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SPARK! New CD release

alain_w__cigfiddle_flash ~ A Rekords Rekords artist ~

There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Alain Johannes proves that proverb with Spark, his solo debut. Due out October 5th via Rekords Rekords, Spark is a heartfelt, honest and hypnotic collection of songs that Alain penned to commemorate his late wife and creative partner, Natasha Shneider. It's more than a tribute though; it's the purest celebration of her spirit through song. Alain plays like his soul depends on it during album opener "Endless Eyes." Through tribal percussion and cigar box guitar strumming, the song breathes organically. Meanwhile, there's a poignant lyrical poetry at the center of "Make God Jealous" and "Spider" that resounds just as powerfully as the album's fretless guitar hum and the somber cello on "Speechless." From co-founding Eleven with Natasha to collaborating with everyone from Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures to Chris Cornell and Mark Lanegan, Alain remains a prolific force. Spark shows listeners every side of this unique songwriter, producer and composer.

LISTEN TO A NEW ELEVEN SONG, ‘ROSEBLEED’

02 July 2011

Source: Antiquiet

BY JOHNNY FIRECLOUD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011

Los Angeles trio Eleven is celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their debut release Awake In A Dream with a new offering: Rarities. We gave you the details surrounding this exciting release last week, a long-missing piece of the incredible Rock tapestry woven by the many projects of Alain Johannes, Natasha Shneider and drummer Jack Irons (Pearl Jam, RHCP) – including Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures and an astonishingly good solo album by Johannes entitled Spark, to name just a few.

Today, Antiquiet is proud to premiere the first track off the new Rarities album with you, a deep-swaying rocker called Rosebleed.

Featuring dueling vocals from Alain and his enigmatic late wife Natasha, the track captures the inimitable style of the duo’s creative spark, while Jack Irons lays out a pendular percussive backdrop.

Check it out below, and watch out for that howl around 3:17:

Alain offered the following about the track: “This is Rosebleed, recorded in February 2002 for the Howling Book sessions. We kept it off the record because we wanted a shorter album and it didn’t quite fit the architecture. Having said that it features some insane Natasha clavinet and moog bass and I remember it was a lot of fun to record. We had just reunited with Jack (Irons) and were getting in a serious groove that led to Howling Book, one of my favorite Eleven albums.”

Pollen Records is printing Limited Edition 10” vinyl singles of Rosebleed, available this Summer. The song will also be available through iTunes. We’ll keep you posted on the details.

Rarities is due on 11/11/11 on Pollen Records and is the band’s first release since 2003’s Howling Book. Pre-order Rarities and find out more about Eleven at the band’s official site.

Johannes’ new solo album Spark is out now on Josh Homme’s Rekords/Rekords (read our review of the fantastic record). He is currently recording and producing a number of artists in his LA studio, 11AD, including Mark Lanegan, new artist Tilghman and Finnish artist Manna.

Comments (2)

England Awakens to Spark

20 May 2011

monitor_logo Looks like the Brits are giving Spark a really nice welcome.

Here's a few press clippings (after the jump)

Alain Featured in Premier Guitar Mag

22 December 2010

Source: Premier Guitar

Alain is featured in the most recent issue of Premier Guitar in the "Opening Notes" section.

Check it out

Alain Johannes - Spark - 2010 (in Spanish)

09 December 2010

absenta_musical_logo Source: AbsentiaMusical

Pocas veces se puede hablar de "genio" con tanta propiedad, sin caer en el fanatismo o en la sobrevaloración del artista por un evento mediático. Pocas veces se puede hablar de un músico nacido en Chile, que en el extranjero desarrolle una carrera tal, que lo encumbre entre los más grandes de nuestra época, sin caer en chovinismos. Uno de esos casos es nuestro Tom Araya de Slayer y otro, sin lugar a dudas, Alain Johannes.

PopMatters Spark Review

Written by Chris Matei | 02 December 2010

Source: PopMatters.com

Riddle me this: what do Queens of the Stone Age, Brody Dalle, John Paul Jones, Chris Cornell, Mark Lanegan and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have in common? Starving for answers? The solution to this particular puzzle goes by the name of Alain Johannes. From his days in Anthym, which saw him bumping shoulders with Jack Irons and Hillel Slovak, to a lengthy musical relationship with Josh Homme that most recently involved work with Them Crooked Vultures, the Chilean-born Johannes has showcased his distinctive style on a long list of influential rock recordings.

Alain Johannes: Spark (2010) Album Review

03 November 2010

Source: Amelia'sMagazine.com
Master guitarist and don to the desert rock producing world, Alain Johannes takes to the skies with his debut record Spark.
Written by Willemijn Barker-Benfield

You might not know it, but you know Alain Johannes. Producer and artist extraordinaire, having previously produced and collaborated with the infamous Queens of the Stone Age; No Doubt, PJ Harvey, Eleven, and toured with the super group Them Crooked Vultures earlier this year, Johannes is renowned throughout many rock circles for his mesmerising guitar skills, which in March of this year had me caught in a spell during a musical intermission of the Crooked Vultures’ intense set. Thinking Johannes was a brave man to compete with the likes of Grohl, Homme and Jones, I was left blown away by his talent and unequivocal sound.

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