By Kai Wada Roath
Ambassador of Confusion Hill and host of the Super Shangri-La Show

It was just recently that my friend Beerwolf went on a He-Man hoarding mission, and, strangely enough, at that same time many miles away, I too was on a similar mission, staying up foolishly beyond the witching hour reading the back stories of Zodac, Stinkor, and Man-E-Faces till my eyeballs were melting from my head. Was there some diabolical scientist zapping test beams down on us from a secret Russian space station for us to have parallel thoughts of these 1980's super-sword dude cartoons entering our brains? Why is there now a Orko toy on my dresser, starring at me every morning? Why do we keep seeking out rad junk to stuff in our garages!? Why me? (Also, great Question Mark & the Mysterians song.)

I believe it was soon after this semi-spiritual Grayskull awakening (or Soviet Satellite Mind-Seed) that Beerwolf gave birth to his new band, The Kommies. This birth, was much like that of when Zeus had his head split open and the goddess Athena jumped out of it in full armor...totally awesome. Listen to this music worthy of those Gods up in Olympus that wear Chuck Taylors with holes in the soles.

March is packed full of exciting in-store shows and sales at our Bay Area Amoeba stores. You won't want to miss a single shopportunity!

The 2018 Indie Music Channel Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 22nd at Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood. Be sure and check this out as awards for Pop, Rock, Country, R&B, Classical, Folk, Instrumental, Alternative, Gospel, Jazz, Contemporary Christian, and more will be given out.

You can download the new Indie Music Channel App on Google Play or the Apple Store. For more info and to submit your music, click HERE.

Are you interested in the Unknown (with a capital U, of course)? Have you ever felt like there's more to this world than meets the third eye? Fancy yourself an amateur cryptozoologist? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to join Amoeba Music at the Super Shangri-La Show's second annual Bigfoot Bonanza festival, happening March 10th & 11th at the Vogue Theater in San Francisco.

Spend two days running wild among Bigfoot-themed cult classics, documentaries, and TV shows, and listening to talks from some of the top specialists in the field, including Loren Coleman, Seth Breedlove of Small Town Monsters, Peter Von Puttkamer (Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot), Daniel Perez of the Bigfoot Times, and Matt Ralston of Cryptozoologist.

A smorgasbord of Bigfoot movies and documentaries such American Bigfoot (2016), Beast of WhiteHall (2016), Man Beast (1956), Horror Express (1972), and (of course) The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), and television episodes of Leonard Nimoy's In Search Of, Ultraman, Jonny Quest, and more will keep you on the furry edge of your seat.

With the release this week of Screaming Females commanding new album All At Once (also vinyl 2LP and limited deluxe 3LP + 7" vinyl version), the renowned NJ power trio kept it Jersey side by celebrating their latest Don Giovanni Records release with three consecutive sold out nights at Jersey City’s Monty Hall. Tonight (Feb 24th) will be the New Brunswick group’s third and final show at the small venue that is owned and operated by venerable independent freeform NJ radio station WFMU.

With a limited audience capacity of approximately 135 people, those lucky to score tickets got to see this critically acclaimed band  for their first concerts of 2018 in the ideal intimate setting where they did not disappoint. I witnessed this last night when they delivered a booming clean sounding set of pitch perfect renditions of songs from their back catalog as well as their new decidedly more commercial-leaning, seventh full-length; their first since 2015's Rose Mountain (Don Giovanni).

Kendrick Lamar along with singer SZA are being sued by artist Lina Iris Viktor who claims that, without her permission, they appropriated her Constellations series art in the collaborative duo's new music video for "All the Stars" off the new Black Panther soundtrack on Interscope.  In the suit filed yesterday she is seeking an injunction prohibiting the two artists from utilizing her artwork to "promote the soundtrack" of the phenomenally popular new Disney distributed Marvel movie.

The new star-studded hip-hop soundtrack, that also includes such other artists as Travis Scott, ScHoolboy Q, and 2 Chainz, topped the Billboard 200 chart upon its release last week; just as the landmark Ryan Coogler directed Marvel black superhero movie Black Panther has been a runaway box office success. Reportedly on this past Monday (President's Day) the movie generated a record breaking $40 million in US theaters on that one day alone!

Chris Robinson and Neal Casal took time to go shopping during a recent visit to Amoeba Hollywood to perform songs from the new Chris Robinson Brotherhood album Barefoot in the Head. It was immediately clear that the bandmates and avid record collectors share a deep love of blues and folk music. In this What's In My Bag? episode, the pair talked with us about unsung heroes of music, sitting in with blues legend Albert Collins, and aging in the music business.

American roots rock band Chris Robinson Brotherhood was founded by Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson while his earlier project was on hiatus in 2011. Current members include guitarist Neal Casal, bassist Jeff Hill, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, and drummer Tony Leone. Initially launched as a casual project, the Brotherhood's original lineup coalesced as the band toured California. They then embarked on 118 date North American tour. The band released their debut full-length, Big Moon Ritual, the following year.

Just three months later, the band released their sophomore LP, The Magic Door. Betty's S.F. Blends, Volume One, a collection of CRB live tracks selected by the Grateful Dead's record producer, Betty Cantor-Jackson, was released as a vinyl-only LP in 2013. Phosphorescent Harvest, co-written by Chris Robinson and Neal Casal, arrived in 2014. The band's fourth studio LP, Any Way You Love, We Know How You Feel was followed by the release of the EP, If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home By Now. The acclaimed Barefoot in the Head was released shortly afterward, in July 2017.

Join us at Amoeba SF on Sunday, February 25th, at 11am when we unleash a recently-acquired collection of over 1,000 highly sought-after Euro-Prog, Proto-Metal, Hard Rock, Stoner, Psych, Punk, and Krautrock LPs. Most of the records are first-issue imports, and are in pristine condition. Titles include works by Leaf Hound, Ashkan, The Stooges, Television, Harsh Reality, Neu!, Flower Travellin' Band, Sir Lord Baltimore, Quiet, Riot, WEED, Cirith Ungol, Dust, High Tide, Gravytrain, Solar Plexus, Gomorrha, Twink, Zior, Orange Peel, Orang-utan, Agnes Strange, Asterix, Bacilus, The Litter, and many more obscure rarities and radical oddities from across the globe.

Get here early because these records will be first come, first serve. Head to our stage (in the northwest corner of the store) to browse these gems. There will be staff on hand to help you view bagged items and to bring your choices to the cashiers. You must be in the store to purchase items for this one-day event. We won't be taking phone orders and we won't be putting these items on hold.

What's the secret to keeping a band alive and running for 20+ years? Being on the same wavelength helps, which could certainly be said of alternative rock legends Garbage. The band visited Amoeba Hollywood recently to sign their new book, This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake, and did some record shopping while they were here. Lead singer Shirley Manson and drummer Butch Vig both found things related to cult / horror director Dario Argento. Manson grabbed a vinyl copy of the original soundtrack to Argento's Opera. Having never seen the film, Dario Argento's involvement was reason enough to grab it. "I'm always looking for good intro music," Manson explained, "and this might be a hidden gem." Vig picked up a DVD copy of Argento's The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, which features a soundtrack by the legendary composer Ennio Morricone. "I love his films," he told us, before going on to recount the time he saw his first Argento film, Four Flies on Grey Velvet. All four members shared old stories and found a wide-range of albums, books, t-shirts, and movies in this What's In My Bag? episode.

Garbage first rose to prominence in the mid-'90s by fusing underground genres like trip-hop, grunge, and industrial with radio-friendly pop sensibilities. The band was founded in 1993 by Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig, who had achieved considerable celebrity as a result of his production work on Nirvana's 1991 LP Nevermind. The group hired Shirley Manson a year later, after seeing her band Angelfish on MTV. With their lineup in place, Garbage recorded their debut album in late 1994. Their self-titled LP was released in 1995 and debuted at #193 on the Billboard Top 200 on the strength of singles "Queer," "Only Happy When It Rains," and "Stupid Girl." The album went platinum in 1996.

California pop-punk pioneers The Descendents today announced a 2018 North American tour that stretches from April til mid November with tickets going on sale at 10am (PST) this Friday (Feb 16th). The tour, in support of their most recent/seventh studio album Hypercaffium Spazzinate (2016 on Epitaph Records), features drummer Bill Stevenson, bassist Karl Alvarez, vocalist Milo Aukerman, and guitarist Stephen Egerton. Since 1986 that’s been the consistent lineup of The Descendents who first formed in SoCal in the late 70’s but who have broken up and reformed several times over the decades. With the exception of Milo, three of the band members formed the associated longtime punk group All back in 1987.

Much like their readily identifiable band logo / caricature of singer Milo, the music of the The Descendents has become iconic over the years. Releases including the SoCal group's 1982 debut album Milo Goes to College featuring such timeless gems as "Catalina," "Parents," "I'm Not A Loser," and "Suburban Home" and their 1985 album I Don't Wanna Grow Up (also on vinyl/LP)  featuring such simple yet brilliant songs as "Rockstar," "Silly Girl," "Good Good Things." and the title track remain California punk classics to this day as well been highly influential records on a later generation of skate punk and pop punk acts. Last May Epitaph released a 20th Anniversary edition of Everything Sucks on LP/vinyl that includes a bonus 7" featuring "Lucky" and "Shattered Milo."

It's that time of year again! Amoebapalooza SF is Sunday, February 25th, featuring talent composed of Amoeba SF employees & friends. We’re keeping things very local and holding this year’s event directly across the street at Milk Bar, at 1840 Haight Street. Thank you to our pals over at SIR Studios for providing our musical back line!

Doors open at 7pm, show at 8pm.
Admission is $5.
This is a 21+ event.

Check out photos from previous years' Amoebapaloozas HERE!

Amoeba Hollywood's first sidewalk sale of 2018 is this Saturday, February 17th from 12pm until 4pm. We'll have crazy good deals on DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl, books, T-shirts, toys & more. Everything is priced to move fast and conveniently located just outside the store.

Check out some of the great bargains you'll find at our sidewalk sale:

DVDs: $3 for $5 DVD box sets: 2 for $7 Blu-ray: $4 each or 3 for $10 CDs: buy 1, get 1 free (of equal or lesser value) 45s: 2 for $1 Classical vinyl: 3 for $1 Cassettes: 2 for $1 $1 LPs

Posters: $2 each or 3 for $5 T-shirts: $5 and under Stickers: $0.75 each or 4 for $2 Patches: 2 for $1 (or priced as marked) Buttons: $0.50 each or 4 for $1 Books, magazines & comics: 2 for $1 Great deals on toys & other merch

All sidewalk sale items are aggressively sale priced. Therefore, we do not accept store credits, gift certificates, coupons or other offered store sales for any sidewalk sale items. Additionally, we cannot offer customer holds or mail order. All sales are final.

Head to the Vinyl Beat website to check out extensive LP label guides and wild cover galleries!

Dr. John is the funkiest white dude. Listen to his vocals, relate to the lyrics, enjoy his wonderful piano playing, and dig the arrangements. His bag includes blues and soul music, street parade music, trad jazz, and rock & roll, all played with N’awlinz sensibilities. Any questions? Here’s the four albums that move me the most:

Gris-Gris This is Dr. John’s masterpiece and it still sounds fresh and unique. When this album came out in 1968, it was played on underground rock radio and sounded otherworldly. With tunes like “I Walk On Gilded Splinters,” “Mama Roux," and “Jump Sturdy,” you can see how alien it was from a West Coast perspective. In retrospect, some of the production credit has to go to Harold Battiste, the legendary N.O. horn player and producer.

 

Dr. John’s Gumbo Continue reading...

Chicago rapper Vic Mensa visited Amoeba Hollywood recently and picked up records by some of his all-time favorites, including two legendary bands of the UK punk scene: the Sex Pistols and The Clash. "The energy captivated me as a kid," he said of the album Never Mind the Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols. Mensa pointed to The Clash as one of his favorite bands, saying, "I feel like The Clash is the punk band." Having picked up their Live At Shea Stadium LP he said, "the live version is gonna have all of this fresh musicality that I haven't heard before."

Vic Mensa, born Victor Kwesi Mensah, began his career in the indie band Kids These Days before releasing his debut mixtape, Innanetape, in 2013. Featuring appearances by Chance the Rapper, Ab-Soul, Rockie Fresh, and BJ the Chicago Kid, the mixtape was universally acclaimed. Not long after, Mensa signed up to support J. Cole and Wale on the What Dreams May Come Tour. He was included in XXL's Freshman Class of 2014, winning over new fans with the release of "Down on My Luck," the first single from his debut EP, Street Lights.

My initial reaction to today’s vinyl reissue of Del The Funky Homosapien and Tame One’s dope collaborative album Parallel Uni-Verses [10th Anniversary Edition] LP was wow. Wow, it’s already been ten years since the veteran CA and NJ emcees, reppin’ the Hieros and the Artifacts respectively teamed up with Parallel Thought for their throwback themed album?!  Actually it’s not quite a full decade since it was originally released by Parallel Thought LTD (vinyl) and Gold Dust Media on CD back in October 2009; making it closer to an 8 year anniversary than a 10 year one. But no matter since this is a most welcome repressing of a solid, out of print on vinyl album; one by two mic greats that thematically takes the vibe and flow of long ago, back into hip-hop’s roots. Perfectly complimenting Del’s and Tame’s respective flows is Parallel Thought (crew featuring production duo Drum and Knowledge) + DJ cuts by Zac Hendrix. This single vinyl LP release is the same as the original pressing, with its nine tracks clocking in at just under 38 minutes. Immediately below is the Alex Ghassan directed music video for the album track “Flashback” that shot at several NYC locations including at a concert in Brooklyn.
 

Talk about planning ahead! Today tickets go on sale for the just announced three January 2019 NorCal dates of Elton John’s much talked about Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Almost a full year from now, those scheduled 2019 Northern California dates include Sacramento’s Golden1 Center (Jan 16), Oakland’s Oracle Arena (Jan 18) and San Jose’s SAP Center (Jan 19). The tickets, on sale from 10am today Pacific Time (Friday Feb 2nd), are for 3 of the 300 dates planned for Elton's blockbuster Farewell tour which will span three years and take him all over the globe.

“It’s time to come off the road so I can fully embrace the next important chapter of my life,” the artist said in a recent press release announcing this final career tour which begins in Allentown, PA on September 8th, 2018 and ends in 2021. that will take him to five continents with an average of 2 concerts a week before he calls it quits at age 73. See list of Farewell Yellow Brick Road” concert dates. 

Sir Elton John has been garnering attention of late for this tour and also for his teaming up with Miley Cyrus on Sunday last at the Grammys for their collaborative rendition of his 1971 hit recording “Tiny Dancer” originally on the Madman Across The Water album. (scroll down to see video of that performance plus a 1971 performance of same song). Meantime check out the top ten list of available from Amoeba Elton John on vinyl list including some greatest hits vinyl collections.

Think you've got a killer record collection? After talking with Paul Major, who was a collector and dealer of rare and esoteric records years before starting his blues-psych band Endless Boogie, your collection may feel a bit commonplace. If you've been scooping up many of the obscure rock and psych reissues being pressed to vinyl these days, chances are Major had his hands on an original at one point, like Sussex by the Canadian hard-rock/psych band Bent Wind. "In 1982 you could have bought this album for $200 sealed," he says. "Now you could sell it for $10,000 or more." During his visit to Amoeba Hollywood, he picks up a recent reissue -- for a much more reasonable price. "I used to be like a basket, full of things," he says of his earlier years as a collector. Now he thinks of himself as a "channel," finding records and then selling them, letting them move on to the next collector. Thankfully for us, his channeling of records has helped bring numerous, obscure recordings to light, and his knowledge of them made for a very interesting What's In My Bag? interview.

Operating on the fringes and attracting a cult following over their two decades in existence, Endless Boogie is an American rock band influenced by stoner rock, psych, blues rock, and krautrock. Founded in 1997 by Paul Major, the band took its name from John Lee Hooker's 1971 LP of the same name. Although initially started without the intention to tour or record, in 2005, the band appeared at All Tomorrow's Parties in the UK, handing out the Vol. 1 & Vol 2. LPs to attendees. They went on to record Focus Level in 2008 and Full House Head in 2010. During this time, they toured with Dungen and Circle.

Amoeba Hollywood regularly sells tickets to local shows. Get physical tickets from us and skip the high fees!

All tickets can be purchased at the registers (while supplies last) for a $3 service fee. We take cash and credit cards for all ticket sales. Store credit and coupons cannot be applied to ticket sales. Limit 4 tickets per person. 

We have a new partnership with Teragram Ballroom, an intimate venue in downtown LA. We are the only place in town to buy physical tickets (aside from the venue itself). We'll have a small amount of tickets for every Teragram show available the day they are announced on a first-come, first-served basis with our low $3 ticket service fee.

For The Novo (formerly Club Nokia) and Shrine Expo Hall shows, we only carry general admission tickets. If you wish to purchase reserved seating at The Novo (where available), you can buy those tickets online here. If you wish to purchase reserved seating at Shrine Expo Hall (where available), you can buy those tickets online here.

Please note that on the day of the show, we will stop selling tickets for that show at 5pm.

Tickets are limited, so please call the store first to make sure they are available: 323-245-6400.