Amoeba Music > What's in My Bag?

DJ Patrick Bodmer (Half of DJ Duo M.A.N.D.Y.)

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:39:00 GMT

The story of M.A.N.D.Y. begins on a tennis court in Saarbrücken, near the German-French border. That's where Patrick Bodmer met Philipp Jung on a summer's day over twenty years ago. Over the past five years M.A.N.D.Y. have come into their own as artists and DJs. They mixed their first Get Physical label compilation in 2004, released the 2005 collaboration with Booka Shade Body Language, and released the Body Language Vol. 1 mix CD, where Philipp and Patrick joined the dots between electro-influenced house and disco and the miminal techno sound which is now so prevalent. Philipp and Patrick are much sought after remixers, having worked with artists as diverse as The Knife, Tiefschwarz feat. Tracey Thorn, Sugababes, Hans Peter Lindstrom, Joakim, Royksopp and Fischerspooner, The Klaxons, and Mathew Dear.

DJ Heidi (Electronic DJ)

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:39:00 GMT

Heidi grew up in Windsor Ontario in Canada, but she moved to London permanently in 2000 to immerse herself in the music scene, clubbing every weekend and hanging out in record shops. In 2004 she met Patrick Bodmer and Phillip Jung otherwise know as the german electronic duo M.A.N.D.Y. In 2005 Heidi started playing all over Europe and Russia with regular visits to Italy, Spain, France and Germany where she plays regularly in Berlin at the Panorama bar and Watergate club and at The Monza club in Frankfurt and Ibiza where she also holds a residency. She also became a regular at Fabric, London's leading underground dance club. In 2006 Heidi did her first release Vejer on Get Physical with her partner Riton. Heidi is currently working on an album for Get Physical and she is touring North America with M.A.N.D.Y.

DJ Philip Jung (Half of DJ duo M.A.N.D.Y.)

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:19:00 GMT

Anthony Valadez (KCRW DJ)

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:22:00 GMT

Anthony Valadez purchased his first set of turntables with money he earned working a summer job at a public pool in Sylmar. He has been DJ'ing for over 15 years. He hosts "The Lab" on KCRW and he currently holds down three DJ residencies across Los Angeles: Thursdays at Townhouse (Venice), Fridays at Zanzibar (Santa Monica), and Saturdays at Little Temple (Silver Lake).

Luis (Passionate Music Collector)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:25:00 GMT

I am a vinyl enthusiast! I have been a customer at the Hollywood store since Day 1. I like Black Metal so my first stop is always the Black Metal section. But the coolest thing I ever found at Amoeba was a Japanese promo box set of Alice in Chains. I'd never seen it before!!

Saul Williams (Poet, Musician, Actor, Artist...)

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:45:00 GMT

Saul Williams may best be known as a poet, but he is better described as an artist. He is an actor (Slam, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival), author, musician, and poet. He is a Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion for his spoken word performances, he has published four books, and he has released four albums, most recently The Invevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust. He spoke with us about what's in his bag and the innovative way he chose to release his newest album.

Trevor (DVD Floor Staff)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:44:00 GMT

Trevor slings movies and says, without a doubt, that the greatest movie of 2007 was The Zodiac.

DJ Smiles Davis (Resident DJ @ Freedom Sundays)

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:40:00 GMT

Smiles Davis is an eclectic Los Angeles DJ and an Amoebite. She is also part of an all female DJ crew that spins every Sunday at L’Scorpion on Hollywood Blvd. Their night, Freedom Sundays, is a collaborative effort to expand and create an environment of pure artistic expression. Smiles Davis is also the face of “Mac Scratch,” a McDonald’s commercial based around DJ’s which features DJ Felli Fel. You can read her music blog at http://smilesdavis.wordpress.com/.

Mike Schank (Musician)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:49:00 GMT

Mike Schank starred in "American Movie," a film that won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1999. Mike Schank lives in Milwaukee and spends most of his time playing guitar, buying lottery tickets and helping Mark Borchardt on his films. Mike quit all drugs and alcohol a month before filming began and has now been clean for over four years. Mike also performed all the music for American Movie.

Jon Brion (Composer )

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:20:00 GMT

Music producer/composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist... it's safe to say that Jon Brion excels at whichever musical hat he chooses to wear. Remarkably self-taught in music, Jon has collaborated with and/or produced albums for Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, David Byrne, the Eels, Sean Lennon (just to name a few)...

Stephen O'Malley (Co-Founder of Southern Lord Records)

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:49:00 GMT

Stephen O'Malley is the co-founder of Southern Lord Records and a producer and musician. He has been a part of the following acts: SUNN O))), KTL, GRAVETEMPLE, ÆTHENOR, GINNUNGAGAP, LOTUS EATERS, and L.A.M.F.

Rachel Wood-Rome (Jazz & Classical Floor)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:39:00 GMT

Rachel Wood-Rome is a composer and a Jazz & Classical floor person at the San Francisco store. She just started listening to Rock music recently.

Healamonster & Tarsier (Electronic Production Duo)

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:39:00 GMT

An LA via Brooklyn production duo (Burgess Tomlinson and Rona Rapadas) who combine elements of ambient pop with experimental electronics and acoustic psychedelia. Their songs are anesthetic for a straight-lined, fast and fickle world.

Nick Jones (Used Rock)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:17:00 GMT

My name is Nick Jones. I work in Used Rock. The Goth/Industrial section is one of my favorite sections. Some of my faves are Death in June, Der Blutharsch, and Derniere Volonte.

Demetri Martin (Comedian)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:36:00 GMT

Comedian Demetri Martin is best known for his stand-up comedy and his contributions to The Daily Show. You can also catch him on Comedy Central, the season finale of Flight of the Conchords, and a new TV series coming out at the end of 2008 called Important Things with Demetri Martin. His comedy CD These Are Jokes was released in 2006.

Shayde Sartin (Rock Floor)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Shayde Sartin, an Amoeba veteran of 7.5 years, works the rock floor at the San Francisco store.

Scott Spaulding (Used Buyer)

Tue, 27 May 2008 22:55:00 GMT

I've been working in record stores for 18 years. I'm a Used Buyer at Amoeba. Here are some of my favorite rare picks.

Keith Morris (Punk Rock Icon)

Tue, 13 May 2008 01:07:00 GMT

As a founding member of Black Flag and The Circle Jerks, Keith Morris is definitely a punk rock icon.

Tim Ranow (Information Counter)

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:26:00 GMT

Tim works the information counter at Amoeba. He loves metal and pop vocals. Huh?

Howlin Rain (Psych-Rock Supergroup)

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:13:00 GMT

Howlin Rain keyboardist Joel Robinow, drummer Garett Goddard, and lead vocalist/guitarist Ethan Miller share what they found at Amoeba. Howlin Rain performed at Amoeba San Francisco on February 4, 2008 and Amoeba Hollywood on February 6, 2008. Click here for pictures from the San Francisco show and the Hollywood show.

“Mixing Steve Miller and Creedence with Crazy Horse and Blue Cheer, it’s a sort of log-cabin boogie with just a dash of Zep...The sort of side-project that gives indie psych-rock supergroups a good name.” - Time Out, London

Having recorded a fistful of critically acclaimed -- and increasingly successful -- albums with neo-psychedelic pioneers Comets On Fire, frontman Ethan Miller lit out for fresh musical territories, located somewhere between the Santa Cruz, CA-based band’s familiar sonic maelstrom and a more organic, melodic, groove-oriented rock that hearkened back to his halcyon daze growing up on California’s “Lost Coast” (Humboldt County), home of lumberjacks, college students, unreconstructed hippies, and off-the-grid botanists.

Enlisting drummer John Moloney from fellow “New Weird America” outfit Sunburned Hand Of The Man and bassist/former high school bandmate Ian Gradek, Miller christened the trio Howlin Rain, whose self-titled debut was released by Birdman in 2006.

Magnificent Fiend is the second album from Howlin Rain and the first to be issued under a joint agreement between multi-platinum record producer Rick Rubin’s American label and San Francisco-based indie Birdman Records. Creating the richly textured, densely layered sounds found on Magnificent Fiend required additional players: drummer Garett Goddard, guitarist Eli Eckert, and multi-instrumentalist Joel Robinow.

Aside from Howlin Rain’s willingness to delve deep into the metaphorical sonic spice-rack for certain signature sounds that’d had all but vanished from the contemporary musical landscape -- Vanilla Fudge, Henry Thomas, Wishbone Ash, Eddie Hazel, Procol Harum, Leslie West, Delaney & Bonnie, Atomic Rooster, Super Wolf, and Jim Ford, for openers -- Magnificent Fiend is a study in contrasts that reflects the duality in humanity, in the form of the people who made the record, who inspired the record, and the rest of us.

-Bio by Don Waller

Tuna (Registers)

Sat, 03 May 2008 23:05:00 GMT

Cartoons, Records, Dancing, Bikes, Pro Wrestling. Check out my zine, What's the Jam? I work the registers, processing, cassettes, and the dance floor. What's in my bag you ask:

Liam Finn (Singer/Songwriter)

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:23:00 GMT

Liam Finn, a twenty-three-year-old New Zealand native and the son of Neil Finn, writes, produces and engineers his own music, adhering to a strict DIY creative process - even shooting his own publicity photos and album artwork. Welling up from the dark bars and clubs of London's thriving indie music scene, rock n' roll prodigy Liam Finn has bounded onto the international music scene with the force and presence of an artist twice his age.

In addition to meticulously overseeing the recording of his debut album I'll Be Lightning, Finn plays nearly every instrument on the album, a responsibility he doesn't relinquish during his now mythic live gigs. During his raucous yet intimate performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums and vocals to layer with his live vocals and guitar. Pre-programmed flourishes, also keyed live by Finn, gurgle under his sharp, addictive melodies to produce experimental pop music that is simultaneously ghostly and direct in its atmospherics and emotionalism.

Liam Finn performed at Amoeba Hollywood on February 20, 2008 with EJ Barnes. Click here for photos of the in-store.

Chuck Foster (Host of Reggae Central)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:47:00 GMT

I'm a host of Reggae Central on KPFK Radio in Los Angeles. I come to Amoeba about once a week to check out new releases. I'm always digging through the used vinyl, looking for things I might have missed. I worked in record stores for many years myself for a chain called Licorice Pizza. I managed 5 stores for them over 12 years so I know when an operation is running well and doing good. Amoeba Records, I'm a big fan!

Doug Day (Buyer/Trader Extraordinaire! )

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:02:00 GMT

I come to Amoeba 8 times a month - when I'm out of my mind. I've been shopping at the LA store since Day 2. Day 1 was insane. Most of what I bought was pulled from the 12" section in the corner. It's an ignored section. I found it on accident when I was going to look at R&B and Prince. It's a great section. All the new promos go in there!

"Weird Al" Yankovic (Satirist)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:38:00 GMT

Subtitle (Hip Hop MC & Beatmaker)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:32:00 GMT

Kai Keya (Jazz)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:15:00 GMT

Be-bop spells my DNA.

Alex (DVDs)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:21:00 GMT

I just like what I like. For example, I don't like cheese. I don't like the taste or consistency. But there's lots of other stuff I like, so I stick to that. Don't let anyone tell you what you like! Like what you like!

Jonah Tice (Everywhere!)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT

A really fantastic guy! I mean I just really like this guy.

Rob Fletcher (Main Rock Floor)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:47:00 GMT

Not that interesting.
I owe a lot of money.
I have a lot of 7"s.
I like small furry animals.

Chris Grande (Website Sales)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:22:00 GMT

I was born to be a purveyor of bad music. I play in a crappy band people hate and put 1 cent CDs up for auction on Ebay.

Ranon Jones (Website Sales)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:02:00 GMT

What more can I say but, Go Padres, Go Chargers, Go Cal Bears, Go Warriors, Go Sharks!

James Leon (Rock Floor)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:44:00 GMT

I love food, wine & De Green Guy - Skinny Puppy reference. I DJ underneath the name of Death Boy every blue moon.

Spenser R-S (Main Floor)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Born in SF, raised in Oakland, schooled in Olympia, East Bay resident for life.

Emily Rose Boswell (In-Stores & Info Music)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:45:00 GMT

I like to read and currently can't stop watching the L Word.

Annie (Info / Cashier)

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:48:00 GMT

When asked to describe myself, I decided to fill you in on an actual conversation I overheard at the Rainbow Bar:

"Hey man, what about sex, drugs, and rock & roll?"
"Been there. Done that."
"Man, I'm still there."

I personally second that motion!