Don’t judge a book by its cover, or so they say. I’m not sure if the same applies to records, but I dare say the artwork is exactly what drew me to Allah-Las and their self-entitled 2012 debut album in the first place. Sometimes you just have to trust the voice in your head going ‘I wonder’, that simple phrase empowering you to discover the unknown. It’s your own voice after all.
Thus intrigued by the gorgeous cover art, I ventured off my personal beaten track and into this Californian band’s beachy soundscape. Revelling in their soothingly melancholy, nostalgic yet upbeat, surf and turf style rock n roll, I let my mind set sail, my right foot happily tapping away, vibes reverberating within. Timeless.
Enter Reverberation Radio, a psychedelic lagoon of seemingly washed ashore selections, situated between melodic weirdness and acoustic awesomeness. Initiated by the four band members, the weekly playlists feature an exotic pool of organic styles, songs that go far beyond the ranks of what’s popular, with an undeniable attraction towards the obscure.
“We can delve deep into history, discover the past, learn about what the future may hold. We can grow our minds if we choose. […] (On Reverberation) we aim to expand the understanding of those who listen to our weekly podcasts, who then in turn are able to discover new artists and expand their own understanding of how music from every decade is intertwined, revolving, and relative. We have spent years, collectively and individually, in record shops, learning about music; old music, new music, timeless music – and have developed sharp ears for what makes a recording interesting, appealing, and in the end, what we feel is ‘good’.” -Miles Michaud, vocalist & guitarist in a recent feature with The Q.
That being said, tune in, be surprised and come into knowledge.
All shows (we are now up to #137) can be streamed and downloaded on site.
Here’s one of my latest discoveries off of Reverberation, by Dutch band Eerie Wanda:
