this month at Red Eyed Fly...our home field!!!  We have a killer line up in the works featuring SOAK (that's right...you might have seen this name earlier...) and The Heroine (from San Antonio) and plenty of good stuff for that ass...lights, cameras....and plenty of ACTION!!

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, don't hesitate...pull that trigger...you can get them online HERE and have them waiting for you at the door....IF you've ever been to an SSP show, you know it's just one big party, with SSP leading the charge on stage...IF you've NEVER been to an SSP show, well this is it...a years worth of hard work and dedication will come spewing out on stage that fateful Saturday Night in October.  The night they'll remember as the night Austin actually drowned...drowned in hoops, hollers, high life, and HARD Hitting mayhem...from an insanely energized crowd supporting Austin's hardest working band...doing what we do best...

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!

More info to come as we get closer!! 

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

-No matter how hard we struggle or strife, we'll never get out of this world alive!

\m/ MB \m/

Back in the SADDLE AGAIN!!

Hey Hey Hey!!  And this whole time you guys thought I was a goner!!  I will admit, the last several months of my life, along with SSP has been quite the train/roller coaster ride...imagine that:  A Train on a Roller Coaster...of Love (Juice)...now that sounds like a party.

I digress, I have SOOOOO much to tell you about what's been going on with Snake Skin Prison...what's happening in the near future with Snake Skin Prison...and tons of other stuff that I'm sure will sit in your brain far longer than your passwords, home work lessons, and facebook friends' updates!!

So...hang in there, the main thing right now is the EP Release!!  It's about DAMN time!!  SSP has been working on this EP for a while, but hey...Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was Keith's Camo Pants Collection!!!

You can view the event on FACEBOOK HERE
You can purchase PRESALE TICKETS HERE
And you can follow us on FACEBOOK HERE & HERE

It's going to be a night to remember and a party in the streets!!  Our last show at Red Eye Fly pulled over 300 party animals and we expect this to be bigger and better than ever!!

We here at the SSP HQ are so Hawt Dammed Excited for you to hear these tunes we can cook a Hawg's Ass in a spoonful!!!  Share this blog with your friends, this is where it goes down!!!

There's plenty more where that came from!!  Stay tuned boys and girls....YEE HAW!!

-Straight from the Horse's Mouth-
MB

Country State of Mind

"I'm just laid up here in a country state of mind!!"  - Bocephus


So...it's been a while since the last blog entry, but that doesn't mean I ain't got some stories to tell.  It's kind've like catching up with that old friend that you haven't talked to in a while, but are able to jump right back into the swing of things...which usually involves story telling!  That's us...Ol Friends!

Well, as some of you might or might not know, SXSW 2012 has come and gone.  I chose to NOT write during SXSW, because I've already stated my piece on that :)...but on the other hand Snake Skin Prison was busy busy busy! 

Taking part in Red Eyed Fly's annual Pre-SXSW kickoff show, Snake Skin Prison took the stage, to standing (and moshing) room only blistering that familiar stage with songs of old and new.  The fan base and email list has grown to extreme proportions, just last week SSP officially busted the 5k mark with our email list.  You can join HERE and receive a free download if you haven't already!

New Merch is available on the website as well, and you can scope that out--> HERE <--

We just finished up last night in the studio with another song for our EP.  We've been working on this since December which seems like a stretch, but you have to remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.  When this thing is done, I think everyone will have no other choice but to Come and Take It!! 


Thanks to modern technology and Steve Jobs, we've had more live footage come available:

Be sure to check out other SSP Vids at the Snake Skin Prison Channel!!

Definitely more good stuff coming from the SSP Camp soon!!  Thank you to everyone that supports SSP, we love seeing your smiling faces at each and every show.  Spread the word, bring your friends, with Snake Skin Prison, everyone walks away a winner...

NEXT AUSTIN SHOW!!

 

We'll be celebrating my birthday, 31 years of pickin and a-grinnin!!  If this show follows suit (and it will) with our last 2 Austin shows, it'll be in your best interest to get your tickets early.  The lineup TBA, and tickets will be available soon :).  

"All in hope of a better tomorrow, for without hope, there is no tomorrow" 

See ya in the funny papers!

-M 2 da B

How the West was Won!!

"Where's all the cowboy hats and tumbleweeds??"  That's what one of my friends said to me over the phone when they landed @ DFW for a company function.  I laughed and thought back to myself when I first traveled into The Lonestar State.....


I remember coming down 35 in my Nissan Maxima, talking to my mom on my cell phone...excited...scared...anxious...bladder full...and as I gazed at the overpasses on top of overpasses I said, "Mom...you're never gonna believe this...they got roads on top of roads!!!"  She said, "Matthew...you hang up this phone right now and pay attention!!  I'm going to pray for you!!"  and the line was dead.

HAHA...oh man...talk about small town boy meets City Livin.

I also remember sitting in a little apartment in WV, anticipating my move to Austin, and had come across this tune that I promised myself...one day...my band would cover it!!

I love this city, love the people, love the attitude, and most importantly love the warm slobbery embrace Snake Skin Prison has rec'd from Red River and the Music Community.

I'm not going to try and fake the funk on the nasty dunk and act like I'm a Texas History Buff (that's Keef's job), but I have been to the Alamo...twice and I do pay attention.  One of the first things I noticed about Texas is the deep love for the state that the people have...those that are from Texas...the deep tradition, culture, and all around bad ass-ness.  I mean Davey Crockett himself said: "You can go to Hell, I'm going to Texas!!"  Or how about the "Eff  You I'm from Texas" shirt??  I saw that on 6th street and had to take a picture...lol.  With myself being big on family, friends, and taking care of each other...I felt right at home with this mentality.  


So, with all that being said, we're approaching an important date for the State of Texas.  Texas Independence Day (March 2)!!  And what better way to celebrate that then with Live Music, BYOB, and Camping??  Snake Skin Prison is super excited to be a part of this year's Texas Independence Festival .

There's a lot more going on with SSP...as a matter of a fact, we have updated our website...new merch...show dates...swing by and check it out!! 


Oh yeah, as for covering Blind in Texas...don't say I didn't warn ya:

I think we had had more than high balls in Houston that night !!

Keep it Real Peeps....Real Safe!!
San Angelo and El Paso...SSP is coming your way this WEEKEND!!
SALUTE!!
mb

A Whole Lotta Love

February already?? Man, where did January go?  Wait where did 2011 go?!?!? Well in the words of Early Cuyler, "Time flies when you're drunk!" 

We have a lot to discuss business wise so time to take a seat and grab something to wet the ol' kisser, cause this might take a minute.  Coming off a hot ending  to 2011, and SSP's amazingly successful "A Very Metal Christmas", SSP headed into the studio to work with Blue October's Matt Noveskey to lay down some thick, southern pumping tunes.  These are recorded and being sent off to be mixed and mastered, and I'm really anxious to get that out for your listening delight.

Along with that, we have also started giving the SSP Website an ol' fashioned facelift.  We've added new MERCH, streamlined the site, and will continue to add to it as we go along.  So stop by and check it out!!

Snake Skin Prison has some killer shows lined up, and they are all pretty awesome so it's hard to just focus on one...but here we go:

Next weekend, SSP travels back to San Angelo to our home away from home, The Deadhorse, then ventures farther out West to El Paso!!  Talk about how the West Was Won!! This will be SSP's first venture to The House of Rock , so if you got any friends/family in El Paso, tell em to get out to the show!!

Next up will be the Texas Independence Festival.  You can click HERE to visit their site, and remember if you want tickets to this event, SSP has them for $30!!  Email us HERE to get yours while they last!!  Last year Down and David Allen Coe headlined, and whereas I can't say for sure, this year's headliners will be BETTER!!  So you better grab up these tix while you can.

{whew...this is a lot of info!}

After that, comes the sometimes loved sometimes hated annual South by South West.  Now, I won't get on my rant about SXSW, cause I can, and it's not very pretty; my momma always said if you ain't got nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all.

....[crickets....]....

Moving forward!!

Snake Skin Prison will be playing Red Eyed Fly's Pre-SXSW party!!  This packs the Fly every year...so you definitely won't want to miss this.  Click HERE for info!!  Also this same week SSP will be a part of Adam Brewer's Texas Rock Fest. Bringing in killer bands, on killer stages, requiring no killing of a sacrificial lamb to attend...aka...no $300 wrist bands...SSP is always pumped to be apart of this...CHECK OUT THEIR SITE and the List of BANDS ALREADY CONFIRMED!!


ALRIGHT!  Now that's out of the way...you have no excuse not get out and see SSP.  Festival Shows, Free Shows, Traveling Road shows, Home Shows...SSP has it all, also get on the website and grab up some merch, help fuel the SSP Train. 

Alright folks...well this message has been approved by SSP!
Love ya's
MB

Chronicle Caucus

Turn up The Radio!!  What's up fine ladies and gents that so graciously and kindly follow this blog.  I hope New Years wasn't too rough on ya, and hopefully you're filling the ol rock n roll gas tank for an awesome beginning to 2012. 

Now, not that I believe in that Mayan stuff about the end of the world happening in 2012, I do believe in this:  You have to live every day like it's your last, so this whole, "I'm living 2012 as if it's the last year on earth"...news flash...I've been living like that since May 10, 1981!!

2012 has a lot in store for SSP, and I can not wait to share it with you as we climb this mountain together.  So in the words of Kix: "Hold on...Hold on Tight...I'll Make Everything Alright!!" (that's right I quoted Kix!)

First order of business, all this talk of politics and voting and republicans and democrats, one can't get lost in all the YouTube babble and forget about the yearly Austin Chronicle Music Poll where you the listener gets a chance to voice your opinion.  Whereas there are a lot of awesome bands out there, here @ the SSP Camp we ask that you please take a quick second, click that link ( or HERE ) and vote Snake Skin Prison as Austin's Best Metal Band.  Last year we clocked in at number 6...so let's stuff those ballot boxes!!  Remember if you don't vote than you can't complain (my mom used to tell my dad that).  You can also check it out HERE on Facebook.

I typically despise voting contests, but will save you the ranting and raving, you can check out a previous blog entitled "V is for Victory" if you need some more rock n roll doctrine!

I'm also super excited to announce Snake Skin Prison has been invited to play The Texas Independence Fest.  This takes place the first weekend of March, at The Cotton Gin and Longhorn Ranch in Maxwell Texas.  Now if you're saying, "Where in the Eff is that??" as I did...you can hit their website HERE and they have all the info you need from Bands to Camping to Pictures from last year.  They have Early Bird Tix for $30!!  That's a steal.  Last year David Allen Coe and Down headlined, so I'm super pumped to see who the National Headliners are this year.

Alright, so in closing what did we learn here today?
-Vote SSP in the Austin Chronicle's Music Poll as Best Metal Band
-Get them presale tickets for the Texas Independence Fest...the biggest festival in Texas
-If you don't vote you can't complain
-I have gotten really good at creating hyperlinks within my blog

Over and Out!
MB