LA LOM rekindles of the sound of “psychedelic chicha” – a south-of-the-border reaction to the electrified 1960s. Picture the Ventures or Belairs with the hippest Latin percussion known to mankind.
The trio features Zac Sokolow on guitar, the son of folk journeyman Fred Sokolow. On LA LOM’s debut album, The Los Angeles League Of Musicians, he twangs vintage National and Kay electrics with gobs of reverb and tremolo, evoking twang in the style of the bolero, cumbia, and chicha. It’s intoxicating guitarmanship.
Your guitar is essentially the lead vocalist of LA LOM.
When we started, we were mostly background music in a hotel lobby; hardly anyone was paying attention. It took a lot of convincing to get me to believe that anyone would find our music interesting. We were playing covers and I’d learn the instrument and vocal parts of songs, then try to play them with the right inflection on each section. Now, when we write original songs, I often imagine a voice singing certain parts, or maybe an instrument other than guitar playing part of it.
As a teen, you worked at McCabe’s Guitar Shop. What did you do there?
I did everything from breaking down boxes to stringing guitars, setting up chairs for concerts, and even teaching mandolin and banjo. That’s where I met a lot of musicians I started playing with, including Jake Faulkner, our bassist in LA LOM.
How did you become acquainted with Mexican boleros and cumbia sonidera styles?
I’d hear those songs on the radio a lot, and they’re very melodic and memorable. I also have a musician friend who collects old records, and he played some much older cumbia recordings of the Vallenato style from Colombia. Those recordings really stuck with me. Later, other friends played music from the ’60s and ’70s of the more-psychedelic “chicha” style from Peru, led by electric guitars. Groups like Los Destellos, Juaneco y su Combo, and Los Mirlo.
There’s a lot of guitar going on within “Angels Point” and “Maravilla,” as if you’re covering several instruments.
When I come up with melodies, I usually have chord progressions in mind and sometimes harmonies that go along with the melody. Being the only guitarist, I have to play parts that will get across the whole picture. As a result, I play the songs pretty differently every time. I’m always changing my mind about which part to emphasize.
Who are your guitar influences?
Jaime Moreyra from Los Shapis, and Bombino is another huge influence. There is an Italian musician from San Jose, California, Tom Marion, who has been a mentor. He showed me the playing of the great Giovanni Vicari.
Your tone is shimmering, just-breaking-up, and surf-ready, as in “El Sereno.” What gear did you use on the album?
I mostly used my red 1962 National Val Pro 82. It’s Jake’s, but he has let me borrow it for years now. I tend to use whatever reverb and vibrato is built into the amp I’m using, but will often add the Boss Analog Delay box my dad used to use back in the ’80s. I’ve used it since I was a teenager and know how to control it very well. On “El Sereno” I was using a Kay guitar from the ’50s that belongs to our producer, Elliot Bergman, along with his Magnatone amplifier.
Do you have any other vintage gear in your collection?
I have a Kay Style Leader from around 1960. There are also a couple Fender amp reissues.
Your father is noted folk musician Fred Sokolow. How did that help shape LA LOM?
A lot of the earliest memories I have are hanging out at my dad’s gigs when I was really little. Once I was old enough, me and my brother started picking up his instruments and, by the time I was 11, I was gigging with him, mostly playing mandolin or banjo. From him, I learned about emphasizing chords and melody. His father grew up in Buenos Aires and moved with his family to Los Angeles. My grandfather described Buenos Aires as a place that was filled with people and cultures from all over the world – similar to the way I now think of Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared in VG’s November 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
