John Agnello | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, audio engineer |
| Years active | late 1970s - present |
John Agnello is an American music producer and recording engineer who has worked with a multitude of recording artists. Over the years he has either produced or co-produced dozens of albums. He also founded his own record label in the 2000s.
In the 1980s, John Agnello worked on albums such as Uh-Huh by John Cougar Mellencamp, Rock in a Hard Place by Aerosmith, Warrior by Scandal, Stay Hungry by, Twisted Sister She's So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper and No Brakes by John Waite. [1] [2]
According to New York Makers magazine, the Brooklyn-based John Agnello "is a force to be reckoned with in the music world". He has worked with artists such as Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Cyndi Lauper. [3] In producing indie artists, Agnello is a veteran. According to Rolling Stone he is celebrated in that field. [4]
Agnello has been interviewed by J. Robbins of Tape Op which appeared in issue no. 14. [5] He has also been interviewed by Justin Colletti of Sonic Scoop, [6] and Knut Schreiner for Tidal. [7]
Audio engineer Brian Speaker cites Agnello as his mentor. Agnello also has a close relationship with the Magic Shop studio. [8]
According to John Agnello's interview with Tape Op , he started his work at The Record Plant in 1979. He started off as an assistant doing manual work, cleaning up after sessions. [9]
John Agnello engineered the Sweet Oblivion album for the Screaming Trees. According to Mark Lanegan, the group fell in love with him. And in spite of Lanegan being a horror to work with, Agnello took a liking to him. They attempted to make a follow up to the Sweet Oblivion album but there were issues with Lanegan and his own problems and with the band who weren't getting on. This put a dampener on things. However, Lanegan had some partially done songs that were intended for his solo record. He played them for Agnello who told him that they were brilliant and that they could finish them in a week. He told Lanegan to come out to New York. He booked a studio for Lanegan and it was completed. According to Lanegan the finished item wasn't Trout Mask Replica or Starsailor, but it was close enough to how he thought that it would be. [10]
Agnello worked on the Phaseshifter album for the band Redd Kross. It was the pop album "Pick of the Week" in the 23 October 1993 issue of Cash Box . Even though the magazine indicated that he was a co-producer along with the band, it appears that his role was that of engineer. [11]
Agnello produced the Pop Heiress album by Chainsaw Kittens which was released in 1994. According to Trouser Press, this was the group's finest album. The album was reviewed in the June 20 - July 3, 1994 issue of Music Connection. The reviewer said that Agnello's production picked up from where the last disc's producer Butch Vig left off. [12] [13]
Agnello worked with the band Fireworks Go Up! which was made up of Dan Coutant, Dave Fateman and Scott Truede. He produced the group's debut You're Welcome which the first release on his Baryon Records label, (Cat# BYN 001), signalling its launch. [14] [15] [16] The next album released on his label was Onyx Root by Michael Powers. [17] Released on Baryon BYN 002, [18] this album was produced by Steve Rosenthal. [19] Anders Parker had his Tell It to the Dust album released on Agnello's Baryon label (cat# BYN 003) in 2004. [20] [21] [22] In 2006 / 2007, Anders Parker's self-titled album was released on Baryon BYN-006. [23] [24]
Working with Kurt Vile on Vile's Smoke Ring for My Halo saw the recordings released in 2011. They would work together again on the Wakin on a Pretty Daze album. [25]
Agnello worked as mixer on the Manhattan album by Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts. Brian Speaker was the recording engineer. [26]
Agnello was sought out by band Nothing for their album Dance on the Blacktop which was recorded at Dreamland Studio in Woodstock, New York. It was released in 2018. [27] [28]
Angello worked with the group Horsegirl on their album Versions of Modern Performance which was recorded at the Chicago institution Electrical Audio studio. The group were expecting to record the album at another studio and wanted to keep what they referred to as a "scrappy DIY sound" they had in mind. Angello was the perfect man for the job because he understood the rough sound they wanted to keep and having worked with some of Horsegirl's favorite artists gave him the understanding. [29]
In February 2022, Duquette Johnston released his The Social Animals album that was produced by Agnello. It was actually completed in 2017, but Johnson held off on the release until he felt the time was right. [30]
Redd Kross is an American rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while Steve was still in middle school. With the addition of friends Greg Hetson and John Stielow on drums, the band's first gig was opening for Black Flag. The band has since released eight albums and three EPs.
Jay Stuart Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, pianist, harmonicist, and a vocalist.
Mark William Lanegan was an American singer, songwriter and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He released 12 solo studio albums as well as three collaboration albums with Isobel Campbell and two with Duke Garwood. He was known for his baritone voice, which was described as being "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather" and has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.
David Markey is an American film director.
Born Innocent is the first studio album by Red Cross, released in 1982 on Smoke 7 Records, and re-released in 1986 on Frontier Records featuring different cover art and three bonus tracks taken from the Sudden Death and American Youth Report compilations. The record was produced by Smoke 7 owner, Felix Alanis, who was also the lead singer of RF7.
Adam Lasus is an American record producer, recording engineer and musician.
Rancho De La Luna is a recording studio in Joshua Tree, California that was founded in 1993 by Fred Drake and David Catching. After Drake's death in 2002, the studio was operated by David Catching and Drake's collaborators Tony Mason, Ted Quinn, Dean Chamberlain, Billy Bizeau and Fred Burke until 2004. It has since doubled as Catching's home, where he serves as engineer, producer, joins as guest musician and cooks for bands.
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is the second solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. The album builds upon the roots music foundation that Lanegan had established with his debut The Winding Sheet.
Steven Shane McDonald is an American rock musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the Los Angeles alternative rock/power pop band Redd Kross. He is a founding member of the hardcore punk band OFF! – serving as a member from 2009 to 2021 – as well as bassist for Melvins since 2015. McDonald has appeared in numerous film projects with his older brother Jeff McDonald, including the 1984 film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and its sequel Lovedolls Superstar; and the 1990 film Spirit of '76.
Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by the American musician Mark Lanegan. It was produced by Lanegan and longtime collaborator Mike Johnson, and was released in 1998.
Show World is an album by rock band Redd Kross, released in 1997.
Phaseshifter is a 1993 album by the American rock band Redd Kross. Three singles were released from the album: "Jimmy's Fantasy", "Lady In The Front Row" and "Visionary".
Smoke Ring for My Halo is the fourth studio album by American indie rock musician Kurt Vile, released on March 8, 2011 on Matador. A deluxe edition was released in November 2011, including the subsequent EP, So Outta Reach (2011). The album was produced by John Agnello, Kurt Vile and his backing band, the Violators. Regarding the album's lyrical content, Vile stated: "It’s just me and those thoughts you have late at night when nobody is around. It is more a feeling than a statement – a general wandering feeling. It’s kind of a wandering record."
Anders Keith Parker is an American singer-songwriter, guitar player, singer and multi-instrumentalist with a career spanning two decades. He has performed and recorded as a solo artist and as a key member in bands such as Varnaline and Space Needle. Parker has been involved in various collaborations over the years including Gob Iron with Jay Farrar.
Black Pudding is a collaborative album by Mark Lanegan and the multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood. It was recorded by Justin Smith at Pink Duck Studios and mixed by Alain Johannes at 11AD studios. The album was released in the United Kingdom by Heavenly Recordings on May 13, 2013, and in the United States by Ipecac the following day. The only single from the album, "Cold Molly", was released on April 20, 2013, as a Record Store Day exclusive.
Kenny Woods is an American composer, producer, and musician. He has performed with various musical acts including: Beck, that dog, The Steven McDonald Group, and Old Hickory.
Toshi Kasai is a Japanese record producer, engineer, mixer and musician. He is most well known for his strong vocal production work with hard rock and metal groups such as his long standing relationship with The Melvins and his work with Tool.
Man of Sin is the debut album by the American band Varnaline, released in 1996. Varnaline supported the album by touring with the 1996 Lollapalooza festival.
You're Welcome is a 2004 album by American band Fireworks Go Up!. Released on the Baryon label, it was the group's debut album and received mainly positive reviews.
Tell it to the Dust is a 2004 studio album by American singer-songwriter and guitarist Anders Parker.
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