Music:
Member Since: 24/07/2007
Band Website: erichowellmusic.com
Band Members: Eric Howell~ Songwriter, lead singer, guitarist, producerThe Implants (rotating line ups include):
Casey McDonough(bass/vocals), Phil Angotti(guitar/vocals/songwriting) Jim Barclay(drums/vocals), Randy Antlept(drums/vocals), Tony Kidonakis(keys/vocals/arranging), Sean
Buckley(bass/vocals),Jamie Motz(guitar/backing vocals), Mike Zelenko(drums), Steve Gillis(drums) and several other musicians contributed to the studio recordings as well...
Influences: Eric Howell : BiographyEric Howell is a prolific songwriter who is becoming known for doing it all. Howell has churned out effortless melodies from the late 80's, kicking it up a notch into the present, writing songs that music lovers can relate to in a widely diverse market. How diverse? This fall he launched the premiere of "Beneath The Music: The Story of Greatest Hitch!" a documentary film Howell produced about the story of his life in music, showing at the historic Music Box Theater in Chicago to a packed house of devoted local fans. The film screening ties into the release of Eric Howell's Greatest Hitch! Vol One, the debut album which took fifteen years to release (out now on his own Soothing Throat Discs label). Powerpop fanzine Audities out of Austin, TX called Eric's music "equal parts Paul McCartney and Paul Simon backed by R.E.M. on a truly great Wings tune" and WXRT morning radio host Lin Brehmer praises the song "Thrill" as "a garage rock classic!".A musician for over 25 years Eric has played every gig imaginable, from solo acoustic "pass the hat" coffee houses to the sports pub and grille variety to full band gigs of strictly original material in renowned music venues. He even sang in the subways for a while. "I imagined singing over a roaring subway train was the same as belting it out in a stadium full of thousands of screaming fans."Songs emerged in the form of self-produced demos to shop to record labels in the mid 1990's. But Howell soon decided shopping his songs wasn't what it was cracked up to be. "Everywhere I looked, bands were getting eaten up and spit out by the labels that signed them. I decided that wasn't going to happen to me. No matter what. " He took his time making recordings that would eventually wind up on his own label, and released 'Greatest Hitch! Vol One' which took fifteen years to make. Recorded in several home studios in Chicago over as many years the album features ad hoc musicians (credited as "The Implants" ) Steve Gillis (drummer on Filter's platinum selling single "Take A Picture") multi-instrumentalist Tony Kidonakis (horn arranger/sax player/The Redwalls), and backbeat king Mike Zelenko (drummer in the 1990's power pop trio Material Issue) helped bring Howell's fifteen year odyssey into sonic focus.For more information, promo requests or to set up an interview please contact Susan Salins at [email protected] photos available at: EricHowellMusic.com
Sounds Like: 'Equal parts Paul McCartney and Paul Simon backed by R.E.M. on a truly great Wings tune'-Audities Pop Fanzine.And a bit of Cheap Trick, The Jayhawks, Bob Mould, Freedy Johnston and The Lemon Heads.
Record Label: Soothing Throat Discs
Type of Label: Unsigned