A SPIN AROUND SOCAL’S 40 BEST RECORD STORES
In an age of ubiquitous streaming-on-demand, these 40 record stores around Los Angeles and Southern California offer a welcome counterweight to the antiseptic anonymity of the cloud: rows upon rows of new and used albums, CDs, cassettes and other physical objects that you can hold, display and, most important, listen to, over and over again.
AMOEBA MUSIC
Expanding from its original stores in Berkeley and San Francisco, Amoeba Music landed in Hollywood in 2001 and quickly rose to become the most iconic record store in L.A. With a vast selection of new and used records, Amoeba is a place to pick up the biggest hits of the moment, but it also has a deep inventory of soul, reggae, punk, jazz, classical, metal, EDM, etc. Amoeba’s knowledgeable staff includes members of rising young bands, and you will often see a famous face hunting the aisles. If regulars were saddened by the move from its huge two-level space on Sunset Boulevard, Amoeba has re-created much the same atmosphere at its smaller new location on Hollywood Boulevard.
● 6200 Hollywood Blvd.,
Los Angeles, (323) 245-6400
ANGEL CITY BOOKS & RECORDS
Steps away from Venice Beach sits Santa Monica’s last remaining indie bookstore, which also boasts a wide-ranging vinyl catalog. Its dedicated customer base should tell you all you need to know about the store’s steely reputation — “I’ve had people coming in here with their parents when they were 10 years old, and now they’re still coming in after college,” owner Rocco Ingala told The Times last year. “I’ve been here long enough to see that much history happen before my eyes.”
● 218 Pier Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 399-8767
ARROYO RECORDS
A relative newcomer to the bricks-and-mortar vinyl scene, Arroyo Records opened in September 2020. The postpandemic dream of then-health food store worker Daniel Clodfelter, Arroyo took over a former Permanent Records storefront in Highland Park and features a blend of local and international music across genres.
● 5123½ York Blvd., Los Angeles, (909) 374-4730
THE ARTFORM STUDIO
Jazz records, taper fades and curly perms? This Highland Park vinyl store and beauty salon is an intriguing combination, but one that’s all-toonatural to its co-owners, music composer Adrian Younge and his wife, Sherry Younge, a hairstylist for more than 25 years. And it helps that the shop is around the corner from the Lodge Room, the indie concert venue where Jazz Is Dead, the
WONDROUS
sounds abound at, from top, Amoeba Music, Mount Analog and the Record Parlour. record label and live music project founded by Adrian and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, hosts a number of its events.
● 5611 N Figueroa St., Suite No. 2, Los Angeles, (213) 613-1050
ATOMIC RECORDS
A crate digger’s paradise, Atomic Records deals entirely with used records, offering a second life to rare vinyls in need of a second, third or even fourth home. They’ll even make house calls seven days a week if you’re wanting to unload some of your own.
● 3812 W. Magnolia Blvd., Los Angeles, (818) 848-7090
BIONIC RECORDS
Bionic Records continues to do its thing 35 years after opening its doors at its Buena Park store. While its other locations in Fullerton, Huntington Beach and Cypress have been forced to close over the years, Bionic remains committed to the music, as evidenced in its stacks of punk and metal offerings. Band T-shirts, patches, stickers, posters and show fliers make the long, rectangular-shape store a hub for music culture, especially for those younger than the store itself.
● 6012 Ball Road,
Buena Park, (714) 828-4225
BLACK HOLE RECORDS
Whether it’s helping to start customers on their hardcore vinyl obsession or sell them their first pair of creepers, generations of Fullerton crate diggers owe this store and its owner, Bill Evans, a debt of gratitude for keeping the punk scene alive behind the Orange Curtain. First opening in Brea in 1986 and moving to Fullerton in 1991, the store has remained a staple of OC punk thanks to Evans, whose roots in the scene go back to the ’70s with his band the Naughty Women. Since 1989, the shop has shared a space with its sister store Stray Cat Vintage, a hub for punk and goth threads.
● 115 S. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 449-1788
BOOGIE MARU SOUNDS
Want to live out your “Tampopo” fantasies by whipping up some ramen while blaring Japanese city pop? This beloved little Torrance store is an onlyin-L.A. gem with a sophisticated selection of rare Japanese imports that add immaculate late-night Tokyo vibes wherever you may be in SoCal.
● 2140 Artesia Blvd., Suite C, Torrance, (310) 748-4766
CANTERBURY RECORDS
Since 1956, Pasadena has gotten its music fix at L.A.’s oldest living record store, which continues to boast a tremendous collection specializing in classic rock and bluegrass, among other genres.
● 805 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 792-7184
CD TRADER
Despite its name, CD Trader offers a deep selection of new and used vinyl, along with a mountain of CDs, DVDs, BluRays, picture discs, posters and a small book section. Founded in 1995 by Dave Maples, the store is an essential indie record outlet in the West Valley, following the sad demise of stores such as Tempo Records and Record Trader. Dave Grohl and Haim have been spotted in the aisles, joining customers digging through its gold mine of pop culture.
● 18926 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, (818) 705-3544
CHOICE MUSIC
When K-pop fans needed a place to mourn the death of singer Moonbin, they set up a memorial at this bustling shop in the Koreatown Galleria. While the selection of merch and records warrants its own trip, the store is proof that K-pop fans need offline hubs for their community too.
● 3250 W. Olympic Blvd., No. 323, Los Angeles, (323) 373-0008
COSMIC VINYL
An inspired throwback to when Echo Park and Silver Lake were the centers of L.A.’s hipsterdom, this shop has a tight, well-curated selection that spans country, funk and metal with a vegan cafe inside. Oren Pius, the proprietor, pays well for used collections and is a fount of record-nerd ephemera. ● 2149 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 568-3113
COUNTERPOINT RECORDS & BOOKS
This mom-and-pop store, founded by Susan Polifronio and her husband, John, has been in business since 1979, and it has built up a loyal customer base in the process. It’s one of many small businesses that almost shuttered for good during the pandemic, but as 2023 comes to a close, it’s still serving Franklin Village.
● 5911 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, (323) 957-7965
DIZZY ON VINYL
Walking into the time warp of Dizzy on Vinyl transports you back to the days when black lights, bongs and beaded curtains were the decorations du jour at any record shop. Owner Dizzy Diehm opened the store in 1999 on Long Beach’s bustling 7th Street corridor. The stacks lean heavily toward classic rock, ’70s soul and funk, ’60s psychedelic rock and classic metal; the inventory is primarily made up of used wax from swap meet sales and
Dizzy’s own massive collection. ● 3004 E. 7th St., Long Beach, (562) 225-9579
DR. STRANGE RECORDS
If you’re looking to bolster your punk and new wave collection, Dr. Strange is a must-visit. In addition to the essentials, the store that’s slightly off the beaten path also specializes in rare punk vinyl. The shop can also outfit you in punk attire, from creepers and bondage pants to T-shirts and patches.
● 7136 Amethyst Ave.,
Alta Loma, (909) 944-1778
FINGERPRINTS MUSIC Fingerprints has been the gold standard for Long Beach record stores for more than 30 years. Not only has it survived multiple locations and waves of record store extinctions but it’s also been a beacon for eclectic, one-of-a-kind in-store performances from acts like Foo Fighters, Brian Wilson, X, Iron and Wine, Prophets of Rage and too many more to count. The store’s album signings and community events help keep it a hub for Long Beach music culture.
● 420 E. 4th St.,
Long Beach, (562) 433-4996
FREAKBEAT RECORDS
Behind big picture windows on Ventura Boulevard is one of the premier record shops in the city, with a well-curated selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, box sets, DVDs, posters, vintage punk rock fliers and other pop ephemera displayed from floor to ceiling. Opened in 2003 by Bob Say (a former owner of the missed Moby Disc just down the street), Freakbeat makes a point of carrying imports and small label reissues, and it offers deep selections of rock, jazz and soul. A 99cent section can deliver some surprising finds and bargains, and patrons are free to plug into the store listening station of turntables and CD players to try out any used discoveries.
● 13616 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 995-7603
GLASS HOUSE RECORD STORE
Pomona’s all-ages punk and indie venue standby also runs a pretty sick record shop out the side door, specializing in edgy metal, outlaw country and dirty funk LPs, with more than 10,000 titles in stock.
● 248 W. 2nd St., Pomona, (909) 865-3802
GOING UNDERGROUND
This store in the heart of Little Tokyo hosts a diverse collection of records and also has an online shop that can ship you your gold no matter where you are. There’s also the original location in Bakersfield (opened in 2001) in case you get the itch to dig through the crates while motoring through the Central Valley.
● 356½ E. 2nd St.,
Los Angeles, (323) 741-0200
HEADLINE RECORDS
This specialty store in the heart of Melrose is committed to serving fans of punk rock, hardcore, ska, garage and metal. Since 1995, Headline has evangelized for the culture of punk rock, from its earliest days to the present moment, with an excellent selection of new and used records, posters, skateboard decks, stickers, patches and spiky leather belts, bootstraps, bracelets and chokers. This store knows its history and carries a rich selection of records by both iconic names (Ramones, Black Flag) and the most obscure underground acts.
● 7706 Melrose Ave.,
Los Angeles, (323) 655-2125
HIGH FIDELITY
A beloved West Adams record store stocked to the brim with classic soul, rock and jazz records (among other genres), along with newer releases from music’s current titans. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that the store shares a name with the vinyl-loving book-turned-movie-turned-TV show.
● 4765 W. Adams Blvd.,
Los Angeles, (323) 641-0123
KPOPNATION
The hunt for elite merch is never-ending in K-pop, and this CD shop on the border of KTown and MacArthur Park is
[See Records, E4]