Amoeba Music
6400 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
323-245-6400
www.amoebamusic.com/
If you bothered clicking on this link, surely you’ve at least
heard
of this place. Gargantuan independent store where you can find
anything in the world on a given day… provided you beat others
to the punch. Remember, everyone in the LA area shops here,
including Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. I know, I’ve witnessed
this myself. You could seriously spend a day going through all
their 7” records, which are pretty darn organized. The LP’s, well
they aren’t quite as organized, but they at least separate out the
Country, Vocals, Exotica, things like that. There are also tons
of desirable nuggets on the walls if you want to really shell out
some clams. You'd do well to check out the new arrivals sections,
that's where you get the first crack at the primo stuff. The CD
and DVD selection is massive and pretty meticulously organized.
Their two other stores, in Berkeley and San Francisco, are also
must-visits, and each store has it’s own personality, so check
them all out if you get the chance.
Aron’s Records (RIP)
1150 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-469-4700
UPDATE: We are sad to report that Aron's will be closing in January of 2006.
FINAL UPDATE (4/06) After months of slightly raising prices while offering larger discounts, this place is really dead.
Before Amoeba thundered into town, this was the big dog in
Hollywood. It’s still the place to go if you strike out at Amoeba;
I know I’ll often find what I was looking for and couldn’t find
there. The vinyl selection is usually excellent, and there’s
lots and lots of cheap vinyl to be picked through at the back
of the store. If you are into Prog or Psych, this is a pretty
decent place to find reissues on vinyl, like Akarma stuff. The
CD selection isn’t huge, but it’s usually solid. The 7” selection
tends to lean towards the punky side, but like all good spots
you never know what you might find.
Benway Records
306 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-396-8898
www.benwayrecords.com/
UPDATE: Moved to a new location, so we'll
re-evaluate this place once one of us stops in there.
Atomic Records
3812 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
818-848-7090
Lots of used records and a good selection of used and promo CDs and
DVDs too. Well organized, pleasant environment with an informed and
cool staff. Close proximity to the LA music biz means they pick up
some interesting collections from time to time. Watch for white label
promos in the bins. Tons of 50¢ lps on the floor by the front window
too!
Bagatelle Records
260 Atlantic Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-432-7523
One of those holes in a wall so full of records you can hardly move.
All used records all the time. A lot of jazz, but pretty good rock and
everything else. A little on the high side price-wise, but you might
find something there you won't anywhere else. Give yourself a lot of
time to browse.
Eastside Records
1813 Hillhurst Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-913-7461
An oasis of bland in the midst of oh-so-hip Los Feliz/Silver Lake. A
strange, rather large store in a strip mall with surprisingly little
to sell. They seem to have a lot of classical LPs, some used CDs and
DVDs, and if you're lucky, some rock, folk, country and soundtrack
LPs. Sometimes you can be very lucky indeed, other times not. But it's
worth a look.
Fingerprints Records
4612 E. 2nd Street #B
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-433-4996
If you live in the South Bay or Long Beach region, this is the only
place to go to find cool new indie rock releases you won't find at
Tower or The Wherehouse. A classic, urban underground record store
nestled along trendy 2nd Street in Belmont Shores. A decent collection
of used vinyl at ok prices. Very good selection of new vinyl too, and
punk 7"s galore! Spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon strolling along
2nd Street, then take in an in-store performance at Fingerprints. What
could be nicer?
Freak Beat Records
13616 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA
818-995-7603
www.freakbeatrecords.com/
Ah yeah, lunch at Chili My Soul, then record browsing at Freak Beat.
Not a bad afternoon. You never know what you might find in the dollar
bins. Country, folk, blues and exotica records reside in boxes under
the rock & R&B racks. Most of the rock records are your typical,
thrashed classic rock junk, but some rare finds mingle with them. New
and used CDs, even some new vinyl. Owners are real nice guys,
too. I’ve overheard them telling a young’n how to properly clean a
record, and they are one of the few places in the LA area where you
can find back issues of MOJO magazine.
Go-Boy Records
1310 S. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310-316-1957
UPDATE: Closed around Christmas,
2007. RIP
Not a bad store, but like everything else
in the South Bay, there are
better ones to be found about 10 miles north. Lots of used LPs, but
mostly thrashed classic rock crap. Thank the good Lord people die and
their kids dump their records at places like this though, because
occasionally they get a ton of 50s and 60s LPs and their prices ain't
bad. Go-Boy also has a reputation for supporting the local skate-punk
scene, so it's easy to find CD releases by local labels there. Another
good by-product of this is sometimes you find that someone has sold
off their collection of SST LPs and such. The other day I picked up a
copy of Wire 154, The Who Sell Out and Eat Your Paisley by The Dead
Milkmen. Not a bad haul.
House of Records (RIP)
3328 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-450-1222
www.houseofrecords.com/
Update: Went belly up in 2007
We’ll have to give this place an “incomplete.” A few record-loving
friends of mine have said that their best stuff is sitting around in boxes,
unpriced, and pretty much not yet for sale. Kinda makes for a
frustrating shopping experience, especially if you find something
you really want. Hopefully we can come back with a more positive
report later.
P.M. Sounds
1115 Sartori Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
310-787-8200
A nice little store specializing in Jazz LPs, with a bit of everything
else. Some used CDs as well.
Poo-Bah Record Shop
2636 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
626-449-3359
www.poobah.com/
This place goes way back. Used to be in a funky little house near
Pasadena College, now it's in an old store front in a washed up '50s
part of town. Same funky shit inside. Decent dollar bin when you first
walk in. A lot of thrashed crap, but a few gems among 'em. Always
worth a look.
Record Recycler
17312 S. Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90504
310-767-7900
This is a weird place, but good weird. Loads of vinyl, I think it's
all vinyl. Well, they might have some CDs, but who cares? Another one
of those "spend a few hours and about $50.00" type stores. Good
prices, tons of rock, R&B, Jazz, you name it. Cash only, ATM nearby.
The place smells like char-broiled chicken all the time because of the
El Pollo Loco across the street. The store is hard to find because it
barely even has a sign out front, and it couldn't be more
non-descript. Aw yeah. I like this place.
Record Surplus
11609 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-478-4217
www.recordsurplusla.com/
Vinyl, vinyl, vinyl! The inventory is constantly in flux, but this
remains one of the best places to look for old vinyl. These guys
know their stuff, so you won’t find too many fantastic deals, but
they do price everything to come out to an even dollar amount
with tax, and it seems they do a lot of rounding on top of that.
Many times I’ll figure I’ve spent $40 and they’ll ask for $35. You
gotta love that. Those interested in bargains should go upstairs.
I’ve gotten very, very dusty up there. Also a good place to buy
accessories, plastic covers, etc. Perhaps most importantly, they
have a few turntables out so you can listen before you buy. A
smallish inventory of CD’s, VHS, and DVD’s, and watch out for
their huge semi-annual sales.
Rhino Records
2028 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-474-8685
UPDATE: We are sad to report that Rhino will be
closing in January of 2006.
What was once the dusty little gem of Westwood is now a sad,
sinking vessel. This store, which we should note is not an outlet
for the Rhino Label, has been in a steady decline for years, pretty
much from the time they moved down the street from their original
locale. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything you are looking for
on CD or vinyl, and now half the floor space is taken up by an
overpriced rock and pop culture memorabilia section called Duck
Soup. The vinyl area was the last decent part of the store, and
recent visits prove even that’s gone way downhill. This was once
a proud indie that purchased large collections, held instore
performances, and held mammoth parking lot sales that were
always marked on my calendar. It’s hard to go there now, it’s
like watching an old love one die of neglect.
Rockaway Records
2395 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-664-3232
www.rockaway.com/
A long standing landmark LA record store. New & used CDs & DVDs are a
big draw, but they've got a lot of LPs and 45s too. They specialize in
Beatles and other '60s memorabilia - as a matter of fact, if you're
looking for Beatles LPs, both domestic and import in great shape, this
is the place. Lately they've gotten hold of some huge collections of
the record industry variety, but it's pretty esoteric stuff. Way
pricey too! They think nothing of putting a $30.00 price tag on a
decent looking cut-out by some '60s act you've never heard of. I guess
it's over my head. That's ok, I can score that Buckaroos album I've
been looking for $10.00, so whatever. A great deal of the bizarre
45’s that have been and will be covered on the Robot were found
here, back when they briefly had a bargain store in the back.