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“...while the group make much of this being a 'new era' there are still plenty of moments that conjure nostalgic, dreamy biss.” - MOJO
"The album brings us back to their sun-kissed California psych sounds once again, but this time with equal twists of clipped electronica and field recordings" - LOUDER THAN WAR
"embraces the pugnacious monotony of late ‘80s Lou Reed ... and reassures that they have not altogether lost interest in sun-splashed psychedelia" - UNCUT
“Surreal” - MXDWN on “Right On Time”
The Los Angeles-based Allah-Las released their new album, Zuma 85 via their own label, Calico Discos, in partnership with Innovative Leisure, which issued earlier defining statements from the band. In 2020, following the release of their album LAHS, the band members stepped away to refocus on their individual lives and interests, leading them to reimagine their creative processes. When they eventually regrouped, they adopted a more flexible approach. Instead of bringing fully finished songs to the studio, they entered the idyllic Panoramic House Studio in Stinson Beach armed with sketches, ideas, and riffs. Working with co-producer Jeremy Harris (White Fence, Devendra Banhart, Ty Segall) they shaped and crafted the new songs in real time over three sessions, which were then mixed in Los Angeles by frequent collaborator Jarvis Taveniere (Woods, Avalanches, Purple Mountains). The end result, Zuma 85, finds the band embracing the influences of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, the ‘70s mutant pop of Peter Ivers and early Eno and Roxy Music.
In ten days the Allah-Las will kick off their first U.S. tour in support of Zuma 85 with a show in Phoenix, AZ on October 23. The tour also includes a two-night stand with Reverberation Radio at Lodge Room in Los Angeles on November 15 (with Mirror Tree and Kolumbo as support) and November 16 (with Tim Hall and Sam Burton as support), as well as stops in Denver, Dallas, and Seattle before concluding November 18 in San Francisco, CA. Following the U.S. run the band head to Australia in December. All announced shows are listed below and tickets are available here.
Leading to today’s release the Allah-Las teased the album with videos for four of Zuma 85’s singles, “Sky Club,” “Right On Time, The Stuff,” and Dust” and they saw support from Under The Radar, Brooklyn Vegan, Austin Town Hall, Buzzbands LA, MXDWN, The Big Takeover, MOJO and Ghettoblaster, among others. Today the band revealed two additional visuals - “The Fall,” music video which was animated and directed by Mark Neeley and “Jelly,” visualizer which was created with help from Farmer Dave. On his animation for “The Fall” Mark writes, "the video includes a lot of watercolor and fresh ink directly on paper, it's a juxtaposition of abstract and animating some of the song's narrative. I have always admired the careful curation of visual art that accompanies the music of Allah-Las, and I hope my analogue animation adds another dimension to that".
“...while the group make much of this being a 'new era' there are still plenty of moments that conjure nostalgic, dreamy biss.” - MOJO
"The album brings us back to their sun-kissed California psych sounds once again, but this time with equal twists of clipped electronica and field recordings" - LOUDER THAN WAR
"embraces the pugnacious monotony of late ‘80s Lou Reed ... and reassures that they have not altogether lost interest in sun-splashed psychedelia" - UNCUT
“Surreal” - MXDWN
Los Angeles-based Allah-Las have dropped “Dust,” the latest single off their much-anticipated album, Zuma 85, being released on October 13. With an ear-worm fusion of psychedelic rock, jangly guitars, and progressive rock, “Dust” exemplifies the new direction the band have taking on the LP as they depart the familiar beachy territory for off the map expanses, embracing the influence of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, ‘70s mutant pop, and textures borrowed from Japanese pop and loner-folk obscurities. Allah-las tapped frequent collaborator Bailey Elder to craft her visual interpretation of the song. With her signature animation style, she captures the cosmic and transitory nature of the track with a mesmerizing procession of patterns, shapes and designs that morph and melt into one another in a choreographed dance through space and time. Of “Dust’ the band say, ‘the song turns the lens onto the past and the path that must be taken to achieve a desired outcome. A crisp high hat clicks along in perfect time, driving a soft but certain vocal atop a bed of undulating synthesizers, leading us comfortably along before the chorus hits, punctuated by harpsichord hits and tambourines that crash against the otherwise soothing soundscape. A fuzzed and bowed guitar solo leads us out into the place we had hoped to be.”
Los Angeles-based Allah-Las are set to unveil their much-anticipated album, Zuma 85, on October 13. Now they reveal a new taste of the album via “Sky Club,” an anthemic and electronic boogie. A decidedly 70s art-rock drum beat and lightly flanged guitars open up in the “Sky Club,” which bounces along casually before blasting off into foreign lands on a ship headed for the beginning of creation. Synthesized intergalactic transmissions fly in and out of the track as we hear the story of the night Allah Las met the great grandfather of humanity.
Zuma 85 is being released via the band’s own label, Calico Discos, in partnership with Innovative Leisure, which released earlier defining statements from the band including the eponymously named Allah-Las (2012) and Worship The Sun (2014). The band has previously shared “Right On Time '' which MXDWN labeled “surreal” and The Stuff” and Austin Town Hall noted, “You can’t deny that the band still have the effortless cool locked in here" and Buzzbands LA said, “They’re calling it a reinvention, and one only needs to hear ‘The Stuff,’ to hear their songwriting engine change gears." The tracks have seen support from Under The Radar, Brooklyn Vegan and Ghettoblaster, among others.
This fall, as Allah-Las tours the UK, Europe, and the US, fans can expect to hear new tracks from Zuma 85 alongside their all-time favorites. The US run kicks off on October 23 in Phoenix, AZ and concludes November 18 in San Francisco, CA with more dates to be announced. They will play at Lodge Room in Los Angeles on November 15 (with Mirror Tree and Kolumbo as support) and November 16 (with Tim Hall and Sam Burton as support). All announced shows are listed below and tickets are available here.
On Zuma 85, Allah-Las embrace the influences of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, the ‘70s mutant pop of Peter Ivers and early Eno and Roxy Music. The pandemic-included downtime opened up space for the band members to focus on their own lives and interests, and the time to re-envision what creative processes could look like. When it came time to reconvene, a sense of looseness proved pivotal. Instead of bringing finished songs to the studio, they entered the picturesque Panoramic House recording in Stinson Beach with sketches, ideas, and riffs. Working with co-producer Jeremy Harris (White Fence, Devendra Banhart, Ty Segall) they shaped and crafted the new songs in real time over three sessions, which were then mixed in Los Angeles by frequent collaborator Jarvis Taveniere (Woods, Avalanches, Purple Mountains).
For the last 15 years, Allah-Las alchemically melded surf rock washes with folk rock jangle and rock, building up their lauded music podcast, Reverberation Radio, and record label, Calico Discos, in the process. A lot has changed since the group first bonded over psych rock vinyl in the back room at Amoeba Records in the late aughts and Zuma 85 finds the quartet facing a new world with a wealth of new sounds.
Allah-Las are Matthew Correia (drums/vocals), Spencer Dunham (bass, guitar, vocals), Miles Michaud (guitar, organ, vocals), and Pedrum Siadatian (guitar, synth, vocals).
Los Angeles’ Allah-Las have dropped a new single, the sparkling and stutter--stepped “Right On Time.” The song is another tease of the band’s forthcoming new album Zuma 85 which will be released on October 13 via the band’s own label, Calico Discos, in partnership with Innovative Leisure, which released earlier defining statements from the band including the eponymously named Allah-Las (2012) and Worship The Sun (2014).
Like the album as a whole, “Right On Time '' represents a new chapter for the band as they embrace the influences of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, the ‘70s mutant pop of Peter Ivers and early Eno and Roxy Music. Allah-Las self-produced video for the single pays homage to the classic plug-and-play video shoots of the early MTV era, shot in a few hours on a white backdrop with minimal planning and a few rolls of 8mm film, the second video release from the forthcoming album "Zuma 85" captures spontaneous moments of absurdity, along with a few properly synched video clips.
Allah-Las confirmed Summer and Fall Tour dates including headline shows and festival dates across the US and Europe. The Zuma 85 Tour kicks off August 8 in Boston, MA and runs through November 18 with the last show in San Francisco, CA with more dates to be announced. Along the way they will play at New York City’s Rockaway Beach on August 4 at the Rockaway Beach Hotel and at Lodge Room in Los Angeles on November 15 (with Mirror Tree and Kolumbo as support) and November 16 (with Tim Hall and Sam Burton as support). All announced shows are listed below and tickets are available here.
On October 13, Los Angeles’ Allah-Las will release their new album, Zuma 85.
They have teased the album with lead single “The Stuff” (b/w the "Zuma 85" title track) and now share the official video for the track. Upon release, the single was supported by Line of Best Fit, Under The Radar, Brooklyn Vegan and MXDWN, among others. Austin Town Hall noted, “"You can’t deny that the band still have the effortless cool locked in here" and Buzzbands LA said, “They’re calling it a reinvention, and one only needs to hear ‘The Stuff,’ to hear their songwriting engine change gears." The captivating video was directed by Sam Kristofski who captures the band as they traverse through their native Los Angeles, from a cigarette stand in North Hollywood to the LA river. The video poignantly juxtaposes the nostalgia of the analog era with the pulsating energy of the digital age, reflecting on the evolution of the music industry.
Dates & tickets for Allah-Las upcoming shows are available at this link.