ALLAH-LAS - "ALLAH-LAS"

Oct 24

Allah-Las is a band that hails from sunny Southern California. The majority of the members met while working at the local Mecca for L.A. hipsters, the record store, Amoeba Music. Besides sharing a love for records and all other things within hipsterdom, being from Southern California they also enjoy surfing, the beach, and the culture of Los Angeles. All of these aspects can be seen within their music, that somehow blends a number of different influences into a cohesive and original sounding LP of easily accessible and groovin’ songs. As far as placing their music within a genre, I’d kind of compare it to that one teacher you had in high school or college that you could totally tell was a hippie back in the day. At first glance they seem super old, but then as you get to know them you realize they’re really cool and that you can somehow relate to them. And even though they use words like bitchin’, groovy and slick, they totally make those words sound natural and awesome, instead of some archaic vocabulary that was retired for a reason. Then you feel inspired, and try to use one of those words later on that day, only to sound like a complete wanker. These men have something special, the ex-hippie swag, and we can only hope one day when our hair turns grey that we can somehow remain as cool and relevant as them. Now I’ve probably lost most of you, “wasn’t he trying to explain their genre to us? And all we got was this weird anecdote about a ex-hippie.” Ye of little faith.. there’s a method to my madness. I think. So anyway, Allah-Las almost sounds like they stepped straight out of the 60’s or 70’s with their music. Using simple chord progressions, with harmonies, easy tempos, and straightforward lyrics about life and women. The atmosphere of their songs totally embodies that raw west coast psychedelic swagger of the past that encompasses all surf culture, while also infusing the lo-fi of garage rock, and the catchiness of classic British pop. However, surprisingly the album still manages to sound incredibly at home in the modern age, with the welcome tinge of fuzziness and coating of syruppy warmth that is present in all the best glo-fi albums. So to compare them once again to our ex-hippie, they somehow are able to absorb a vast amount of influences throughout the ages, and produce an album that sounds incredibly fresh, relevant and awesome. Many other bands would have probably failed and sounded antiquated trying to pull off such a feat, but Allah-Las makes it cool and extremely enjoyable.

Their first full length album, their self-titled LP, was released recently this past year on September 18th. In my opinion, you couldn’t ask for a better first release. The albums full of great tracks, whether they be catchy tunes about living life, or just straight up groovin’ jam session instrumentals. I guarantee you that it won’t disappoint, and will make your day far more enjoyable.

“Catamaran”

This is my personal favourite from the album, and the videos pretty sweet too. The visuals totally match the vibe the song gives off.