Kurt Baker (musician)
Encyclopedia
Kurt Milton Baker is an American musician, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the Pop-Punk group The Leftovers
and his own band The Kurt Baker Band.
Kurt Baker has released several solo projects with his Power Pop
group The Kurt Baker Band, who play punk rock
music inspired by pop tunes of the 1960s and 1970s.
Baker was the founding member, bass player, singer & songwriter of the notable pop/punk outfit The Leftovers
, who formed in 2002 and released several records on Rally Records, Insubordination Records
and Oglio Records
. The group toured all over the United States, Europe and Canada throughout 2006 to 2010 before breaking up.
Baker’s blend of Beach Boys and The Beatles
styled melodies have earned him the praise of Larry Livermore
(founder of Lookout Records) and Ben Weasel
(Screeching Weasel
) and Jaret Reddick
(Bowling For Soup
). After the release of The Leftovers
last album, 2009’s “Eager to Please” on Oglio Records
, which featured guest ranging from Brett Anderson (The Donnas)) to Coz Canler (The Romantics
), and an extensive tour of the US and Europe, Baker decided to focus on going solo. Baker’s debut solo EP “Got It Covered” was released on Oglio Records
. Produced by Los Angeles based pop producer, Linus of Hollywood
, “Got It Covered” features Baker’s take on some of his favorite Power Pop
songs of the 70’s and 80’s and features guest Kay Hanley
(Letters To Cleo
) and Adam Marcello(Katy Perry
). Baker has also worked with Tommy Dunbar
(the Rubinoos
), Kim Shattuck
(the Muffs
), and Parry Gripp
(Nerf Herder
).
After a tour of Europe in the fall of 2010, backed by Italian Power Pop band, The Radio Days, Baker began focusing on taking his act back to the USA. A brief stint of shows throughout the Midwest brought together a group of musicians featuring Mike Bryne (the Methadones
), Wyatt Funderburk (Second Saturday), Geoff Useless
(The Guts) & Craig Sala (Planeside), to make up the Kurt Baker Band. By January 2011, Baker had recruited longtime friends Josh Malia (The Taxis, Hi Fivin White Guys) and Kris Rodgers (Goodnight Process) into the fold.
This lineup most recently entered the studio to record the new album “Rockin’ For A Living” due out October 25 2011 on Oglio Records
. Tours of the USA and Europe have been planned in support of the new record.
In addition to his band based activities Kurt Baker is a disc jockey
of vinyl records around New England area spinning 60's Garage, New Wave, Power Pop and Soul music.
He is also an occasional contributor to Amp Magazine and works for the Portland Public Library
in Portland, Maine
.
The Leftovers
The Leftovers are an American pop punk band from Portland, Maine, made up of Kurt Baker , Andrew Rice , Matt Anderson , and Adam Woronoff .-History:...
and his own band The Kurt Baker Band.
Kurt Baker has released several solo projects with his Power Pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
group The Kurt Baker Band, who play punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music inspired by pop tunes of the 1960s and 1970s.
Baker was the founding member, bass player, singer & songwriter of the notable pop/punk outfit The Leftovers
The Leftovers
The Leftovers are an American pop punk band from Portland, Maine, made up of Kurt Baker , Andrew Rice , Matt Anderson , and Adam Woronoff .-History:...
, who formed in 2002 and released several records on Rally Records, Insubordination Records
Insubordination Records
Insubordination Records is an independent record label based in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Insubordination Records was founded by Beatnik Termites members Reggie Silvestri and Pat Kim in 1996. As their label specializing in Lookout! Records styled pop punk started to grow, they partnered with...
and Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
. The group toured all over the United States, Europe and Canada throughout 2006 to 2010 before breaking up.
Baker’s blend of Beach Boys and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
styled melodies have earned him the praise of Larry Livermore
Larry Livermore
Lawrence "Larry" Hayes , best known by the pseudonym Larry Livermore, is an American musician, record producer, and music journalist. He is best known as the co-founder of Lookout! Records.-Biography:...
(founder of Lookout Records) and Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel
Ben Weasel is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales...
(Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel
Screeching Weasel is an American punk rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead.Since their formation, Screeching Weasel have broken up and reformed numerous times with numerous line-up changes. Ben Weasel has been the only constant...
) and Jaret Reddick
Jaret Reddick
Jaret Ray Reddick is an American singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and lead songwriter for the Grammy Award-nominated pop punk band Bowling for Soup. He plays a Music Man Axis that has a flag of Texas design on...
(Bowling For Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...
). After the release of The Leftovers
The Leftovers
The Leftovers are an American pop punk band from Portland, Maine, made up of Kurt Baker , Andrew Rice , Matt Anderson , and Adam Woronoff .-History:...
last album, 2009’s “Eager to Please” on Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
, which featured guest ranging from Brett Anderson (The Donnas)) to Coz Canler (The Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
), and an extensive tour of the US and Europe, Baker decided to focus on going solo. Baker’s debut solo EP “Got It Covered” was released on Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
. Produced by Los Angeles based pop producer, Linus of Hollywood
Linus Of Hollywood
Kevin Dotson , better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer...
, “Got It Covered” features Baker’s take on some of his favorite Power Pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
songs of the 70’s and 80’s and features guest Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley
Kathleen Marie Hanley is an American alternative rock musician. She is best known as the vocalist for the band Letters to Cleo.-Life and career:...
(Letters To Cleo
Letters to Cleo
Letters to Cleo was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts perhaps best known for the 1993 single "Here & Now" from their full-length debut album Aurora Gory Alice...
) and Adam Marcello(Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
). Baker has also worked with Tommy Dunbar
Tommy Dunbar
Tommy Dunbar may refer to:*Tom Dunbar, outfielder for Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers*Tommy Dunbar, founding member of The Rubinoos...
(the Rubinoos
The Rubinoos
The Rubinoos are an American power pop band that formed in 1970 in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I Think We're Alone Now" , "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" , and for the theme song to the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds...
), Kim Shattuck
Kim Shattuck
Kim Shattuck is the lead singer and guitarist of the band The Muffs. From 1983 to 1991, she was a member of The Pandoras. Since 2001, she also has been lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for The Beards, a superpop sideproject composed of Shattuck, Lisa Marr, and Sherri Solinger.She sang on a...
(the Muffs
The Muffs
The Muffs are a rock band based in Southern California, formed in 1991 and led by Kim Shattuck.-History:The Muffs' leader is singer-songwriter Kim Shattuck...
), and Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp is a singer-songwriter as well as lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder.As a songwriter, Gripp is best known for fake jingles, as in his 2005 solo album For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles as product...
(Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp , Charlie Dennis and Steve Sherlock . They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics...
).
After a tour of Europe in the fall of 2010, backed by Italian Power Pop band, The Radio Days, Baker began focusing on taking his act back to the USA. A brief stint of shows throughout the Midwest brought together a group of musicians featuring Mike Bryne (the Methadones
The Methadones
The Methadones were a band formed in 1993 by guitarist/vocalist Dan Vapid. The Methadones initially lasted only a few shows before Dan put them to the side to focus on his main band Screeching Weasel. By 1999 Dan was no longer a member of Screeching Weasel or his other band The Riverdales, and...
), Wyatt Funderburk (Second Saturday), Geoff Useless
Geoff Useless
Geoffrey Palmer is an American pop-punk musician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire best known for his participation in The Queers, The Nobodys and The Guts where he performs under the pseudonym Geoff Useless...
(The Guts) & Craig Sala (Planeside), to make up the Kurt Baker Band. By January 2011, Baker had recruited longtime friends Josh Malia (The Taxis, Hi Fivin White Guys) and Kris Rodgers (Goodnight Process) into the fold.
This lineup most recently entered the studio to record the new album “Rockin’ For A Living” due out October 25 2011 on Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
. Tours of the USA and Europe have been planned in support of the new record.
In addition to his band based activities Kurt Baker is a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
of vinyl records around New England area spinning 60's Garage, New Wave, Power Pop and Soul music.
He is also an occasional contributor to Amp Magazine and works for the Portland Public Library
Portland Public Library
The Portland Public Library is the name of the public library system for Portland, Maine, USA. It is also the name of the city's main library which is located at 5 Monument Square on Congress Street in the Old Port neighborhood of Portland. The system also has three branch locations: Burbank...
in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
Solo
- Rockin' for a Living (2011) (Oglio RecordsOglio RecordsOglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
) - Got it Covered (2010) (Oglio RecordsOglio RecordsOglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
) - Hanging On the Telephone/ Pump It Up (2010) (Oglio RecordsOglio RecordsOglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
)
With The Leftovers
- Stop Drop Rock N Roll (2004) (Muscle City Records)
- Party Tonight! (2006) (Cheapskate Records)
- On The Move (2007) (Rally Records)
- Eager to Please (2009) (Crappy/Oglio RecordsOglio RecordsOglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...
) - Mitton Street Special (2002) (EP) (Zuke'd On Phonics)
- Steppin' On My Heart (2006) (EP) (Rally Records)
- Single Series Volume 21 (2007) (EP) (Art Of The Underground)
- Insubordination Fest 2007 (2008) (Live) (Insubordination RecordsInsubordination RecordsInsubordination Records is an independent record label based in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Insubordination Records was founded by Beatnik Termites members Reggie Silvestri and Pat Kim in 1996. As their label specializing in Lookout! Records styled pop punk started to grow, they partnered with...
)