User:StreetJustice718/Sandbox

Howie Abrams

Queens, NY born Howie Abrams has been a staple on the independent music scene since the early 80's. He held the titles of scenester, roadie, fanzine editor, manager and show promoter for many years until finally landing a "real job" as a salesman at Important Record Distributors/Relativity Records in Hollis, NY. He sold records to independent, as well as chain accounts for 6 months before creating In-Effect Records; the first hardcore/punk/metal imprint associate with a large, albeit indie distribution system.

While there, Abrams signed a number of artists including: #REDIRECT Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, Nuclear Assault, Madball, Killing Time, 24-7 Spyz, Scatterbrain, Limbomaniacs, 2 Black 2 Strong & the MMG and others. In-Effect also released the #REDIRECT Bad Brains' legendary ROIR cassette on CD for the first time, re-packaged as Attitude: The #REDIRECT ROIR Sessions. He also helped produce the Live in NYC: Agnostic Front, Sick Of it All, #REDIRECT Gorilla Biscuits home video.

After In-Effect, Mr. Abrams moved over to Roadrunner Records, where he acquired the talents of: #REDIRECT Dog Eat Dog, Shelter, Vision of Disorder, Black Train Jack and #REDIRECT Madball (for the second time in his career) among others. He also put together a one-off deal with #REDIRECT Scratchie Records (co-founded by the #REDIRECT Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky, along with Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schleseinger) to release the reggae dancehall compilation Jam Down Vibrations. Additionally, Howie was the product manager for all of the acts he signed at RR, as well as #REDIRECT Sepultura, Biohazard and #REDIRECT Front Line Assembly.

After 5 years at Roadrunner, Howie Abrams was recruited by super-indie Jive Records/Zomba Music Publishing to hold an A&R post. While signing the Grammy-nominated pop-punk Texans #REDIRECT Bowling For Soup to both record and publishing deals, he also brought artist/songwriters such as: #REDIRECT Mudvayne, Suicide Machines, Josh Joplin, Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One), #REDIRECT Carlos Bess (Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, Guru's Jazzmatazz) and others. He would spend a decade at the company.

Howie's last stint at a major music company was spent as the General Manager of the newly formed Perfect Game Recording Co. at the Warner Music Group. While there, he signed Brooklyn rapper #REDIRECT ILL BILL, punk/hip-hop hybrids #REDIRECT The Lordz, Killswitch Engage and singer/songwriter #REDIRECT Guyora Kats. He also managed to help create a critically acclaimed television series called #REDIRECT The Brooklyn Way, which aired on both the MSG and Fuse TV networs, based on the lives of #REDIRECT Kaves and DJ ADM of The Lordz.

Mr. Abrams is now an artist manager, guiding the careers of ILL BILL, animation house More Frames Animation (through his management company Street Justice alongside ILL BILL) and is an A&R consultant for Jive Records; handling creative duties for the forthcoming 2009 Bowling For Soup album.

http://www.myspace.com/in_effect_records http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadrunner_Records http://www.zombalabelgroup.com/ http://www.cmw.net/cmw2005/sphowie_abrams.htm http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Warner-Music-Group-NYSE-WMG-688759.html