Think record store and you think Amoeba. Probably because it’s the largest independent record store in the world. (Some would say too large, bordering on big-box bully large, but that’s another story.) This ginormous Hollywood outpost literally has tons of albums, discs, posters and other music-related mishmash as well as constant in-store shows. As for vinyl, you’ll find plenty including limited edition, rare, out-of-print and original pressings.
Amoeba Records ist auf jeden Fall eine Pflichtadresse fuer jeden Plattenjaeger der Los Angeles besucht. Der Laden verfuegt ueber eine riesige Auswahl an Platten und CD's. Leider handelt es sich bei vielen Platten aber um Reissues und nicht um Original-Platten - vor allem, wenn es sich um rare Scheiben handelt. Was mich gestoert hat war, dass man die Scheiben nicht Probe hoeren konnte. Wer ein paar tage in der Stadt ist und sich Hollywood anguckt, der kann hier kurz (oder lang) einen Halt machen. Amoeba befindet sich im Herzen Hollywoods am Sunsert Boulevard und ist sehr einfach zu erreichen.
RECORDS LA - www.myspace.com/recordsla
Records LA isn't the oldest rekka sto' in LA. In fact, it opened in 2010. But it is the oldest school of the old school with an unpretentious DIY charm that's hard to come by these days. Located on West Adams, the vinyl-only shop is about the size of your one-bedroom apartment's closet, but owner Scott has just the stuff you're looking for when it comes to soul, jazz, R&B, disco, hip hop, reggae and other back-in-the-day rarities. Just remember: this shop is only open Thursday-Saturday.
Ich habe es bereits in der Sendung gesagt - dieser Laden ist fuer mich eine der Topadressen. Man findet hier jede menge Original-LP's aus verschiedenen Genres zu fairen Preisen. Der Laden zahelt nicht zu den groessten und so kommen hier auch nicht so viele Leute hin. Die kurzen Oeffnungszeiten tun ihr uebriges. Fuer Plattengraeber ist dieser Shop deshalb eine echte Schatzinsel, die nahezu unberuhert ist. Ein echter Geheimtip!
FREAKBEAT RECORDS - www.freakbeatrecords.com
Forget the 99-cent store. This old-school shop in Sherman Oaks has a 99-cent room with thousands of LPs and CDs that are restocked every day. Half the store is filled with new and used vinyl, with the rock section being the largest, and there's plenty to browse in the jazz and soul bins. There's also an 80s department with lots of flashback vinyl.
ORIGAMI VINYL - www.origamiorigami.com
One of the newer shops on the block (it opened in 2009), Origami Vinyl in Echo Park is the ultimate mom and pop record store for cool kids. The shop is only 400 square feet, but it packs a punch with an eclectic selection of new and used records, much of which is from local artists. (Origami is also an indie record label.) As for in-stores, everyone from Florence and the Machine to Sonic Youth and Ben Harper have taken to the stage. Good things come in small packages.
RECORD SURPLUS - www.recordsurplus.com
One of the largest sellers of used vinyl records and CDs on the West Coast, Record Surplus has a huge selection of music and collectible records that are restocked daily. The store just moved to a new location on the corner of Santa Monica and Centinela with a nice paint job, too. (Not that I judge a record store by its cover, but I do like a pretty space.) You can also find turntables and CD listening stations.
AS THE RECORD TURNS - www.astherecordturns.com
Cringe-worthy name aside, As the Record Turns is considered by many to be LA's best resource for vinyl. Once you find the actual store (it's hidden in a narrow alleyway off Hollywood Blvd) get ready to find just about any piece of vinyl you can imagine. And if it's not stockpiled in the exhaustive stacks of vinyl, then owner Kevin can probably find it for you one way or another. Just ask Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Marilyn Manson, Steven Speilberg and about a million other famous clients for whom he's sourced music. You might pay more for what you get, but Kevin is known to give a free record to everybody who enters his store. (They're from the clearance section, but are you really gonna complain?)
Fuer alle, die noch nicht genug haben - hier sind ein paar weiterfuehrende Links zu den Shops der Stadt:
http://www.studio-nibble.com/guides/losangeles.html
http://www.scaruffi.com/music/lastore.html
http://larecord.com/news/2009/11/17/los-angeles-record-stores
http://www.dailycandy.com/los-angeles/article/89946/LA-Record-Stores-Vinyl-Stores
www.recordstoreday.com
