Kenny Howes
Encyclopedia
Early years
Raised in Mulberry, FloridaMulberry, Florida
Mulberry is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,228 . Mulberry is home to Badcock Home Furniture. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical...
, Howes began his musical endeavors at the age of ten by simultaneously learning the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at home and the French horn at school.
Through his musical ferocity for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, he quickly became proficient on these and other instruments. By high school was performing regularly with many local garage cover bands in a variety of styles, including punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, new romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
, paisley underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
/acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, and AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
rock/heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
1989 - 1996
In 1989, after graduating from Mulberry High SchoolMulberry High School
Mulberry High School is a four-year public high school located in Mulberry, Florida, serving the city and surrounding areas. Its enrollment is 1005 students.-History:...
and then Polk Community College
Polk Community College
Polk State College, formerly known as Polk Community College, is a public state college located in Winter Haven, Florida, USA. Polk State College is a member institution of the Florida College System....
, Howes attended Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in Tallahassee, and while there began his recording career, following the breakup of his band The Mustardseeds and a stint with local faves Zombie Birdhouse.
Overdubbing all voices and instruments (except drums, performed by schoolmate Kelly Shane), Howes released his first collection Nothing Wrong With That first as a DIY cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1993 and then (after adding four songs) as a full-length CD in 1995.
After an East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
US solo tour, he then recorded and released his CD Kenny Howes’ Second Album in early 1996, which had favorable reviews and is known not only for the song "Girls With Glasses" ("one of the finest power pop tracks of the '90s," said author/power pop reviewer John Borack), but also for its cover art, which parodies The Beatles' Second Album. In addition to favorable reviews, Kenny Howes' Second Album was ranked #157 on The 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums list in the 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide.
This disc once again featured only Howes and Shane, who had begun performing live as Kenny Howes and the Curious Yellow, along with Bob Anthony (on guitar), Ben Pringle (later of Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp , Charlie Dennis and Steve Sherlock . They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics...
and The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
) on bass, and Chuck Vaughan (combo organ
Combo organ
A combo organ is an electronic organ of the frequency divider type, generally produced between the early 1960s and the late 1970s. The combo organ concept, at least in the context of mass-production, is thought to have been born from the accordion, probably in Italy, as the brainchild of necessity...
, later replacing Pringle on bass). The band embarked on an East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
tour in spring 1996.
1996 - 2002
In 1996, Howes and drummer Kelly Shane relocated to the Atlanta, GA area, and began work on Howes' next CD Back To You Today! (released 1998). The disc's cover art was an unintentional nod to Grand Funk RailroadGrand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
's "Pointing Finger
We're an American Band
We're An American Band is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, credited as Grand Funk. The album was released by Capitol Records on July 15, 1973 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America a little over a month after its release. Two...
" logo.
While piecing together a new group, Howes joined the psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
pop band Orange Hat
Orange Hat
-Early years:Guitarist Christo Harris started Orange Hat while in high school in 1983 and was joined by guitarist/bassist David "Zeus" Henderson several years later. The pair, with constantly changing lineups, took advantage of the '80s DIY cassette culture and released a half dozen independent...
(playing the Vox Continental
Vox Continental
The Vox Continental is a transistor-based combo organ that was introduced in 1962. Known for its thin, bright, breathy sound, the "Connie," as it was affectionately known, was designed to be used by touring musicians...
organ), with whom he recorded the CD Pufferfish and continued to perform live until 2002.
In 1998 a lineup stabilized for his new group, Kenny Howes & the Yeah!, comprising Howes, Shane, guitarist Jason NeSmith (later of Casper and the Cookies) and bassist Kyle Harris (later of The Diamond Center). The group was a popular draw in both the Atlanta and Athens, GA indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
scenes.
Starting in 1999, Howes also began performing annually at the International Pop Overthrow
International Pop Overthrow
The International Pop Overthrow is an American-originated music festival devoted to power pop music and related genres.Taking its name from Material Issue's 1991 album of the same name, the festival began in 1998, and has been held annually in the LA area since then...
power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He would typically perform with local L.A. backing musicians, although KH&Y did perform at the festival as a group in 2000, at the El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
.
In 2000, Howes signed a licensing/distribution deal with short-lived indie label SecondHeaven.com, who released the a compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of remixed songs from Howes' first three CD releases, which were now out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
, The Right Idea.
Howes and his band began work on their first group recording in 2000 at Chase Park Transduction studios in Athens, GA, recorded by NeSmith and David Barbe
David Barbe
David Barbe is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens...
of Sugar. (Some pre-production was done in Hoboken, NJ with producer Don Fleming
Don Fleming (musician)
Don Fleming is an American musician, best known for being the frontman of Velvet Monkeys, B.A.L.L., and Gumball.-Biography:...
.) These sessions, which featured a re-working of Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
's "They Don't Know
They Don't Know (Kirsty MacColl song)
"They Don't Know" is a popular song, written and composed by singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, the daughter of singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl. Ms. MacColl recorded it in 1979. It became popular on radio in the United Kingdom, reaching #2 on the Music Week airplay chart...
," were released in a small run of CDs on Royal Fuzz Records as Kenny Howes & the Yeah! in late 2001; the album was re-titled Until Dawn and re-released on TallBoy Records in 2002, to greater distribution and acclaim.
TallBoy Records also commissioned KH&Y to contribute to a special 7-inch record containing four artists' renditions of The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
's "Do Ya," which was released in 2002. The group also contributed a recording of Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
' "Venus and Mars/Rock Show
Venus and Mars/Rock Show
"Venus and Mars/Rock Show" is a a medley of two songs written by Paul and Linda McCartney and originally performed by Wings that make up the first two songs of the album Venus and Mars. The single was released in the US on 27 October 1975 and in the UK on 28 November 1975. The B-side was "Magneto...
" to the Demagogue Records compilation Love In Song: An Atlanta Tribute To Sir Paul McCartney (2000).
KH&Y disbanded in December 2001. Howes performed with a new lineup in the Atlanta area for most of 2002; he then toured the northeast and midwest US with fellow singer/songwriter Robbie Rist
Robbie Rist
Robert Anthony Rist is an American actor and musician.-Acting and voiceover work:As a child, Rist played Cousin Oliver in the final six episodes of The Brady Bunch. With the regular children all getting older, his inclusion was intended to reintroduce cute younger children to the series...
in October of that year.
2003 - 2010
Kenny appeared briefly in Glenn TilbrookGlenn Tilbrook
Glenn Martin Tilbrook is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid 1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody for Squeeze, while his writing partner, Chris Difford, wrote the lyrics...
's documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
One for the Road (released 2006), accompanying the Squeeze frontman in an impromptu 2001 living room concert in Atlanta.
Before relocating to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in 2003, Howes began recording his CD Lady Friend in Hoschton, GA, releasing it in 2004. The title track was written by David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
and originally recorded by The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
in 1967; the CD's cover art featured a Honda Super Cub scooter.
While in California, Howes' side project Hautewerk
Hautewerk
Hautewerk is a rock group based out of Orange County, California, composed of Kenny Howes and John Hall.- History :Kenny Howes and John Hall first met in the summer of 2000, but it was not until Howes' relocation to Orange County, California in 2003 that the two began to occasionally collaborate on...
licensed three songs to the Rockband video game (April 2009). He performed as a member of San Diego garage-pop band The Shambles
The Shambles (band)
The Shambles is an American power pop and rock group from San Diego, California.Formed in 1990 from members of other regional bands, The Shambles have released numerous CDs, LPs and 7-inch singles, have toured extensively in the USA, and performed in the UK , Mexico and Spain.-Members:The founding...
and occasionally with Pat DiNizio
Pat DiNizio
Pat DiNizio , of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, is the lead singer, songwriter, and member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros, from Carteret, New Jersey....
of The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
, while continuing to play solo and band shows of his own material.
Howes was also a member of The PopDudes, a lighthearted cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
of rotating members who perform annually at the International Pop Overthrow
International Pop Overthrow
The International Pop Overthrow is an American-originated music festival devoted to power pop music and related genres.Taking its name from Material Issue's 1991 album of the same name, the festival began in 1998, and has been held annually in the LA area since then...
festival in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The group recorded a version of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
's first single, Waterloo, which was included on the 2006 compilation CD International Pop Overthrow (Volume 9).
2010 - present
Howes relocated to Dallas, TX in 2010. He released a compilation of his early recordings, Holding Up The Sound, in October 2010, and toured to US East Coast for five weeks in support. He also completed work on a new studio album, to be released in 2012.He is also a part-time master teacher at Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach High School is a public high school in Huntington Beach, California. Opened in 1906, it is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. HBHS is a California Distinguished School...
's Academy For The Performing Arts, assisting and coaching the Academy's students for their Commercial Recording Arts Department's biannual performances.
In November 2011, Howes joined The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
' Pat DiNizio
Pat DiNizio
Pat DiNizio , of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, is the lead singer, songwriter, and member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros, from Carteret, New Jersey....
in his "Confessions Of A Rock Star" band (playing the 12-string bass), which performs nightly at The Riviera Hotel & Casino
Riviera (hotel and casino)
The Riviera is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The hotel has over 2,100 rooms, many located in a 23-story tower. The casino has of gaming space.-History:...
in Las Vegas.
Musical style/influences
While swaying into other genres such as rockabillyRockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, garage
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop is a psychedelic musical style inspired by the sounds of psychedelic folk and psychedelic rock, but applied to a pop music setting...
, and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, Kenny Howes favors the power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
genre (“like The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
but louder,” he says). Over the years, Kenny has performed on bills with many other well known power-pop artists, including Guided By Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
and Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, The Posies
The Posies
The Posies are an alternative rock/power pop group. The band was formed in 1987 in Bellingham, Washington by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. They are best known for their radio hits "Golden Blunders" , as well as "Dream All Day", "Solar Sister" and "Flavor of the Month"...
' Ken Stringfellow
Ken Stringfellow
Kenneth Stuart Stringfellow is an American musician, best known for his work with The Posies, R.E.M., and the re-formed Big Star.-Musical career:...
, The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
, Big Star’s Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
, The Minus 5
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.-Band history:Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective, with each record the group put out featuring a new lineup...
, Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
, and Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
.
Compact Discs
- Nothing Wrong With That • AAJ Records, 1995
- Kenny Howes’ Second Album • AAJ Records, 1996
- Back To You Today! • AAJ/Shoeleg Records, 1998
- The Right Idea • Second Heaven Records, 2000
- Kenny Howes & the Yeah! • Royal Fuzz Records, 2001
- Until Dawn [re-release of Kenny Howes & the Yeah!] • TallBoy Records, 2002
- Lady Friend • YEAH! Records, 2004
- Holding Up The Sound • YEAH! Records, 2010
EPs
- Nothing Wrong With That [cassette] • independent 1993
- In Between [cassette] • independent 1994
Compilation appearances
- The World’s Best Powerpop Compilation...Really • Not Lame RecordingsNot Lame RecordingsNot Lame Recordings was a Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States based independent record label specializing in power pop releases. The company was started by Bruce Brodeen in November 1994 but it shut down per November 24, 2010. The reasons Brodeen mentioned were a career switch combined with...
, 1998 • "Easy On The Eye" - Pop Till You Drop • S'more Records, 1999 • "Girls With Glasses"
- Love in Song: An Atlanta Tribute to Sir Paul McCartney • Demagogue Records, 2000 • "Venus & Mars / Rock Show"
- Do Ya? (7-inch) • Tallboy Records, 2002 • "Do Ya"
- Bands Best Friend • 2003 • "The Truth Is"
- International Pop Overthrow (Volume 9) • Not Lame RecordingsNot Lame RecordingsNot Lame Recordings was a Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States based independent record label specializing in power pop releases. The company was started by Bruce Brodeen in November 1994 but it shut down per November 24, 2010. The reasons Brodeen mentioned were a career switch combined with...
, 2006 • "Waterloo" with The PopDudes
External links
- Kenny Howes ReverbNation page
- Kenny Howes’ MySpace page
- [ Kenny Howes’ All Music Guide] listing