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. 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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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.

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

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About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.