Spin city
For those of us who prefer spending hours browsing stacks of records over flipping through MP3s, who enjoy carefully placing vinyl on a record player versus letting an app do all the work, this timely list—Record Store Day is April 13—is for you. While the legendary Amoeba Music certainly should be on your radar, venturing out of Hollywood offers a true taste of how amazing and devoted the record-loving community is here—and reveals many gems along the way. by TEENA APELES
From top: James Brown, Nirvana and Kraftwerk titles available at local record stores
Records at Avalon Vintage
The Artform Studio
Atomic Records
»Quality haircuts and records? Oh, yes. This is how we do it in Los Angeles, bringing together your greatest passions under one roof. And how elegantly owners Adrian and Sherry Younge, a husband-and-wife team, have done it. Sherry and seven other Artform artists will handle your look—hair and makeup, if you please—while record producer and composer Adrian, who has produced the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, curates the vinyl collection that includes soul, jazz, hip-hop and world music, to name a few genres. An added plus is a great selection of musicrelated books (photography, history, essays) for sale, curated by co-owner Andrew Lojero of ArtDontSleep. 5611 N. Figueroa St., Suite 2, Highland Park, 213.613.1050, theartformstudio.com
»There’s a lot of history along Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, and on this stretch, it actually looks much like it did decades ago, when vinyl was the way to own music. So what a pleasure it is to step into a time machine and browse the stacks at Atomic to find such classics as James Brown’s 1968 Funky Christmas (you know you want it!) and every record collector’s must-have: the 1967 The Velvet Underground & Nico, with the Andy Warhol banana sticker still intact. 3812 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, 818.848.7090, atomicrecordsla.com
Avalon Vintage »Lovers of vintage vinyl and clothing, here’s your ultimate shopping destination. Longtime record collector Rodney Klein,
who first made a name for himself opening the small-butmighty Plastic Fantastic Records in Silver Lake decades ago, oversees the 6,000-plus vinyl selection. Model and designer Carmen Hawk (Jovovich-Hawk) keeps the racks filled with clothing as colorful and rare as the records on display. And, yes, they have some pretty amazing band shirts that you’ll want to add to your collection as well. 106 N. Ave. 56, Highland Park, 323.309.7717, avalon-vintage.business.site
Gimme Gimme Records »Founded in New York City, Gimme Gimme Records has survived the digital age and a move to the West Coast. It’s now been in business for more than two decades, offering a wide selection of new and used vinyl. With its affordable
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