Miami’s Las Nubes dive headfirst into the depths of their feverish sophomore album ‘Tormentas Malsanas’ – a charged and churning alternative rock tempest with an undeniably punk attitude that cuts to the core of life itself, all while getting very, very loud.
Stream: “Would Be” – Las Nubes
The first thing you notice about Las Nubes is, they’re f*ing loud.
And they have every right to be: After everything life’s thrown at them – and all of us, for that matter – these last couple of years, Ale Campos and Emile Milgrim have earned the right to make a lotta noise.
But theirs isn’t noise for noise’s sake; as the Godfather of Punk Iggy Pop himself has said, “Las Nubes are far and away the hottest band in Miami, and the most socially relevant. They rock from the soul, covered in tattoos and attitude. They represent an uncompromising lifestyle trend that is the future.” The band’s sophomore album embodies all this and more as they weather all manners of storm, striving to survive an increasingly harsh and hostile climate – both literally, and figuratively. As unapologetic as it is uncompromising, Tormentas Malsanas hits hard and leaves a lasting mark as Las Nubes reckon with the tumult and turmoil of just getting by in the 21st Century.
It’s a sonically and emotionally charged alternative rock tempest with an undeniably punk attitude – a record of ruthless riffs and raw humanity that cuts to the core of life itself, all while getting very, very loud.
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My life’s gone by
Why isn’t anything easy anymore?
My time is done.
I can’t take it,
the years have flown along.
And I know
the more I give,
the less I’ll get back.
– “Would Be,” Las Nubes
Released June 14th, 2024 via Miami-based indie label Sweat Records Records, Tormentas Malsanas is a raucous, roaring, and unrestrained masterpiece. Arriving five years after Las Nubes’ debut LP SMVT, the multilingual band’s long-awaited second LP finds Ale Campos and Emile Milgrim honing their garage- and punk-influenced sound while simultaneously expanding their vision, experimenting with their songs, and diving ever-deeper into themselves and the world around them.
The pair’s ambition is on full display in the sweep, all-consuming ten-minute triumph, “Caricia” – an indisputable album highlight – whereas their lyrical strength shines brightest on bold songs like “Pesada” (in which they call out performative activism) and “Would Be.”
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As Campos and Milgrim explain, this collection really is a long time coming – and they couldn’t be more satisfied with the result.
“From start to finish, this record took about five years to write and record,” Las Nubes tell Atwood Magazine. “That’s not to say we began writing it with a vision in 2019, but one of the songs on it was written before our debut album, SMVT dropped in 2019. Another couple songs trickled out and eventually during the pandemic there was extra time to write and arrange more. Demo-ing, rehearsing, recording, re-writing (in some instances), mixing, mastering, etc. took about 2 of those 5 years.”
“A lot of it was seemingly ramshackle to us at first,” they add. “Not in a ‘spaghetti at the wall’ kind of way, but more in that we were experimenting and going through (inter)personal changes throughout the entire time we were creating it. After having the full body of songs, it became apparent that there were strong connections between the songs, mainly in theme, but also in the fact that the arrangements were far more complex and sophisticated compared to our debut. We were growing and changing as people and as a band. Many of these changes happened during the lengthy recording process and definitely unified the album into what could be called a “vision,” albeit seen through a retroactive lens.”
“While creating Tormentas we became better listeners, better musicians, better writers and better friends. Most of the songs on the debut were written by Ale before there was a full band or shared direction. Those songs are great, but these are better. Well, at least we think so.”
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Las Nubes describe Tormentas Malsanas as heavy (“interpret that how you like”), cathartic, and saudade. The album’s name reflects the torment within and around us all.
“Literally translated to “Unhealthy Storms,” the title references how events in life, relationships and friendships, alongside sociopolitical concerns, mental health struggles, and constant change can be likened to intense weather that seemingly renders everything impossible. But sometimes things do work out in the end – ‘everything will return to place.’ It’s also a direct reference to the tumultuously depressing summer-year-round that is our hometown; Miami, FL.”
The journey from album opener “Would Be” to closer “Drop In, Ya Freaks” is like that of a roller-coaster: Sonic (and emotional) highs and lows abound as Las Nubes hold absolutely nothing back, creating in their music a massive, volatile, thunderous, and utterly irresistible storm. Whether they’re singing about emotional entanglement (“Enredados”), drug addiction and loss (“Silhouetted Man”), living in Miami (“Drop In, Ya Freaks”), or the fear and dangers of walking alone at night and fighting off someone who’s trying to assault you (“Caminar Sola”), Tormentas Malsanas makes every moment meaningful as Las Nubes make every moment count.
As for their own favorites, “We’re really proud of ‘Caricia,’ a 10+ minute literal storm that breaks the album in half,” Las Nubes smile. “It was a ‘they’re either gonna love this or hate this’ choice to not only put it on the album, but also to put it smack in the middle. Seems we made the right decision. The response has been humbling. We’re currently toying with the idea of making a short experimental film for it. ‘The Weeks That Followed’ and ‘Silhouetted Man’ are also highlights in terms of unintentionally tricky composition and dynamics that we’re proud of. And of course, ‘Pesada’ is our homage to the sound of the place we grew up in, South Florida, and some of our favorite bands from here, all slow-ish, heavy, and brutal. We hope we did them proud with that one!”
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Las Nubes have clearly unleashed a fire inside – one we hope only continues to burn brighter in the years to come.
Tormentas Malsanas is tight and turbulent in all the right ways, treating listeners to a fresh, feverish, full-bodied musical palette that invigorates the soul as it inspires the mind. Impassioned, immersive, and endlessly enthralling, Las Nubes truly are a sonic diamond in the rough.
“Life is constantly moving, changing, and (hopefully) improving as we move through it and figure it out,” Las Nubes share. “Much of it is built from the connections we make, so don’t take those too lightly. If we don’t care for each other, who will?”
Experience the full record via our below stream, and peek inside Las Nubes’ Tormentas Malsanas with Atwood Magazine as Ale Campos and Emile Milgrim take us track-by-track through the music and lyrics of their sophomore album!
Las Nubes’ European tour kicks off in mid-February – find tickets and more information here!
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:: stream/purchase Tormentas Malsanas here ::
:: connect with Las Nubes here ::
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Stream: ‘Tormentas Malsanas’ – Las Nubes
:: Inside Tormentas Malsanas ::
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Would Be
There was a rumor going around about a live-action Power Puff Girls series being made by Diablo Cody. It was going to be set in the future and have them portrayed as adults looking back on their lives as crime-fighting little girls who missed out on being kids. I grew up in the ‘90s and PPG was one of my favorite cartoons, so I was really excited about this. One day Emile and I were talking about how cool it would be to write the theme song for the show, so “Would Be” was the result of that. It took about 20 minutes to write.
At the time I felt like my best years were flying away before my eyes, and I used that as inspiration for what it might feel like to be an aging ex-superhero. For the video I edited an old home movie of my father in his late 40s doing tricks with a soccer ball. Growing up in Argentina, he always dreamed of going pro. Soccer was his first love and he finally had his chance and played professionally for a year before getting seriously injured. He wasn’t able to continue his career in soccer after that, but he always carried the love for the sport in his heart. I felt like the video captured the essence of the song which is the desire to take back those years you lost and just cherish them.
Pesada
During the time of George Floyd’s murder, I noticed several people who I followed online were posting non-stop about topics surrounding racial injustice in the U.S… What I found strange was that they would share infographics written by other people instead of forming their own opinions, while also demonizing those who didn’t post as much as them. Additionally, when I would go to protests, I expected to see them all there but when the time came none of them showed. “Pesada” is about performative activism and the convenience of sitting at home and clicking “add to story” – how the delusion created by attention makes you think you’re absolved from being labeled as a bad character.
Silhouetted Man
The song is about drug addiction and how it affects a family and what it feels like to lose someone. It’s a song about my cousin Louie who appears on the album cover with his twin brother. Louie was the first person who introduced me to the band Broken Social Scene, and we wanted to convey some sounds to this song. We also wanted the chorus to be wordless and just a melody.
Caricia
The arrangement progresses like a slow burn that gradually builds before exploding. It’s a parallel between a tumultuous relationship and creating a sense of desperation and chaos. Like a hurricane, this song leaves behind a trail of destruction at the crescendo, but quickly becomes eerily calm.
Enredados (Misty’s Mix)
“Enredados” is about being so entangled with someone that you’re rendered practically dysfunctional even at the thought of being without them. You’re so blinded that you’re almost ignorant that it could all fall apart and/or it could be holding you back from other things. The feel of the song is rapid and ecstatic, in a less-familiar time signature, but also intentionally catchy, as to convey the sublime trappings of said entanglement.
Agua Plastica
“Agua Plastica” is a song in Portuguese. The music was inspired by the bands of Lê Almeida, a Brazilian virtuoso musician based in Rio de Janeiro. The lyrics were written by Nina, our former bassist while she was pregnant on tour. There’s a part towards the end that turns into something completely different and it’s because they were originally two different arrangements that we ended up combining together.
Caminar Sola
The song was originally written for me by my friend Eric Hernandez, but we didn’t end up using it at all. I really loved how simple the arrangement was and that it had that nostalgic feel to it that I think ended up blending well with the rest of the record. I wrote the lyrics later, but I was just trying to fit words into the vocal melody that already existed. So some of the lyrics don’t make sense, but they basically talk about the fear and dangers of walking alone at night and fighting off someone who’s trying to assault you. In the studio we changed the tunings of the guitars to give it a more shoegaze sound, My Bloody Valentine style.
Canse
“Canse” is the third version of this song. Initially it was a lo-fi version recorded at home by Ale with lyrics in English and no guitar leads. Then in 2019 we recorded it for a Florida compilation and in the studio, we changed the lyrics to Spanish, came up with guitar leads, and changed the drums. The final version on the album is the song on steroids! More guitar, more drums, more feedback. It’s the ultimate summer breakup anthem.
Drop In, Ya Freaks
“Drop In” more straightforwardly approaches the band’s south-of-south home, specifically addressing how living in Miami, you’re so bound by how fickle the weather is, and that, in and of itself can hinder your aspirations and lead to isolation. It’s essentially a song of choruses, a less traditional structure representing anxiety and anticipation bound up by the feeling you have nothing solid to depend on, not even the weather.
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:: stream/purchase Tormentas Malsanas here ::
:: connect with Las Nubes here ::
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Stream: ‘Tormentas Malsanas’ – Las Nubes
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