Before discovering Allah-Las a few years ago, I never imagined finding the exact sound and vibe of my favorite music from the 60’s. Formed in 2008, this LA based rock band has all of the qualities that made 60’s music so great, from the crunchy surf guitar, catchy jangly lyrics and trippy background organs. I owe almost all of my new music discoveries to this band. Allah-Las was my gateway into the wonderful world of neo-psychedelia, a genre that bends and weaves through all of the aspects of 60’s pop, rock, blues, jazz and folk.
Allah-Las consists of Miles Michaud, vocals and guitar, Matthew Correia, percussion and vocals, Spencer Dunham, bass and vocals, and Pedrum Siadatian, lead guitar and vocals. They have released four studio albums along with many singles. The first three albums share a similar surf rock sound while their newest album, LAHS has more of a mellow jazz sound. Their style is a blend of California surf rock, Mid 60’s rock and roll, jazz, blues and psychedelic rock. Imagine combining The Kinks, The Byrds, The Doors and The Beach Boys into one perfectly structured and fine tuned band. Allah-Las screams sunny California, bringing us back to the golden days of surfing, sun and laid back beach vibes. They follow closely to the jangle pop era of the 60’s, made popular by The Byrds, with the use of 12 string guitars, tambourines and background harmonies. They also incorporate a lot of Latin jazz sounds that were popular during the 60’s with their use of xylophones and other percussion instruments.
You can really tell these guys are music historians and enthusiasts. The level of detail to match the 60’s sound is amazing. They use the right guitars and hollow amps, vintage organs and microphones. Even their album cover art looks straight from that era. For a 60’s music enthusiast like myself, it’s hard to find a current band that matches this iconic sound as well as Allah-Las.
I highly recommend listening to Allah-Las no matter what music you are interested in. They have a timeless sound that is reminiscent of the 60’s but remain relevant with current music trends and styles.
Favorite Songs: Don’t You Forget It, Busman’s Holiday, Satisfied, High & Dry, Fish on the Sand, Had It All, Every Girl, Polar Onion
Genres: Psychedelic rock, surf rock, folk rock, garage rock, rock and roll, jangle pop
Score: 10/10 The Perfect Sound
Written by Adam
One reply on “Allah-Las: Gateway to Neo-Psychedelia”
Tell Me What’s On Your Mind? I’m thinking I’ll have to add another shelf to the CD library.