The Brief

For many bands, finding a unique sound comes from years of trial and error.

For L.A.'s LA LOM, it all started with percussionist Nic Baker showing up to play their regular gig in the Roosevelt Hotel lobby with only congas — no drum kit.

"I was working there for a while and I was able to convince the managers there to give me a jazz night," Baker told LAist's AirTalk. "They were asking for jazz at the time, but really I wanted to start a more Latin-influenced band."

So Baker just didn't bring his drum kit one day. A strategic omission? Perhaps. Who could say for certain? But Baker and his bandmates — guitarist Zac Sokolow and bassist Jake Faulkner all born and raised in Los Angeles — point to that decision as the beginning of their journey to discovering a unique and quintessentially L.A. sound. The band combines the rhythms of traditional cumbia and Mexican boleros with the reverb and guitar twang of 50s and 60s rock and soul ballads.

These days LA LOM, which stands for Los Angeles League of Musicians, has graduated from playing for passing patrons at the Roosevelt. They've sold out venues, opened for Vampire Weekend and played with Beck. They have a record deal with a major label. They've performed in festivals in front of thousands with musical giants like Lionel Ritchie, Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson. And now, they're gearing up for a tour that will take them across the U.S. and Europe through the end of 2024.

Following the August release of their debut album The Los Angeles League of Musicians, and ahead of their upcoming tour, the boys of LA LOM sat down with LAist's AirTalk host Larry Mantle to talk about finding their sound, their musical influences and their success in the local and national music scene.

LA LOM released their eponymous debut album on August 9, 2024 on Verve Records.

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Courtesy Jessica Weber

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A family affair

Faulkner, Sokolow and Baker all point to musical upbringings as the main influence for their sound. Sokolow grew up playing with his dad, a well-known musician in L.A.'s bluegrass scene. Faulkner comes from a family of artists in Venice.

"Me and Jake have known each other since we were about 15 or so. We grew up playing a lot of rockabilly and country music together," said Sokolow.

Baker, meanwhile, draws his musical influence from his grandmother, who came from a musical family in Durango, Mexico and became a prominent DJ on Spanish language radio in Tucson, Arizona.

"My grandma and Zac's grandpa are from Latin America, and I think us being inspired by their music growing up has influenced our music as well, so it's just wanting to emulate something familiar," said Baker.

Finding their sound

When the three got together as a trio in their early days at the Roosevelt, they played covers of 60s soul ballads they grew up listening to on radio stations like K-EARTH 101.

But as more people started showing up to the Roosevelt to hear them play and dance to the music of their childhood, Sokolow says it was then that they started experimenting.

"We started playing cumbia, and a lot of the first cumbia we played was based on the Peruvian cumbia style...where the electric guitar is playing the melody as opposed to the accordion-led cumbia of Colombia," said Sokolow. "We all found that we all had that in common that we really love that music and...we started playing those songs and...especially with the Mexican boleros, people were resonating with that and a lot of people said oh, I grew up listening to that music with my grandparents."

It was at this intersection of the 60s rock and soul ballads and the cumbia and bolero music they all grew up listening to that LA LOM found their completely unique sound. Their song "Rebecca" off their debut album is a clear homage to those ballads — Baker gently dusts his drums with brush-style sticks while Faulkner's deliberate bass line and Sokolow's vintage guitar licks would make you swear you're slow dancing at the sock hop in 1965 or sharing a milkshake with two straws at the soda shop.

Other tracks from their new album like "San Fernando Rose," "Moonlight Over Montebello" and "Ghosts of Gardena" pay homage to iconic L.A. neighborhoods and locations and show their dedication to the cumbia and boleros that raised them. Close your eyes and listen to their song "Figueroa" and it's hard not to imagine yourself cruising down the renowned Highland Park street in a convertible with the top down on a warm summer night.

The power of a great cover

And while they're breaking ground recently with original music, it's been some of the covers that brought them early attention. The video of their version of Fito Olivares' "Juana la Cubana" has more than a million views on YouTube and remains a staple of their live sets. And it's often these covers that help connect multiple generations.

"My favorite thing to see is...for example, at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, somebody brought their whole family — kids all the way through the grandmother who came on stage and danced 'Juana la Cubana' with us," said Faulkner.

While some musicians try to channel someone influential in the way they play, LA LOM says they aren't really trying to replicate anyone's sound.

"When we do our covers, I'm always just imitating the melody of what's often an accordion or sometimes a saxophone or a synthesizer," Sokolow explained. "I don't know, I guess I'm not really channeling any particular guitar players. I'm just thinking about the melody and playing in my own style."

"I think a lot of the sound is based off us being a trio, primarily," added Baker. "So it pushes you to fill in space in a certain way. I play multiple percussion instruments at the same time and Zach's trying to fill in all these different parts, and Jake's holding it down on the bass. It creates this trifecta of sound."

Look good, feel good. Feel good, play good

There's a famous quote from NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who was known for not only his otherworldly athletic ability but also his flashy outfits: "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good."

And while LA LOM probably wasn't drawing directly on Sanders' advice when finding their look, they knew that getting it right on stage and in their videos was key to drawing eyeballs. They point to not just their look as a band, but the vintage look of their videos as something that's helped people discover them. And when you watch them it's pretty clear — they look good, they feel good and they play good.

"Nick has a really good vision for how the band should look," Faulkner said. "And so he directed these videos that we made with our friend Jacob Butler who shot them. And through that I think we've had a lot of luck and good fortune in people liking what we do. A lot of it's, all the videos are based off kind of nostalgia and that old school feeling."

And what's more old school L.A. than, say, a 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo, the namesake of another of the songs from their debut album. The video begins with Baker on driving conga drums and a bouncing baseline from Faulkner before Sokolow's guitar comes in from above to seal in that feeling that you're riding in one.

"For the video, we found a 1972 Monte Carlo and drove it on to location and had Zac get out of it walk up to his guitar, pick it up and start the song that way. So that long organ intro is as a result of him getting out of the car," said Faulkner.

Where can I see them?

This month, LA LOM sets out on a tour of the southwestern U.S. that includes stops in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before a return to California in October to play a handful of shows across the state in late September and early October.

While their show at The Mayan on October 18 is sold out, as of this story's publication there are still tickets left for their shows at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown and the Ventura Music Hall. You can also catch them at Ohana Fest in Dana Point on September 29. In November, they head to Europe for a tour that will take them to the Netherlands, England, Spain, Portugal and Germany before a return to the U.S. in December to play a handful of shows on the East Coast and across the Midwest.

For a full list of upcoming shows, click here.

Listen to the full interview

LAX officials are considering a proposal Tuesday to increase the fees rideshare companies are charged to access the airport.

Currently, rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft generally pass a $4 to $5 airport fee along to their customers. You might see this listed as a line item on your receipt as an “LAX Airport Surcharge.”

But the Los Angeles World Airports Board of Commissioners could vote to increase that fee by as much as $2 to $8 depending on where the rideshare picks you up or drops you off.

The idea behind the proposal is to encourage the use of the long-awaited, much-delayed and over-budget Automated People Mover once it opens and decrease congestion in the central terminal area, the area of the airport that’s also known as the horseshoe.

David Reich, a deputy executive director for the city agency that manages the airport, told LAist that if the proposal is approved, LAX doesn’t plan on increasing the fee until after the Automated People Mover opens, which could be later this year.

The proposed increases

When the Automated People Mover opens, there will be new curb space for drop-off and pick-up. Known as the “ground transport center,” this new curb space will be a 4-minute trip from the terminal area via the Automated People Mover, according to Reich.

LAX-it will shut down as a rideshare and taxi lot once the train opens, Reich said.

If the proposal is approved, getting an Uber or Lyft to and from the ground transport center will come with a $6 airport fee.

Even once the Automated People Mover opens, you will still be able to get rides directly to and from the curbs along the horseshoe, but they will come with a $12 fee.

The proposed increases would also apply to taxi and limousine services, which currently operate under a slightly different fee structure than rideshare companies.

The increased fees are expected to generate as much as $100 million in the first year the Automated People Mover is usable, according to a report to the board.

Why the different fees for the different locations?

In a report to the board, Reich said the Automated People Mover represents a "significant investment” that aims to “fundamentally reshape how vehicles move through the airport.”

The idea behind having a higher fee for direct access to the curbs along the horseshoe is to encourage “use of new, high-capacity infrastructure” and preserve central terminal access for trips “that most require it.”

Uber is trying to fight the increases

Uber is trying to mobilize the public to fight the proposed fee increases.

“Raising the LAX rideshare fee from $5 to $12 at the curb would punish travelers, working families, and seniors who depend on affordable, reliable transportation,” Danielle Lam, the head of local California policy for Uber, said in a statement.

On Monday, Uber sent an email to passengers who recently used the rideshare service, urging them to write to city officials to “stop this massive fee hike.”

Lyft has not responded to a request for comment.

Ten state lawmakers who are members of the L.A. County delegation sent a letter on Monday to the board expressing their “strong opposition” to the proposed increases.

“Many Angelenos rely on a mix of options, including rideshare services and friends or family dropping off loved ones,” the legislators wrote in the letter. “Managing congestion cannot realistically rely on steep fee increases for certain transportation options.”

Eight of the 10 legislators who signed the letter have received campaign contributions from Uber or Lyft, according to an LAist analysis of state campaign contribution data.

Other ways to access the airport

Now is probably a good time to remind folks that there are other ways to get to the airport that don’t involve rideshares, taxis or even lifts from families and friends.

The FlyAway bus offers regularly scheduled rides from the airport to Union Station in downtown L.A. and Van Nuys. You can see the schedules here. 

Last year, the countywide transportation agency unveiled the LAX/Metro Transit center, which is accessible from the C and K rail lines and several bus routes. For now, an LAX shuttle is bringing travelers from the station to the airport. It will be one of the stops on the Automated People Mover once it opens.

The Newport Beach City Council is considering demolishing part of its quirky, beloved sculpture garden in Civic Center Park to make way for a new police station.

The city has been trying to figure out how to replace its aging police headquarters for years. It bought a property in 2022 with that intent. But an ad hoc City Council committee decided, controversially, it might be better to instead build a new station on the parkland next to city hall.

What’s so great about the sculpture garden?

The sculpture garden is a “museum without walls” treasured by art and nature lovers alike. It houses the quirky and once-controversial “Bunnyhenge,” included on the popular Atlas Obscura travel guide. Opponents of putting a new police headquarters on park grounds say it would compromise the environment, and decimate the sculpture garden.

What do supporters of the new station idea say?

Supporters say the current police station, built in 1973, is long overdue for an upgrade, and that the police force needs more space for things like servers to store digital evidence. The council ad hoc committee that studied the issue says the Civic Center parkland makes the most sense for a new building because the city already owns the land, and it would consolidate the city’s main services in one place.

Is it a done deal?

Far from it. The City Council is holding a study session Tuesday to present the plan publicly and gather input. If the council decides to go forward, the next step would be to hire a consultant to design the building and get started on an environmental impact report.

Here’s how to learn more and weigh in:

A new exhibit in L.A. — Vehicles of Expression: The Craft of the Skateboard — arrives this weekend, highlighting the cultural impact, history and artistry of handmade skateboards.

It’s the latest exhibit at Craft in America Center, a museum and library that highlights handcrafted artwork.

Todd Huber, skateboard historian and founder of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, said before 1962, it wasn’t possible to buy a skateboard in a store.

“Skateboarding started as a craft,” Huber said on AirTalk, LAst 89.3’s daily news program. “Somewhere in the 50s until 1962, if you wanted to sidewalk surf, as they called it, you had to make your own out of roller skates.”

What to expect

Emily Zaiden, the director and lead curator of the Craft in America Center based in Los Angeles, told LAist’s AirTalk the exhibit was tricky to curate.

“What we wanted to do was focus on both the history and then expand into how this has been an object that people have interpreted in so many different ways since the very beginning,” Zaiden said.

Artists who craft skateboards not only think of design, but also of the features that give riders the ability to do tricks, such as wheelies and kickflips.

“The ways that people have constructed boards, engineered boards, design boards … people are really renegade, which I think is really the spirit of skateboarding overall,” Zaiden said. “This very independent, out-of-the-box approach and making boards that allow them to do all kinds of wacky tricks and do all kinds of things that no one imagined possible physically with their body, but through the object of the board.”

Know before you go

The exhibit at Craft in America Center opens to the public on Saturday. Admission is free. The museum is open from noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.