Los Angeles area record stores

I only go there for the jazz bin. I've never been a fan of the pricing in most other sections.

 

My family is also related to the owners of Sound City Studios, which was cool to find out. When I get back to LA to visit them, I'm gonna try to get a tour out of it!

Anyway, Amoeba Records!

 

Amoeba is best when you know exactly what you are looking for and can quickly comb the bins and get on with it. If you are into higher end collectibles then you can scan the back wall and walls behind the registers, grab the promos, picture discs older box sets, tests, colored vinyl and be done with it. Sometimes I don't mind just paying the $35 to $75 for an old item I've always wanted but never found cheap after 30 odd years.

Also the 45 picture sleeve area is interesting. Sometimes there is that once in a lifetime Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin picture sleeve and the price is about right for condition.

But I'm talking about having money to spend here.

Do you forum members have $30 to $100 to spend on each items that you buy? Because that is what it takes to get beyond the common junk. Or are you guys happy with more common cds and lower end used vinyl?

I'm not bringing one more item home to my collection unless it's a real even record.

 

I just went to Rockaway a couple weekends ago, and it's extremely depressing. The area where the vinyl used to be has been walled off (to make room for an expanding next door business?) and now the vastly reduced shelves are all packed into that narrow area where the collectibles counter is and the island shelves for records are literally not even a foot away from the used DVD/blu ray racks. so now guys looking at those and guys looking at records can't do so at the same time without having to contort madly and bob n weave. It's really uncomfortable. Guys will park themselves in the aisles to look at DVDs and literally lean against the records as they do so.

Strangely though, the prices have only increased and the amount of stock has gone down to a fraction of what it once was.

 

That's a bummer. I've been a Rockaway customer since the early 80s, even re-upped my store discount card in January when they were already in downsize mode.

Better times.....

 

For Amoeba Records, if their relatively small garage is full you can always get parking in the Arclight Cinemas mulri-story parking structure just one block east, not expensive and very easy! And you can also walk over to the Record Parlour just a few blocks away on Selma Avenue.

 

The Poobah in Pasadena. I bought Ten of Swords there........

 

That whole area is walled off now :/

 

I only know the current Rockaway, it's a nice sized store.

 

I bet you got your Ten Of Swords from Poo Bah when they were in business at this location. Those were the good ol' days of vinyl for me. I still remember the very first lp I found crate digging at Poo Bah's - Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan In Concert 1972. The location is now a Skein yarn store.

 

Amoeba also has an outdoor lot 1/2 block south of Sunset, entrance on Ivar St.

 

Amoeba Berkeley has a butcher cover on the wall right now.

 

If you're coming to No. Cal.,Amoeba Berkeley is still worth a visit and now that the Mad Monk is right across the street, it''s kind of a used record destination now. There is also a Rasputin CD and DVD store on the next block and the famous 'Down Home Music' (home of Arhoolie records) is just down the street in El Cerrito. Factor in a nice lunch and some healthy ogling of pretty UCB coeds and you can really make a day of it.

 

Yep! Thanks for posting this , James. GREAT store, great location! Wilson Ave!

A YARN store. Oh well!!

 

I"ll be out there next week, and I'm always surprised that Amoeba doesn't carry much from the studio player scene (things that might get played at the Baked Potato). Is there a store that strong in that kind of fusion or studio-player music?

 

8 pages and only a single passing mention of Gimme Gimme?!

By far, my favorite store in LA with a super chill owner who will actually approachable. Plus, free parking in the back.

Permanent used to be solid at their old location but now everything is about 15% too much. That said, they get some cool stuff in, just be prepared to pay.

Wombleton is gone (I'll bite my tongue on this shop).

Freakbeat in Sherman Oaks is a rad spot. I've always had luck there.

Mono when the first started out was great. They've moved (thank god) but I wasn't overly impressed the last few times I went in. Can be a source of newer indie stuff, though.

What elllllse...

If you want to drive up to Ventura, there is Grady's Record Refuge which is fun for digging but if you want to do some serious digging while interacting with a very colorful, old school record dude, got to American Pie Records. Prices are all over the place but I've had very good luck there.

Glass House in Pomona gets TONS of stuff seeing as they are owned by whoever puts on Coachella. Their buyer, Alex, travels the country buying stuff.

Oh, and the Pasadena Community College flea market has tons of records; just get there early.

 

Good call! I love Gimme! And you're right. The owner is very cool.

 

If Gimme Gimme had better lighting and a listening station, I'd go there more often.

 

You're right, and it is my favourite music store, love the cheap secondhand CDs.

My only problem is that the car would get rather damp on the drive from home.

 

Cars have been broken into in that lot with no security patrol. A friend had his Toyota logo ripped from his trunk hood in that lot.

 

Thanks for these tips, Turk!

 

Happy to help. I don't live in the LA area anymore (moved back East two years ago), but was out there this past Christmas and hit all my regular haunts, so I feel like these are, in my opinion, still relevant reviews

Some other places maybe worth checking out:

Mt. Analogue if you are into heavier (industrial) stuff.

Last Bookstore used to get great stuff in but I didn't check over my Christmas trip, so can't speak to their current inventory.

Counterpoint Records and Books sometimes has decent stock. God books! Right across from the Scientology Celebrity Center! Also right next to the UCB Theatre, so I'd hit this place before checking out an improv show.

And if you do go North to Santa Barbara (and you should!), Warbler Records is essential.

 

Freakbeat was quite good, but CD Trader up the road was even better. Not only was it one of the very few places I've seen that still has good CD stock, I also found some hard-to-get vinyl at fair prices. Mint Steve Hackett/Chris Squire was a good one.

Had never looked around the Valley before, but it was worthwhile.

 

I agree Rockaway has shrunk to the point where it's no longer worth visiting. They must be doing a lot of online business now - or they're just preparing to close or something.

At the moment, I like Record Surplus, Amoeba, Atomic, Freakbeat...and then down in Long Beach Bagatelle and Fingerprints.

 

Fingerprints is insanely overpriced for vinyl but I still love it. They also have a truely awesome CD section and carry bootlegs!!