Capturing Record Store Day in Southern California, after the break!
2024 Edit:
If there was any article I have posted in my 10+ year career that I would consider to be "my most proud of?" then this is it! My 12+ hour driving adventure around SoCal in search of the best store for Record Store Day 2015* still remains my favorite to this day. Who knows if these stores still exist, right? My aging blurb forever immortalized them in the BEST way possible. Had so much fun visiting these holes in the wall and digging through their crates that sunny Saturday. Made for the most perfect day ever.
Despite not making my Top 5 picks in 2016... visited Canterbury Records multiple times in the years that followed.
Original Words from 2016
I have planned to write this article for almost a year. My journey back in 2015 laid the perfect ground floor for revealing these new tips & tricks before Record Store Day… here in Los Angeles. Gotta say “Los Angeles” because we have so many more Record Store options than someone from the Midwest. Anyone not from here should follow steps 1 & 2 and then treat yourself to the best vinyl experience ever. Sure you still have to wake up at the crack of dawn, wait in line, then receive your presents… but that model certainly isn’t for me. I can be quite impatient. That’s why I included step 3. Because there’s nothing cooler than jumping in cars and discovering vinyl sanctuaries scattered across the city I love. Step 3 is what to expect from such stores.
STEP 1: Find The Players
Head over to RecordStoreDay.com, enter your zip, and you will reveal the list for your local area. Like I did. Below you’ll find all the record stores in the LA/Hollywood Area. The letter ‘P’ signals if they are participating in RSD for the year.
WHICH can be a tad misleading unless you know the type of attitude you’re dealing with. I went in expecting crate after crate of new RSD goodness. What I found was a tad shocking. See “STEP 3” for those stories.
STEP 2: Make Your List
Deciding what record(s) you want isn’t the hard part about RSD. It’s actually obtaining them.
Record Store Day is all about exclusive stuff. The reason why we’re buying turntables, picture discs, unreleased demos, and newly remastered versions of 7″ / 45s & 12″ is because music fans really do care about production. We are the most devoted fans in the world after all. We spend the most too. Record Store Day proves this. But you’re not gonna pick up everything. I don’t want "David Hasselhoff sings the ’70s". Sorry. However, if you arrive at your selective store too late…Mr. Hasselhoff might be your only option. Sucks, I know.
Download or scope out the special release list before you leave the house. You don’t want to hold up the line with your indecisiveness. Write down a few options, backups, and dark horses. The worst thing that can happen is you buy it online later. Most audiophiles avoid the early calls, long lines, and pains…trading it in for slippers, coffee, and online shopping with many shipping fees. The latter allows you to get everything you want with high success. High price, but 95% success. (Yuck. sucks being a hunter.)
STEP 3: Pick Your Poison
AMOEBA MUSIC will have everything. Seriously…EVERYTHING! They posted the entire RSD list in front of the store and updated it throughout the day. Don’t believe me. See below…
Pity you’ll have to arrive before the crack of dawn, pop a squat on Sunset BLVD, and wait until the party starts to get that golden record. Lines around the block never interested me. It’s like our version of Black Friday shopping.
Here’s the thing: RSD is tame on Black Friday with the small amount of special releases. You can rummage the second you walk in. That was my experience in 2013. So when I visited my first RSD at Amoeba back in 2014… found a packet of papers, a graph, & a 2+ hour wait at 11AM. And I can’t even touch the vinyl!? Yikes! Definitely more than what I bargained for.
That story ended with me taking a trip to Origami Vinyl to find a nearly barren crate. *Sigh*
“Never again”, I said. No eBay. No Amoeba. Now what? No way to research what each store has in stock. Could call. Maybe? There’s only one thing to do: hit. the. road. Grabbed my camera, put all 10 stores in my GPS, and drove all across LA in search of Gold. To this day, it is probably my favorite music-based experience. Because I did it myself. Pioneering and living the true idea of Record Store Day. Made my picks based off of internet reviews and size.
Below you’ll find all the official participating stores I visited (with what I found) on Saturday, April 18, 2015. I arrived around 10 AM at the first shop. All the rest of my tips & tricks Record Store Day Guide are yours to use. Enjoy!
GIMME GIMME RECORDS
Description: Quirky NYC transplant shop buying & selling a vast selection of hard-to-find vinyl records.
GIMME GIMME! That’s how I started that day… arriving after the storm. What I found in the silence was some of the unconventional RSD releases (soundtracks, newly released mixtapes, etc.). Helped me get into the zone. But all the good stuff was gone.
Arriving early to GIMME GIMME will benefit your search. They had a good chunk of stuff. And if you arrive later, you won’t have trouble feeling like a normal person just record shopping.
PERMANENT RECORDS
***MY PICK!***
Description: Well-known music shop boasts a range of used records & CDs, plus regular live music in a hip space.
If you have to visit one store on this list, make it this one! Found some of the rarest vinyls on the Record Store Day list here. Write down the number of your vinyl selection, fill out a slip, hand it to the cashier, and they’ll wrap it up for you. No drama.
Took me a few passes to identify which Albums were which…but this was the place I was searching for. Most definitely! Even hooked me up with tickets to concerts by buying an LP. Crazy and cool.
Also, walk across the street to the hipster famous Donut Friend! Great collection of gourmet donuts.
POOBAH RECORD SHOP
Description: Old-school music store carrying vinyl, cassette tapes & CDs from below-the-radar artists.
There wasn’t much left when I arrived. They didn’t buy a huge amount of RSD stock sorry to say. Loved their space though.
BACKSIDE RECORDS
This is my golden pick because who would’ve thought a once prominent record shop – turned hip apparel store – would still carry many of the smaller picks on the RSD list. They did. Grab five of the smaller EPS & B-Sides here. The record section is in the back. By mid-afternoon, I still had a good chunk of stuff.
FREAKBEAT RECORDS
Description: Record store selling used vinyl & new CDs in genres ranging from rock to jazz, plus DVDs & Blu-ray.
My current record shop. I don’t visit Amoeba much anymore and Freakbeat is near my day job. Still, there was a line around 1 P.M. The place isn’t big at all, which caused the pile-up. Luckily, they had multiple copies of everything they ordered. Same deal. Write down your choices (you gotta be prepared here. Do your homework in line or at home) and yell out to the guys behind the counter when you reach the front. Prepare to hear no. That’s why you have backups.
All my favorite pickups were from here. I recommend Freakbeat if you have only one place to go.
THE RECORD PARLOUR
Description: Music shop & events space offering a huge collection of vinyl records, vintage audio gear & posters
In the shadow of Amoeba (well, a block away really) is The Record Parlour. They didn’t have many RSD choices. They did host multiple special events and signings. RSD isn’t just about hard-to-find albums. It’s a celebration. But you’ll love their vintage selections. You can find me scoping up their hidden gems on many of my Hollywood nights.
VACATION RECORDS
Description: Unfussy record store specializing in new & used vinyl & cassettes plus musical paraphernalia.
The unapologetic Echo Park landmark won’t have a huge selection of RSD choices. They like to keep their amazing shop as normal as possible. I found a handful of smaller EPs & B-Sides on the table by the entrance. But Vacation is super famous in the vinyl community. You’ll love their sophisticated taste.
Plan on updating this list as the years go by. I’ll tweet y’all if I do.
FINAL WORDS:
As with any special event, remember to have fun. Most of these shops on Record Store Day have in-store performances. Spend a little money. Chat with other audiophiles in line. Then take the spoils home with you. The feeling that will wash over you as you lay on your rug, headphones on, will forever change your perception of sound.
This is your day, music lover. Hope these imperfect words helped in any way. Check out my 2015 photo gallery below & happy hunting!
PS – 2016 BONUS UPDATE:
At Coachella, they have a vendor who sells RSD releases FYI. Bring your purchases to your locker or car so you don’t have to carry it around all day.
