{"id":2050,"date":"2014-08-18T16:53:14","date_gmt":"2014-08-18T23:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/culturecrash\/?p=2050"},"modified":"2014-08-19T08:23:42","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T15:23:42","slug":"allah-las-and-woods-in-echo-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/culturecrash\/2014\/08\/allah-las-and-woods-in-echo-park.html","title":{"rendered":"Allah-Las and Woods in Echo Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

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IT was 1966 again on Friday night, as two of today’s best retro-rock bands, the folky Woods and the garage-psych Allah-Las played at the free Echo Park Rising Festival. Ideally I would have taken in more of the festival, but these were two really strong sets.<\/p>\n

I was there to see LA’s Allah-Las, whose reverb-heavy take on folk rock — they seem equally grounded in the Byrds, Arthur Lee’s Love, and the obscure but wonderful bands from the Nuggets collections — has made them one of my favorite newish groups. The show didn’t let me down — these guys have not only mastered a perfect ’60s sound,which they can put across live, they’ve got songs with memorable hooks and a guitarist ripping out great, echoey riffs and fills.<\/p>\n

Here<\/a> is a song from their self-titled debut album. Their sound and look is a bit rougher now; I’ve got their new album (due next month) and it’s excellent. These guys met while working at the Amoeba Music on Sunset, and they have not only endless musical references, but a gift for tunefulness as well.\"tumblr_inline_mgwpa2Oswh1qfpb6s\"<\/p>\n

I first heard the Allah-Las on a British compilation of contemporary Byrds-derived bands. Also on that disc was the Brooklyn-to-upstate New York band Woods, whose stuff I know only slightly.\u00a0 This was the night’s big surprise.<\/p>\n

These guys have a great old-school sound as well — more influenced by the ’70s and Neil Young — but were almost as gripping live. Mostly, I was struck by how good the songwriting was — melodies that surprise you but unfold naturally. Love the weird modal stuff the guitarist was pulling out.<\/p>\n

I dig their songs like Hand it Out and Moving to the Left<\/a>. I’m headed to the record store to grab their last few albums, the new one especially. Long may they wave.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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