Don’t Stay in LA Without Hearing This First
Welcome to Off the Record, our six-part newsletter series spotlighting cities where music and hospitality collide.
Gather around, music-lovers, readers, and anyone who likes to sip, sway, and soundtrack their city. Off the Record is our new zeitgeisty series uncovering the world’s most musically inclined metropolises—made possible with our friends at Cassette, the leading agency in music curation for hospitality. From lobby playlists to rooftop DJ sets, they’re quite the experts at curating soundtracks that connect brands and their guests.
Track 01 queues up Los Angeles. Beyond Hollywood lights, the city hums with boutique hotels syncing vibes (subtle hint to browse our LA-based HAP Collection hotels you can book right now), low-lit listening bars, and tastemakers shaping the scene. This is your insider mixtape to the City of Angels.
LA Reads to Set the Mood
Lobby Playlist: Pali Tunes by Palisociety 🎧
"For me, hotels have always been about evoking a sense of discovery… every note, every detail, every light, every scent is curated with intention. I really want guests to feel it in their bones. That’s when a hotel becomes more than just a place to stay. That’s when it becomes a memory." — Kirsten Leigh Pratt, Principal at Palisociety.
With stylish outposts across Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Brentwood, and Laguna Beach, Palisociety has become a go-to for boutique stays that marry design with sound. Kirsten personally hand-picks the Pali Tunes Spotify playlists, creating the signature soundscape that evolves throughout the day.
The “Pali Vibes” playlists set such a modern, cool-girl lobby tone. How do you want guests to feel when they walk through the doors?
“Music should be as intentional as design or scent—it’s part of placemaking. The right playlist creates a sensory experience guests feel in their bones. That’s when a hotel becomes a memory.”
How does assigning tracks per time of day (AM/Noon/PM) affect the ambiance of each hotel space?
“There is nothing worse than hearing a thumper while you are having your first coffee of the day. I want our hotel guests to ease into their day, and I want our music to be part of that journey, which is why we assign tracks to different parts of the day.”
Each playlist—from Pali Vibes to Dinner Vibes—has its own identity. How do you craft them?
“Simply put, each playlist I create is a feeling, not a formula. I am intimately familiar with creating each of these brands, so the music is an extension of that brand and the original idea. Our playlists are as eclectic as the hotels themselves. Mixing plaid and stripes and florals is just the same for me as mixing jazz and country and R&B.”
Do you have a personal favorite playlist so far? With weekly updates and new tracks, how has the sound of Palisociety evolved?
“This is like asking me to name my favorite child! I recently curated a playlist to feature in our new book, “Nooks, Crannies, Cocktails and Other Musings.” It’s called (Pali Tunes) Dinner Vibes—17 tracks—play it in order. Le Petit Pali is also a fav (it’s 40 hours of music). I feel like I can play it in the background all day long. It’s laid-back vibes with a touch of nostalgia.”
From Carmel-by-the-Sea to West Hollywood, do you shape the playlists differently depending on the location, or is there a signature “Pali sound”?
“We certainly have a signature sound. It’s eclectic, straddles a lot of genres, and it always leans more Euro feeling. Le Petit Pali hotels share the same lists. We also have supplemental playlists for restaurants, such as French Vibes for Simonette and Lobby Bar Vibes for Palihouse Hyde Park Village.”
The Producer’s Cut: Tomas Cookman, Nacional Records 🎙️
In this edit of The Producer’s Cut, we tapped Tomas Cookman, founder of Nacional Records and the creative force behind the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC). For nearly two decades, Cookman has championed Latin music—from indie rock to hip hop to electronica—while keeping his finger firmly on the pulse of LA’s ever-evolving soundscape.
You founded Nacional Records back in 2005. What role has Los Angeles played in shaping the label and the artists you’ve supported over the past two decades?
Los Angeles has consistently been a key starting point—where the first radio support came in, where the first syncs came in, and where we consistently got played by local DJs during their sets. It quickly spread from there, but the spark—the initial story to tell—has deep LA roots, as do we.
Looking back, is there a standout Nacional Records moment or performance here in LA that felt like a career milestone for you?
Early on, we had a Manu Chao show at the now non-existent downtown Sports Arena that was insane. The place was past its prime and long in the tooth; it had over 10,000 screaming fans jam-packed in, and what I clearly remember, beyond the show being a fiery Manu Chao intense set, was that the merch stand was chaotic. Everything was flying off the tables; it felt like a teen fandom, and it felt great.
You’ve probably been to some incredible post-Grammys parties—what’s one unforgettable LA music industry night that still makes you smile?
Any time we had an artist performing on a GRAMMY stage or, even better yet, winning an award, it was always special. After a while, the parties tend to blend together. Still, there were moments when I had the opportunity to meet an industry heavyweight or soon-to-be heavyweight who turned out to be a good person as well—those were the industry relationships that sometimes morphed into genuine friendships.
For someone looking to dive into the Latin music scene here, where’s the best spot to experience live shows or a night of dancing?
Check out Canyon Cody and what he is doing each week. He is always ready for a good night of movement with his Subsuelo events. The same goes for Raul Campos from KCRW and his cool vinyl bar in Hollywood, LP Vinyl Bar.
Nacional Records is turning 20 this year. Any exciting projects, albums, or collaborations on the horizon that you’re especially proud to be working on?
We released two double-vinyl special sets with colored vinyl and accompanying photos, essays, and more, which I am proud of. Listening to the four discs is a fantastic reminder of how fortunate we have been to work with so many great artists.
The Local Setlist: Zach Brooks on Smorgasburg & LA’s Food/Music Mash-Up 📀
When it comes to food-meets-music culture in Los Angeles, Zach Brooks is the guy in the know. As the force behind Smorgasburg LA—the country’s largest weekly open-air food market—he’s spent the past eight years curating vendors, DJs, and energy that feels undeniably LA. For our Local Setlist section, Zach drops his insider “hit list” of where to eat, drink, and catch the city’s next great set.
What’s the magic behind curating the vendors, trucks, and food ideas that keep it feeling fresh and very LA every Sunday?
“I think LA is one of the best food cities in the world, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the up-and-coming underground pop up and street food scenes… which are the kinds of vendors Smorgasburg has always loved spotlighting. We pride ourselves on being an incubator for the next wave of culinary talent, watching vendors like Moo’s Craft BBQ, Evil Cooks, Bridgetown Roti and more, get their start at Smorgasburg before graduating to brick and mortar locations. Maybe you haven’t heard of our current stars Miya Miya Shawarma, Full Send BBQ, Glad or Breakfast Dreams yet… but you will soon!”
Beyond Smorgasburg, what restaurants, bars, or venues are your go-to spots where food and music intersect?
“I haven’t had a chance to go yet… but Sean Brock, the famous Southern chef, just opened his first restaurant in LA called Darling, where you’ll often find him DJing in the dining room! I probably want to go just as much to hear him DJ as I do to try the food. On the bar front, Peanut Butter Wolf’s Goldline has always been amazing in Highland Park, and the one-year-old No Smoking Bar on the westside always has good guest DJs (like Dan the Automator recently).”
Any LA hotels you think nail the balance of great dining and music programming?
“The Moxy Downtown (connected to the AC) is pretty wild. The Houston Brothers have always done a great job combining music, food, and drinking in super interesting spaces, and the massive Level 8 complex on the top floors of the Moxy is no different. I’ve always liked the atmosphere of The Hoxton, Downtown LA, too.”
After eight years, any food-and-music combos from the market that stand out in your memory?
“Our weekly DJ crews are pretty amazing (KCRW, Dublab, Preciosa Night, and DJ Diego Guerrero hold it down for us every Sunday), but we’ve also had the occasional live band, including Ozomatli and Egyptian Lover. The most exciting thing is when musicians come to eat… we may have stalked Dave Grohl, Action Bronson, Usher, and Linda Perry as they walked around Smorgasburg in search of good eats.”
From your time in radio to now, what sets LA’s music scene apart from other cities?
“No matter the night, there’s always a great concert going on somewhere in the city- from the biggest artists to the lesser-known folks. And I know it’s not a hidden gem, but it’s the end of the summer season, and no matter how many summers I spend at the Hollywood Bowl, I still get that feeling every time I go of how lucky we are to live in a city with such an iconic venue.”
One hidden gem: venue, listening bar, or food/music hybrid—that every local (or visitor) should know about.
“Steep LA is probably my favorite hidden gem in L.A. A Chinatown tea shop by day, focusing on an extremely well-curated list of teas from Taiwan and China, during the second half of the week, it turns into a cocktail bar at night called “Steep After Dark”. The vibe is more of a community gathering spot than a hip bar, but the tea-focused cocktails are great, and they host a variety of excellent events featuring pop-up bartenders from around the world. Don’t sleep on the food either, which is low-key really, really good.”
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