Howard Livingston and Mile Marker 24

Independent Music Browse By Name

Begins with A Begins with B Begins with C Begins with D Begins with E Begins with F Begins with G Begins with H Begins with I Begins with J Begins with K Begins with L Begins with M Begins with N Begins with O Begins with P Begins with Q Begins with R Begins with S Begins with T Begins with U Begins with V Begins with W Begins with X Begins with Y Begins with Z Begins with Number

Independent Music Browse By Region

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Florida Hawaii Illinois Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Vermont Wisconsin Canada Germany Japan Mexico United kingdom

Independent Music Browse By Style

Adult Contemporary Alternative Blues Buegrass Celtic Children Classical Comedy Country Dance Finnish Folk Gospel/CCM Holiday Jazz Native American New Age Polka Pop Rap Rock Storytelling Tex-Mex World

 

Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 band are the real deal..an all original tropical island band capable of supporting both small and large events. The band has recorded three CDs filled with thirty all originals that always please the crowd. The band is also flexible and fully functional from an intimate three-piece to a ten-piece including a horn section. Howard is also available as a solo performer. The music of Mile Marker 24 offers universal appeal with an easy going lilt and sway that celebrates the human spirit while being underscored by steel drums, guitars, marimba and subtle strings.

Howard Livingston may not have a monopoly on the American Dream but one thing's for sure - he does know how to live it. Comfortably ensconced on Summerland Key, Florida, a sun-soaked speck of land just 24 miles north of Key West, he's a tropical troubadour in the truest sense. Having successfully jettisoned the stress and strains of everyday existence, he and his aptly-dubbed eight piece band, Mile Marker 24, intertwine carefree odes to the beach, booze and nature's beauty with heartfelt hymns about the human spirit.

Some of the songs have a familiar ring, occasionally recalling another Key West singer/songwriter with a preference for booze in a blender. Nevertheless, Livingston's music retains a universal appeal, an easy-going lilt and sway that places as much emphasis on pedal steel as on steel drums, all of it underscored with electric and acoustic guitars, brass, marimba and subtle strings. It's a cheerfully upbeat sound that evokes the gentle feel of a tropical breeze, the bliss of a shimmering sunset, and a free-spirited, laidback lifestyle that's bohemian and bucolic.

Beginning in the early '90s, Livingston began making regular sojourns to the Florida Keys, becoming so enamored with the area that he found himself gravitating there at every opportunity. Eventually he gave in to his wanderlust and decided to permanently relocate to a new home he purchased in tiny Summerland Key. The change in lifestyle prompted him to revisit his love of music, and after assembling Mile Marker 24 -- consisting of keyboardist Bobby Green, guitarist Jason (North) Miller, drummer Daniel (Danimal) Hiles, bassist George Schneller, Hulber Gagliardini on trumpet, Les Dudley on sax and Harry Schroeder on trombone - Livingston and company became known as a Portable Party Machine in the tiki bars, hotspots and hang-outs that litter the Florida Keys. That led to bigger venues, where the band found themselves sharing bills with the likes of America, Little River Band, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., Keith Urban, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Big and Rich.

"Howard Livingston not only lives the island life, he writes and sings about the beautiful simplicity of island living. In essence, his music is the soundtrack to a lifestyle."-- Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks).

Blame It On The Margaritas Livingston's self-released third album, Blame It On The Margaritas, provides the latest example of the Keys carefree caress. Like his two earlier efforts, Livin' On Key West Time (2005) and Meet Me In The Keys (2006), much of it is autobiographical in nature, with Livingston cast as an Everyman who's opted to turn his fantasies into reality. Songs such as "Blame It On The Margaritas", "Local On The Eights", "Boondocks" and "Coconut Rum" espouse the joys of living life simply, but to the fullest. Yet, it tugs at deeper emotions as well, from sensitive ballads like "When I Think Of You" and "Love Is So Easy" to the spiritual affirmation of "Better Life" and "Sailin' To I Don't Know." It also includes Livingston's first outside cover, a spirited read of the Mavericks' " Dance The Night Away," featuring backing from two members of that Grammy-winning band - drummer Paul Deakin and bassist Robert Reynolds. Reynolds also co-produced the album, which was recorded in Nashville with a host of stellar support players, Wilco drummer Ken Coomer, legendary steel guitar player Al Perkins, and singer/songwriter Kevin Montgomery among them. CD Price: $14.97

Meet Me In The Keys Some of the songs have a familiar ring, occasionally recalling another Key West singer/songwriter with a preference for booze in a blender. Nevertheless, this music retains a universal appeal, an easy-going lilt and sway that places as much emphasis on pedal steel as on steel drums, all of it underscored with electric and acoustic guitars, brass, marimba and subtle strings. It's a cheerfully upbeat sound that evokes the gentle feel of a tropical breeze, the bliss of a shimmering sunset, and a free-spirited, laidback lifestyle that's bohemian and bucolic. CD Price: $14.97

Living on Key West Time These songs were all written by Howard Livingston and speak volumes about his passion for the Florida Keys and island life. Howard's lyrics express a passion for the sun-filled, laid back lifestyle that most northerners envision as they count their days until vacation time or retirement. The CD is an ode to those tourists who during their first visit to the Keys call home and have their belongings shipped down to Key West. Howard's songs make you ask yourself "What am I doing here? I should be in the islands doing what he's doing!!" Danny White, President Sixteen Ton Studios CD Price: $14.97

---