Amoeba Records

Iconic music store.

Amoeba is the mother of all independent record stores, hands down. Absolutely the best selection of new and very modestly priced used LPs, CDs, and DVD/Blueray in this country. After closing their Los Angeles’ Sunset Blvd. location last year (which opened in 2001), they just reopened their new space this year a few blocks away on Hollywood Blvd. The LA Amoeba is where you’re almost guaranteed to run into some musician or celebrity browsing through the records. If you spot a staff member with a video camera following them around, they might be filming for Amoeba’s popular “What’s In My Bag” series on YouTube. Four hours inside Amoeba might sound like a lot of time, but even those who dig open to close still leave plenty of bins untouched.