The Setup
LA LOM Band popped onto my radar a couple of weeks before their early December show at Terminal West in hometown Atlanta. They’re somewhat in the group of trendy newish bands that play some good old fashioned music, kind of retro new. Almost all of my favorite artists pay homage in some way to old school legends. Examples that come to mind are The New Mastersounds and The Meters or Lettuce and EWF and ToP.
More recently bands like Lawrence, Couch, The Dip, The True Loves, Durand Jones and The Indications, Thee Sinseers and several more play with a great historical music perspectives.
With the local date approaching and my usual interest in videoing the band (with permission), I started getting hip to LA LOM. I saw on their website (right box), that they played with a “laid-back aesthetic” and of course are connected to the lineage that I previously described.
LA LOM soon began experimenting with a genre-transcending repertoire that reflects the diverse musical diaspora of Angelenos.
LA LOM started out reimagining instrumental renditions of the soulful ballads from the 1950s and ’60s that they grew up listening to on LA’s oldies station, K-EARTH 101, evoking the laid-back aesthetic that defines the region, and drawing inspiration from luminaries like Smokey Robinson, Aaron Neville, and Brenda and the Tabulations.
Their sonic palette expanded to encompass the romantic allure of classic Mexican Boleros and the Cumbia Sonidera woven into the very fabric of the city’s soundscape, resonating through the streets from car stereos, backyard parties, and lively dance halls. LA LOM carved out a sound that blends all of these elements with the guitar-driven twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country.
So, my interest peaked and I checked out their most recent YouTube videos to get a little more feel for the show that I was gonna attend that night. This video of a new song, “La Tijera,” popped up and there it is, a full sepia-toned video that they themselves put out. It was great, musicallly, the dramatic flair, the gusto of the players — it presented quite a picture. I was ready to go, hopeful I would get approval to film, which I did as I was en route to the show, thanks to my good buddy, Matthew C!
The Show
Despite being on a frigid Tuesday night, the venue filled up right near capacity and there was definitely some buzz in the air. I was able to set up in good position and was hopefull to get good footage if I didn’t mess up. When LA LOM came out, they hit the ground running and I immediately taken in by that feel that I had seen in the video earlier. I found it interesting when listening back on the audio that the crowd was noisy, appropriately so and also attentive to the more sensual songs or sections. There are plently of show highlights but I’m going to get to some of that soong.
Compiling the Video
Compiling the audio and video turned out to be pretty routine for me. I took the feeds from my Zoom F3 and M3 recorders and mixed them in Audacity and then affixed them to my iPhone video in Davinci Resolve Studio. I was quite pleased with the overall outcome but was looking for a finishing touch.
I’d started playing around with Film Look Creator a few weeks prior and different touches. One of the effects is halation which in my non-tech view adds some visible light reflections to simulate old film shots. It also softens the color, probably an effect contrary to what you’d wan’t in most music videos today.
I put together the video of the song “Rebecca” that LA LOM performed with two simultaneous versions. The “Digital” one on top is the unaffected version and the “Cinematic” version has the “Film Look Creator” effect. Most people that have viewed the comparison have selected the “Digital” version as preferred and that is valid in that it’s probably more in line with modern digital videography, very sharp and vivid.
Watching the Show
Notwithstanding the benefits of the Digital version, I ultimately decided to go with the “Cinematic” version. I think the halation is effective and the colors are a nice pastel. It definitely can be more washed out, which to me presented in some parts as if Zac on guitar actually went in and out of a hologram. The performance values are outstanding and the music is fantastic. They’re definitely on my must see again list. Check out their music and buy some merch. I’ve got the logo scorpion T-shirt coming in the mail for my next show.
Buy or Stream LA LOM (click on image)
