Sweet soul meets coastal sway
Thee Sacred Souls come from San Diego's soul scene, shaping tender slow jams with tape-warm grit.
LA LOM brings an instrumental bolero-cumbia pulse, letting strings and guitar drift like a coastal breeze. The group rose on Daptone's Penrose imprint, cutting early 45s to tape and leaning on first-take energy. Their self-titled 2022 album
Thee Sacred Souls put the spotlight on careful melodies and patient grooves.
Likely moments and who shows up
Expect
Can I Call You Rose?,
Will I See You Again?, and
Easier Said Than Done to anchor the set, with
LA LOM sliding in tasteful interludes or a joint encore. The crowd tends to be couples slow-dancing near the subs, record collectors with tote bags comparing label stamps, and families catching the early ballads together. A small trivia note: early singles were recorded in Riverside at the Penrose studio with vintage mics and minimal overdubs. Another one: the band often sells 7-inch versions first at shows before they hit shops, which draws a line at the merch table. Note: set choices and production cues here are inferred from recent dates and could change show to show.
Thee Sacred Souls x LA LOM: Scenes From the Floor
Vintage threads, present tense
You will spot vintage-inspired fits, from sharp pleats and loafers to floral dresses and cardigans, plus modern touches like clean sneakers and film cameras. During the slow burners, the room hushes and couples sway, and you can hear the tambourine sit on the backbeat. When a familiar line hits, the front rows answer with a gentle echo, more hum than shout, which suits the songs. Merch leans toward 7-inch singles, soft tees with simple fonts, and posters that nod to classic soul bills; the 45s often go first.
Rituals without the rush
Fans trade notes on pressing details, swap venue stories, and make space for dancers near the subs rather than pushing forward. After the last tune, people linger to chat with the band at the edge of the stage, thanking them and comparing favorite ballads. The overall feel is neighborly and calm, rooted in care for sound and shared mood rather than big spectacle.
How Thee Sacred Souls and LA LOM Shape the Night
Songs that breathe
Thee Sacred Souls center the vocal, leaning on a tender falsetto while the rhythm section keeps the beat simple and deep. They like to start ballads with just rimshot and guitar, then bring bass and full kit in on the second chorus to lift the room. Tempos sit a touch slower live than on record, which lets the lyrics land and gives the backing harmonies room to glow. Guitar favors a hollow-body twang and spring reverb, while bass uses a rounded, thumpy tone that softens the edges.
LA LOM's glide and shared moments
LA LOM lets two guitars and percussion trade lines, riding a gentle cumbia sway that keeps feet moving without crowding the melody. In a joint moment, you might hear them stretch an intro into a short instrumental vamp so the groove settles before the song blooms. A small but telling habit is to drop the final chorus to near-silence, then bring the band back on a single snare pickup, which lands with a clean, old-school snap.
Neighbors in the Soul Constellation: If You Like Thee Sacred Souls and LA LOM
Kindred voices and grooves
Fans of velvet falsetto and crisp backbeats will connect with
Durand Jones & The Indications, who share slow-bloom soul and a classy rhythm section.
Chicano Batman mixes vintage organs and SoCal psychedelia, drawing listeners who like romance edged with grit. For expansive, horn-kissed soul that breathes on stage,
Monophonics scratch a similar itch.
Where tastes overlap
If bilingual grooves and 45 culture speak to you,
The Altons sit close to
LA LOM in spirit while nodding to neighborhood dance floors. All four acts favor warm tones, steady tempos, and hooks that invite quiet singing rather than big shout-alongs, which mirrors how
Thee Sacred Souls tends to let space lead.
