Bio

–Act I, Scene I–

Scene: the basement of a house in small-town Nebraska, rainy April afternooon, 1999. Several kids are gathered around a billiards table, others talk and joke. howie is sitting on the basement steps, strumming a guitar.

Scott: I could put some sweet saxophone on top of that, you know.

–Act I, Scene II–

Scene: A coffeehouse in Lincoln the following year. A crowd of people fills the room with the hum of conversation. howie&scott take the floor with a guitar, a saxophone, and a set of bongos.

howie:You want to play DMB or Foo Fighters?
Scott:Dave.
howie:That’s the most you’ve said in weeks.

–Act I, Scene III–

Scene: A college dorm room, spring 2001. Scott walks in. howie is seated on the floor with a yellow legal pad in front of him.

howie:Guess what.
Scott:What?
howie:I just wrote a song.
Scott:Cool.
howie:That’s the most you’ve said in weeks.
Scott:(silence)
howie:Go get your djembe. And the soprano sax, claves, congas, radio, flute…

–Intermission–

Two records (“Bigger Sounds From Fewer Folks,” “near and far”) are released during this time. h&s play gig after gig in southeast Nebraska.

–Act II, Scene I–

Scene: A sweltering night in midsummer 2003. Dim light outlines two figures, one seated behind a drum kit, the other poised towards the set, guitar in hand. Feedback fills the room. ProTools is trying to keep up with the sound.

howie:You ready?
Scott:Rocket (rock it).
howie(singing):In the night sky, past Orion’s eye…

–Act II, Scene II–

Scene: Beginning January 2004. The metamorphisis to rock band from jazzy coffeehouse duo complete, h&s release “signs.comets” – two albums in one package – and play its songs for all who will listen. Speaking from the stage…

howie:I’ve always wanted people to jump and rock out to our music… can we do that tonight?
crowd: yeah! (various affirmative responses).
howie&scott: After the countdown / what should I do now? / a new one begins…

–to be continued…–

Circa spring 2004, the story thus (near and) far… -h, 2011

One Sheet

howie&scott
contact: c. howie howard – 402.826.3502 – choward@doane.edu
www.howieandscott.com

INFO:
howie&scott is a rock band from Crete, NE, whose members C. Howie Howard (guitar, voice) and Scott Morris (percussion, saxophone, voice) have been playing together since 1999, and recently released their third album titled signs.comets. What started as acoustic jamming in the Morris family basement became a 2-man coffeehouse act, in turn evolving into the rock band howie&scott is today. With over 100 shows under their belts in the past few years, hundreds of CDs sold (approaching 1,000), and audiences that include people of all ages and musical tastes as well as their college-aged peers, Crete’s own howie&scott is creating some of the best local music around.

The band’s website is a great source of information, including a biography (written in the style of a play) including scenes howie&scott’s history, a complete discography, photos, mp3 audio files, and much more.

SIGNS.COMETS:
signs.comets is a double-CD album recorded in the summer / fall of 2003 by the band in their own home studio, PROJECT:ECHO. Each CD has 10 songs, covering a wide range of sounds and subject matter. signs.comets is available for $10 at TrueValue in Crete, at the Doane Bookstore, or by contacting Howie at choward@doane.edu. Soon, the album will be available online through the band’s website (www.howieandscott.com) and at Homer’s music store in Lincoln.

SOUND:
howie&scott has an expressive, mature rock sound that features poetic lyricism, memorable yet economic melodies, and rhythmic variety and intensity. Scott’s background in jazz and classical music informs the group’s rich chord structure, and Howie’s compositions are innovative without expirimental excess. It is difficult to compare the band with well-known musicians, but if you take the structure and melodicism of Tool, subtract the heavy metal, multiply by the jazz-influenced Dave Matthews Band and raise the total by a power of Incubus, you may asymptotically approach the sound of howie&scott.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
12 Feb Thursday: Crete NE – Doane College, Tiger Inn CD RELEASE SHOW
8 pm; J.V. All*stars – 9 pm; howie&scott
*FREE*ALL AGES*

29 Feb Sunday: Crete, NE – UCC First Congregational – 12th & Ivy
7 pm; Doane Jazz Combo feat. Scott – 8 pm; howie&scott
*FREE*ALL AGES*COMMUNITY EVENT*

Other shows coming in March and April include playing at St. Paul’s friday night coffeehouse series in Lincoln, with former members of popular Lincoln band Blacklight Sunshine, with national touring band Life in General at Doane College, for UNL’s Earth Day festivities, and for the Doane College RELAY FOR LIFE.

Comments Page

howieandscott.com posted a new page today. it’s got feedback from people who have been listening to the “signs.comets” and “b.sides” projects. we hope this comments page will spark interesting thoughts in your mind as you listen, or give you some ideas about what we sound like if you haven’t heard us before.

last night at the Shacker show cory was saying something about how the song structure and melodies share some territory with Tool. minus the metal, i see that. it’s an interesting question that always perplexes me; what does h&s sound like? but along the lines of “Tool – metal x Incubus/DMB” may asymptotically approach reality… i hope that at least is useful for new listeners to decide if they might be interested.

signs.comets comments

various comments on signs.comets as people have encountered the record

“…You guys have made an album.”

-Patrick Stone, March 04

“***RECOMMENDED LISTENING*** Christmas came early and Santa shuffled off six superfly free tracks before heading back north and showing Mrs. Claus sumpthin’-sumpthin’. Seriously, drop what you are doing and go listen to howie&scott’s new online EP, b.sides, at their new site:
http://www.howieandscott.com
Seriously. You can feed the kids tomorrow. All they do is yap anyway.”

-SHAFTED! (Arturo Got The Shaft email list), 29 October 03

“dude! you guys are freaks! thanks for sending the album. have i totally forgotten what you sounded like or is this new project a bold leap for you guys? completely rockin’! signs just ended and now comets is spinning madly in my cd player. just wanted to let you know how much i’m enjoying it…

yeah, it really is quite a departure. sounds totally natural, though.”

-Jerry Chapman (of Jerry Chapman and Life in General), 3 February 04

“tonight, listening to your cd a second (okay, and now a third) time, it’s houston that i want to hear over and over again. it’s achingly beautiful, somehow eerie. it’s a feeling i recognize but it’s rare and i think this might be the first h&s song to have that kind of reaction from me.”

-Mary Howard, 31 January 04

“I am listening to the finished product of Signs/Comets and it ROCKS! The melodies are super tight, the musicianship is disgustingly immaculate, the recording/mixing/mastering sounds great; this is an all around great record. You really did a number one me this time… from one songwriter to another, you hit the nail on the head in a big way. Congratulations!”

-Cory Kibler (of Shacker), 22 January 04

“Jesus Christ dude.

I can’t stop listening to Blues or Astroblue.”

-Rob (Arturo Got The Shaft), 21 January 04

“I downloaded the b-sides yesterday and I must say if these are what was left out, the album must be pure gold. I was always a fan, but the new stuff is so much better. I’m really excited to hear the final product…”

-Tim Jensen (The Blame Game), 24 October 03

-h, 2011

signs.comets lyrics

WAIT, YOU’RE WHERE…?!

One – can I come through clearly?
Are you on the other end?
Where you are – bare feet on the floor, and
Hands wide open hands wide open,
Feeling the size of my heartbeat within

A phrase says enough to deserve a comma
Letters left to bridge the break
But no so much to require a period
And we’re reading so sincere
Dive between the lines and rally here

A phase is predictable energy flux
Radiating over us
Or a temporal unit
We divide our history
What’s between the world and you and me?

I try to place you only in good situations
Like drought in the summer, others may arrive
Let them wander, lost, into the desert
I’ll come with the rain, remember, remember…

Choosing phrases carefully, we touch the ether
Filled and late and loving it
Call if you get stuck halfway to Mars
Because De La (Soul) says to ‘hold on,’ so
Hold on…
(remember)

MAJOR & MINOR

Fill your lungs into my hands on your back
Feel how to breathe
Let my weight transfer through to your heart
Take time to breathe
Allow thoughts, any one at all
Major & minor connections to God
Hangups be gone

And if I ever could fall this song apart
Then step up, take my guitar, and
Let me hear your heart while I lay down
Let’s decide on a sign, a line to sing in every song
Major & minor, the band plays on

Lend us a day or an hour at that
Take time to breathe
Take off our watches and dance in the back
Reminder to… breathe
Make space to lay the story down
I’m not counting on last night alone
It’s in the response

So if I ever could fall this song apart
Then step up, take my guitar, and
Let me hear your heart while I lay down
Let’s decide on a sign, a line to sing in every song
Major & minor, the band plays on

Jane paints her eyes and is off to the show
Jack buses tables in downtown New York
Jessica’s reading a book in the dark, and I’m
Holding my breath for you to get home
The lines that crossed your face could tell a story
But wash them down, I wasn’t around, and
That is why they’re asking you

YES SONG

Think for me a question or two to which
You’d like to hear ‘yes,’ and say when you’re ready
Only you know what I agree to
Only you know
Give my trust that I’m not out of the argument
Give my trust I’m not a hippopotamus
Then in days or months tell me what you asked and
I’ll say yes

I know what you asked

Your question left me nearly weightless
Not the trend of the early 80’s, but
Definitely coming next year
Your question left me nearly weightless
If I ask would you sing and play this?
Send me into orbit with it ringing in my ears
Ringing in my ears

THANKS FOR VISITING ME ON THE RADIO

Hello, are you well tonight?
It’s 2:00, and there’s a storm outside
In my dreams you’re all around me
Hands would reach and you would find me
Fall into the warm surroundings
Let the music take us finally…
Thanks for visiting me on the radio

Because distance is no object if you listen in
Turn the volume down, and listen in
Spin around the perfect song
Frequency of all-night-long and
If I stay up, I could hear you on…

Thanks for visiting me on the radio

THE BRIDGE (A COSMIC CONSEQUENCE)

Faces drawn
Gesturing of others from the outer edge
Peering into lonliness and the almost-abyss
Who am I to take you?

Could the nether forces of our underrated star elict a cosmic consequence?
Fade the light and welcome hence a new concept of what we are
Who am I to carry you over?

Crossing slip one foot to side
Kick a stone and watch it: fly down the drop

Who lifts my weight?
Who has yours?
Or don’t we hold on anything?
Leave yesterday and all its sting to ripple out subsonically?
And where I’m blind, no worrying?
Where I’m blind
Who am I to take you?

THINGS WE KNOW NOW

We’re never tired of making eyes, you know
Constantly say things one more time, you know
Remember staying up after midnight?
After sunrise?

Who would you ask to drive you home, you know now
Who would keep you from being on your own?

I know your face is older
I know your heart is in my teeth by its sound

And I pray when we’re home for the night
I know your face is older
I know your heart is in my teeth by its sound

In the rain I see a light
In the window wave goodbye
Lock your keys inside the car and stand outside at night
I know your face is older

MIDNIGHTS AND TAPE DELAYS

Rocking back to think about our celebration, I see you
And what it means to occupy another nation
Saddle up our horses
We’re throwing down with everything we’re worth

It’s all about the pitch and roll, and up the field
Toe the line
Texans raised on turf war aren’t about to yield behind schools
Or ocean’s divide
And I can’t help but feel sincerely misaligned
Since I found the heaven and the hell
The devil and the angel
The night and day within your eyes
In your eyes

Midnights and tape delays
Crawled into you too late
Three in the morning and leaving at 8:00
Stuck in the snow today
Looked from the road away
Echo effects in the cold instead

WHAT SOUNDS ARE REAL?

Sat up speaking past eleven
Into bed at quarter-aft
Waking, dreaming, feel you breathing over shoulders
Walking past

An end is made to reach at sunrise
Trade my senses for a rest
Things are heard through open windows
Love may come, but we are left to lie

All our dreams are over now, but one is coming true
By lantern light record tonight
What sounds are real?

The genius I am not remembered,
“Piano in the other room”
At 3 a.m. the week before
I filled a book with I’s and IV’s
And when it’s gone there isn’t any more and
If the door should open back
Tough to turn the handle then
To watch and sit and write the turner into song by moonlit pen
And in your place an empty wall
The bed’s not big enough for two to comfort from each other’s nightmares
What sounds are real?
Which one is really you?

BLUES OR ASTROBLUE?

In the night sky, past Orion’s eye, in the astroblue
I heard a song; sang one million strong,
“Don’t feel alone”
In this lifetime, before I die, I will surrender
All of my pride
Cherished by starlight
To the arms my good half knows are waiting
Don’t feel alone

Let the good light in and the bad light fade away

Nothing’s ever right with you with me
Drifting in the astroblue
Let’s see

You were nearly

Hold on

Waiting in the dark, you are asleep
Only waking up in time for me
Wrapped up in your blanket and your dreams
Left a light burning…
AFTER THE COUNTDOWN

Got yourself into this – remember there’s plenty to do
If I could only remember, I got myself into this
Standing up, finish one
The doorframe paints pictures of you
Follow a hand into your room, I had an important question

But after the countdown
What should I do now?
A new one begins

And with what light we have we’ll bring along our friends
And when the clock is over, we’ll get up and start again
I’ve never walked in darkness…

Home, home on the range
Is far, too far for driving tonight
But songs come through, snow and all,
So much the better

And with what light we have a message’s sent out to the end
That in our darkest hour, we’ll get up and start again
And I’ve never walked in silence
Listen for the countdown…
Any second…

NOW

After the countdown what should i do now? a new one begins…

I WOULD

I would gain and be able
Think have placed
The closing day
Foot unsteady
And I would

The water leads
The pounding keys
To get warm
Descending scales we’re on

and I would,
I would

ROXANNE

Roxanne, start to break some chains
Lost and halfway up I circled back for you Roxanne,

Roxanne, once you know
You don’t have to stay

We climb towards the Forms
All right, all in, distorm
And I
Break of day
To find the light of Saturn on your face Roxanne,

Roxanne, once you know
You don’t have to stay

E. MORNING (RESSURECTION)

Ressurected blue, aren’t you?
It’s so late
Now our at, wait,
Decide, you crescent
In turn, Miss Listen

This way
This way, love

What we said
Remote art / hungry men
Ressurected tonight
On the pavement we’ll lie

Falling, falling towards the sound
Remind me

TIRED CHORDS

Sin is honest, within (with an) honest understanding
But you won’t give up
Said you, said you
So don’t tell me you’re underemployed
When you won’t give up your tired chords for this tune

Because it’s good enough for Grandad doesn’t mean it’s good
Thought I ever
Sought I ever making this real
Say what you feel over your tired chords
You won’t give up your tired chords
Letting go…

Jerk the ground from under all
Laughing while we’re forced to crawl on hands and knees
Over and over

Come clean
When you sing through the floor
I hear what really matters
The weight you carry in your voice

So don’t give up those tired chords

HOUSTON

Don’t you think you’re strong enough?
Like a cowboy, you’ve had a rough year
And singing alone when you’re with me is singing alone
Because it is
It is

Beating heart of the desert sand
Blew a panel and forced to land
Drag your parachute closer, love
Weary, come to find me

Don’t you think you’ve had enough?
Kick me over, wake me up
Film and skin driving night before

When I’m still troubled in my sleep
Weightless days pass and still we breathe, singing alone

If you’re home then can you hear me?
Calling tired the copper is
Wind up all around and hurry
Roger, copy Houston sends
Comfort in a wider circle
Could we fly as simply friends held together in our capsule? Roger, copy Houston sends
Because it is

STOP WALKING

And what have we done to make ourselves walk again?
There’s promises I’ve made to people you don’t who know you, and
Though its often the case
That finding out, for itself, gives us nothing
Else

We won’t stop until we reach an end
But this feels like an end
It feels like an end

E. AFTERNOON (WILL)

You will / you will / YOU will / you Will
Decide: who made thee?
you WILL / you will
Amazing grace
You will / You Will
Desire

Desire

Desire stops your Will

NEW TITLE (BERLIN)

Are you conscious of this other life?
A monarch flaps her wings in China and we wind up with
Looks that tell “I’ve seen you”
Known together in another time
On a path that led me to Berlin
Followed your hand through the Northern Cross instead of here…

Into a small apartment near the city
Massive phone bills instead of miles
On cloudy nights you’d keep me lonely
DC power arc-ing off this line
On a path that led me to Berlin
Followed your hand through the Northern Cross
Instead of here

CHOOSE TO

EASTER III

And what it’s all about
In line
In qeue is in line
Wishing forty over
Hold
Drop your doubt-debt
And while you’re down and out
When we speak out of key

So if you’re trapped in amber
In line
Offering like
That’s when it’s not a choice
to/you lose/use
Your vote, your voice

I see you’re tired standing you could
Play down and out when you’re at an end
It’s when we’re at an end

THE SONG I SANG FOR YOU
TELL WHAT IT MEANS
WHEN I SING
AND WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
IT’S NOT LIKE YOU
IT’S NOT LIKE YOU TO BREAK

signs.comets

comets
1.Wait, You’re Where…?!
2.Major & Minor.
3.Yes Song
4.Thanks For Visiting Me On The Radio
5.The Bridge (a cosmic consequence)
6.Things We Know Now
7.Midnights and Tape Delays
8.What Sounds Are Real
9.Blues or Astroblue?
10.After the Countdown

signs
1.I Would
2.Roxanne
3.E. Morning (ressurection)
4.Tired Chords
5.Houston
6.Stop Walking
7.E. Afternoon (will)
8.New Title (berlin)
9.Choose To
10.Easter III

After a flurry of early recorded material, howie&scott spent nearly two years (April 02 – January 04) bringing forth a new project. “signs.comets” includes two albums. “Comets” is the follow-up to “near and far,” and introduces a fuller sound and continues the band’s trend towards both memorable lyrical/musical phrases, and adventures into uncharted territories of songwriting. h&s’s fourth effort, “Signs,” becomes stark, with more than a little desperation reaching out through the songs. Notes and words are stripped of all things extraneous, and seem to exist simply in themselves.

It could be said that “Comets” is the record h&s always implicitly promised their friends, their fans, and themselves. Having fulfilled that purpose, “Signs” stretches beyond, and finds… well, maybe each of us will decide what “Signs” is pointing to.

This Feels Like An End!

“sign.comets” is in the final stage of production in the warehouse. An on sight inspestion of the project will be given by Shannon and Scott in Minneapolis in the next few days and we may possibly have a disc in hand. Howie will be arriving home from his journey to Ghana upon the new year, and HOWIEANDSCOTT will then be fully operational. Shows and dates will are TBA and will be posted. On a side note we would like to pay tribute to our friends and one of our favorite bands BLACKLIGHT SUNSHINE as they are playing thier last show, as we currently know them, Dec. 27th. The music and shows have been nothing, but ROCK! and as for everyone else Happy New Year! It is excitng to puncuate this year with all of these paths winding to their destination, but as it “feels like an end”… “it’s only the beginning!” -s!

b.sides EP

1.Hymn for our TMD
2.Say Something
3.After Hrs. War
4.Snow in the East
5.Lullaby
6.Was I In Bon Jovi For A Second?

Not only did h&s’s summer/fall 2004 sessions yield two records, but six more songs as well. These are b.sides in the sense that they lay outside the songs of “signs.comets,” representing something different from those projects. Composition of the six spans the writing periods for both “Comets” and “Signs” – “After-Hours War belongs to ‘Signs,’ while the others are from the time of ‘Comets,’ and the writing of Bon Jovi spread out, bridging the two periods,” says howie. The signs.comets sessions yielded material that seemed to naturally coalesce into two albums and one companion volume – “b.sides” is that companion, offering a glimpse into what h&s has become and is becoming, and a chance to enjoy some of the band’s most freely imaginative work.

b.sides lyrics

HYMN FOR OUR TECHNOLOGICAL MANIFEST DESTINY

Are there guardian angels writing down our every twist and touch?
Right along a person’s conscience, guarding one against his crutch?
Wright believed in guiding spirits, pushing life towards intellect
While I am between the pages, holding you upon your back, but

You can paint whatever pictures you want to
Now that you’re on your own

Your heavy breathing only now begins to change us through the knee
As we alter change itself from blood to electricity
Listen close but never know its only data, only numbers,
Only time when you and I decide between the torch or tinder…
We find each other

You can paint whatever pictures you want to
Now that you’re on your own

This we do with all intentions to
Raise the standards of our brothers
Suffer west under free discretion
Silicon and quantum flags

SNOW IN THE EAST

And when I go to Africa
Skip the mild midwestern summer
Learning from our distant brothers
Let you watch the kids in Kansas or
Run around the bonster’s in Columbus

And when I talk about my dad
Thinking what you’ve said before
Makes me with I knew him more and he knew me
I could never tell him that it’s snowing in the East
He could never complement me right
But I can see it’s not his fault, it’s mine

Out the window, on the street, looks like
Snowing in the East

Can you mourn a man you never knew?
Even when I see a living footprint,
An echo only real,
If I sit back and look at you
And when it comes to moving on
The oft-repeated sympathy song
I’ll sing for us a different line
About your love and loss and mine and
Run along with you across the land
You asked if you could show your father’s hands…

AFTER-HRS WAR

This letter said “you’re on, you’re on”
The lone poet vs. MSNBC
On war in terms of Hiroshima

This could be the falling-out, I’m sure
The atom bomb of metaphor
Ashen shadows, open doors,
Shattered windows, after-hours war

What truth or sanity can stand in face of
Words spoken from the prophet’s mouth? The media’s wealth?

This could be the falling-out, I’m sure
The atom bomb of metaphor
Ashen shadows, open doors,
Shattered windows, after-hours war

LULLABY

Morning to night
We’ll take it easy
We’ll let each other on top of it all

Just go to sleep
Dream your rock’n’roll dreams
I know you pray, keep God on your lips night and day

Mourning tonight

You will be safe
Next to you, I’m wide awake
Nothing on earth will drag me from being next to your heart while you’re sleeping

Morning/mourning to night/tonight/tonite

WAS I IN BON JOVI FOR A SECOND?

Heavy rhythm, pedal to the floor (and I’ll show you what)
Denim jacket running out the door (and I’ll show you what)
Every night the music calls my name (I’ll show you what)
Flashing lights on the stage and in my brain
The band’s a rock machine
As long as the road is calling, talking dirty to me

Was I in Bon Jovi for a second there?
Was I in Guns’n’Roses for a second there?
Was I in Poison for a second there?

So I’ve been out playing rock for so long
And after the show loving every thing that comes along
While you’ve had late nights and quiet phone lines
Empty rooms and no news of what’s happening this time

Was I in Bon Jovi for a second there?
Was I in Guns’n’Roses for a second there?
Was I in Poison for a second there?

Lay me down, for awhile and
Let me tell you a story my green-eyed child
About a boy and a rock’n’roll band
Long blond hair stuffed into tight leather pants
The road is long, but we have each other now
And there’s no need for missing anymore…

And I love you

I hear the crowd, and they call my name
The multitude so loud we’re left in pain
I can’t tell just where I’ve been
From ’82 til now escapes me
And there’s just one question in my mind
If you could answer me now
I know it’s hard babe, I know it’s hard, but
If we can –
If we could ever stand it,
Now is the moment
Now is the time, so
Was I in Bon Jovi for a second?