Record Store Round-Up, November '09

11-9-09 Record Store Round-Up, November 2009

Towards the end of 2009, there are only a handful of record stores I regularly go to in the Los Angeles area.

Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. has the largest selection, but not the most esoteric stock. One can find nearly any CD there – provided it isn’t a major label non-US release. I used to do a lot with their vinyl selection, but not so much anymore. I guess not much interesting vinyl comes in (it sure seems to in their northern California locations!).

Record Surplus is my perennial favorite. I’ve been going there almost 20 years, and it truly is possible to find anything under the sun in their bins. Lots & lots of vinyl, and a smaller CD selection, which can nonetheless ‘yield’.

CD Trader out in the San Fernando Valley has CD’s, yes – but also a fairly interesting selection of vinyl. It’s a bit of a drive – I mostly get to go there on my way home from having visited Santa Barbara or Ventura. There’s an annoying girl who works there, but I haven’t seen her lately.

Soundsations in Westchester is a rather interesting store. They are “not in love” with their inventory, and they regularly mark titles down that have been sitting (i.e. lots of good $3.99 CD’s!). I’ve never bought very much vinyl there, but they do have a selection available.

I used to go to Canterbury Records in Pasadena all the time, but then they quit having “used vinyl” – but a visit last Sunday saw it’s return! So, I may get back into going there regularly. A good place to find 50 cent used easy listening and C&W LP’s.

Rhino Records Claremont is a nice place to go to – but it is quite a few miles from my home. We stop in there when we’re on our way home from a visit to Las Vegas! And they have a “progressive rock” section – and you never know what will turn up there.

The new vinyl stores near Dorothy aren’t supplying me with much, unfortunately – Origami Vinyl, Territory BBQ & Records and Vacation Records all had the opportunity to win my record dollars, but I can really only ever find stuff @ Territory (and that was just 7” singles, so far).

A few weeks ago, I went with Joe to a new record store in Orange County, Burger Records – fairly interesting place – absolutely no foot traffic. The $1 had really beat up records in it. But I found an original British Brian Protheroe LP there! I will definitely go back and check them out at a later date. Again, kinda far from my home.

Speaking of Joe, we do still try to visit F.Y.E. (i.e. Wherehouse) and Second Spin stores, whenever they publish 40% coupons. Makes a big difference when you’re looking at CD boxed sets.

- Ron