Welcome to my portfolio. Below you will find a sampling of some of my latest recordings that have been officially released (out of 14+ solo and collaborative releases I have put out). Following that are some other audio-related projects I have been a part of. The last posting consists of reviews of my work by various online music journals. Thanks, and enjoy!
-Ryan Howe
Punks on Mars- "Bad Expectations"
These are three songs from the recent full length LP release of my project, Punks on Mars. This record is the full band realization of my music; bass, drums and some keys are performed by other musicians, I play guitars and sing. Songs are written, arranged, produced and engineered by me. Released on LP, CD and digital in 2012.
Punks on Mars- Self-Titled
This piece was on the first Punks on Mars LP and is representative of my more lo-fidelity, sound collage-oriented work. Recorded to cassette 8-track and released on vinyl in 2011.
Dream Lover Film Soundtrack
This is a track performed and produced by myself, with the film maker performing the vocal. I did the score and sound effects for the horror film, this being one of the musical segments. Recorded digitally in 2010.
"Pickup Line" by The Heartbreakers
This is a somewhat satirical track I recorded with a group of teens in an after school workshop at the Children's Museum of the Arts. In the class we worked on rudimentary production and performance techniques as well as aesthetic concepts. We released an EP at the end of the semester with original artwork and liner notes. Recorded to Garage Band in 2012.
Reviews of Ryan's Music
"It's obvious that Howe and company are hyper-literate when it comes to pop history: "Tabloid Tomorrow" is more than a bit Kinks-y,
and not just because it involves a girl named Victoria, while
"Poltergeist" and "Is It Me?" are great examples of just how much angst
churns underneath power pop's shiny riffs...However they play it, Punks on Mars sound retro, fresh, and completely catchy on Bad Expectations,
and the album's only drawback -- if it can be called that -- is just
how breathlessly full of fast-paced, hook-laden songs it is from
beginning to end."- All Music
FULL REVIEW
"Ryan Howe’s not new to the music world, but his newest endeavor as Punks On Mars is sort of a new creation. Listening to the entirety of Bad Expectations, you’re rushed through a compilation of Howe’s influences, re-imagined and perfected by his gift for pop sensibility. Sure, you can say it’s all over the place, musically, but that makes it one hell of a good listen... It’s nice to see someone going outside the normal re-hash and creating something I’ll adore for its obviousness, yet still find myself, and my ears, challenged." -Austin Town Hall
FULL REVIEW
"While Ryan has always been crazy good at fully realizing the universe of his PeeWee’s Playhouse-esque punk pop, his earlier tracks tended to feel more like sketches that popped out his mind and started multiplying like gremlins. On Bad Expectation there has been a notable step up in songwriting and production that shows that maybe Punks On Mars isn’t messing around this time. But then again, who knows."- Portals Music Blog
FULL REVIEW
"A music analyst may infer Howe as some sort of current-day prodigal rock historian, the son of a new wave-flailing baby boomer with troves of dusty records stacked in milk crates. But it’s also fair to say that his pop knowledge could stem from what’s he’s exclusively learned from the small screen, of how music cross-breeds into the public image and takes a whole new meaning... Punks on Mars like to play make-believe, transforming their collection of ideas into the funnest, most addictive pop romp the new wave era seemed to forget. For a little over half an hour we’re tuning into their variety show, and they pull all the stops out to make sure you to stick to their channel." -No Ripcord
FULL REVIEW
Other reviews:
http://austintownhall.com/2012/08/13/new-jam-from-punks-on-mars/
http://www.alteredzones.com/posts/2000/punks-mars-hey-tiffany/
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1176/punks-mars-glitter-mars/
FULL REVIEW
"Ryan Howe’s not new to the music world, but his newest endeavor as Punks On Mars is sort of a new creation. Listening to the entirety of Bad Expectations, you’re rushed through a compilation of Howe’s influences, re-imagined and perfected by his gift for pop sensibility. Sure, you can say it’s all over the place, musically, but that makes it one hell of a good listen... It’s nice to see someone going outside the normal re-hash and creating something I’ll adore for its obviousness, yet still find myself, and my ears, challenged." -Austin Town Hall
FULL REVIEW
"While Ryan has always been crazy good at fully realizing the universe of his PeeWee’s Playhouse-esque punk pop, his earlier tracks tended to feel more like sketches that popped out his mind and started multiplying like gremlins. On Bad Expectation there has been a notable step up in songwriting and production that shows that maybe Punks On Mars isn’t messing around this time. But then again, who knows."- Portals Music Blog
FULL REVIEW
"A music analyst may infer Howe as some sort of current-day prodigal rock historian, the son of a new wave-flailing baby boomer with troves of dusty records stacked in milk crates. But it’s also fair to say that his pop knowledge could stem from what’s he’s exclusively learned from the small screen, of how music cross-breeds into the public image and takes a whole new meaning... Punks on Mars like to play make-believe, transforming their collection of ideas into the funnest, most addictive pop romp the new wave era seemed to forget. For a little over half an hour we’re tuning into their variety show, and they pull all the stops out to make sure you to stick to their channel." -No Ripcord
FULL REVIEW
Other reviews:
http://austintownhall.com/2012/08/13/new-jam-from-punks-on-mars/
http://www.alteredzones.com/posts/2000/punks-mars-hey-tiffany/
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1176/punks-mars-glitter-mars/
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