In recent years, listening to albums on vinyl has made a comeback in popularity. Many younger people (myself included) have flocked to the vinyl scene due to the higher sound quality and physical presence of the LP’s compared to CD’s and mp3’s. Los Angeles is swarming with activity in the music scene and as a result record and music stores have been flourishing in the area. Many diverse and unique independent record stores have opened their doors and established themselves in their surrounding communities. Here are four different record stores you should check out this summer in the Los Angels area; you will not be disappointed.
1. Amoeba Music
Amoeba Music has been a Hollywood music icon since 2001. With two stories and millions of titles on Vinyl, CD, and DVD under one roof, everyone is sure to find something they enjoy. It is the largest independent music store in the world! Amoeba Music also hosts live shows of locally and nationally known bands and also hosts listening parties for new album releases. Be sure to check out their jazz room as well.
2. Atomic Records
Atomic Records in Burbank first opened its doors in 1996 and has made a name for itself by selling a great selection of not-so-common genres. They specialize in classic jazz, 60’s rock/punk/new wave, blues, soundtracks, soul and strange/exotica. This music store has an excellent relaxed atmosphere and its wall covered in album art only further encourages customers to hunt through their excellent selection to find hidden musical gems.
3. Gimme Gimme Records
Gimme Gimme Records was originally established in 1994 in New York, and then moved to Los Angeles where it has been flourishing ever since. On any given day there are 15,000 to 20,000 records in stock covering a wide variety of genres such as soul, folk, hip hop, rock, blues, country, jazz, punk, latin, psych, disco and many more. Gimme Gimme Records prides itself in its wide variety and selections of genres to choose from.
4. Rockaway Records
Rockaway Records has been drawing in music fans to its Silver Lake location since 1992. With a plethora of vinyl, CD’s, music memorabilia and more, customers can happily sort through their wide variety of merchandise. Rockaway Records hosts a wide variety of genres such as garage, prog, psych, metal, punk, soul, R&B, Jazz and more. This shop focuses on the substance of the selection of music and prides itself on preserving the independent record store vibes.
