What's better than a box of chocolates, a dozen long stem roses, and greeting card featuring an anthropomorphic phonograph declaring "for the record" that you're "in the groove, Valentine"? Records, baby, records! This Valentine's Day, whether you're looking for ways to clue-in your crush, let your lover know you love 'em, or simply blot out any and all the notions of the day, consider giving the gift of a vinyl valentine to your loved ones or, better yet, to yourself. Short on ideas on where to begin, and can't get your head past novelty heart-shaped singles or 2003's The Love Below ("Every day is the 14th!")? Dig these titles for a start, then follow your heart! And remember, if you can't find it in our web store, make a date of it and come in to see what calls to you and your honey from our selves IRL. Or give us a call—if we have it in stock, we can get it out to you, valentine, xoxo.


Eddie Holman - I Love You 

This is the record that first came to my mind when pondering potential vinyl valentines. Every song a love song, every bit of it sounding like it must have been an instant classic soul sensation when it arrived on the scene. From the swaying horn-laden arrangements tinged with groovy guitar filigree to Eddie "hit those notes" Holman's impressive vocal range grounded in gentlemanly sentiments, this is just the sort of record that lonely girls and starry-eyed teen dreamers the world 'round surely live for. With its timeless sound and lovesick delivery, it just might not get any better than this. Whether you're enjoying a night in with the one you love or kickin' it all on your lonesome this Valentine's Day, this'll do you. Turn the lights down low and spin, flip, repeat...

Amoeba Hollywood was excited to have singer/songwriter, and Amoeba alum, Jessica Pratt in the store recently for a cool and educational What's In My Bag? interview. The Los Angeles based artist had lots of insightful things to say about all the records and books she found while digging through the bins, especially when it came to a perennial favorite, Marianne Faithfull's Rich Kid Blues. Explaining that the English singer was homeless and in the midst of a terrible heroin addiction when the album was recorded, Pratt told us, "you can tell listening to it that her voice is rather shaky, and she doesn't really have full control, but at the same time she's playing with these studio musicians and they're like really tight, so it's kind of a nice contrast." Pratt also appreciated some the song choices, which included a couple of Bob Dylan tunes. "Dylan songs are really hard to cover...I think there's a lot of pretty repulsive Dylan covers out there, but she really nails it." Pratt's cool picks and cool commentary made for a particularly cool video.

Pratt learned to play the guitar at age fifteen, teaching herself by playing along to T. Rex's Electric Warrior album. As a teen, she recorded her own music using her mother's Fender guitar amp and a microphone. After moving to San Francisco as an adult, Pratt befriended Tim Presley of White Fence who became a fan of her lo-fi psych/folk compositions and released her self-titled 2012 LP through his Birth Records label. The initial limited edition pressing (500 copies) sold out in two weeks and received glowing reviews from Pitchfork and Consequence of Sound.

Amoebapalooza SF is back with more Amoebite-powered musical mayhem on Sunday, February 17th. We’re keeping things very local and throwing this shindig directly across the street at Milk Bar (1840 Haight St.). Doors open to the public at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Admission is just $5. This is a 21+ event.

This annual celebration of the talented Amoeba employees and FOBs (Friends of Amoeba) is always a hoot and this year's line-up is action-packed. From a provacative live reading by author Jon Longhi to a screening of filmmaker Steven Anguiano's short film to raucous live sets from Use Kleenex (Kleenex coverband), Top Fo'ties (AKA Jesus Dude Mom), novelty rock giants Alan's Cousin, Combo (Michael Cruz and Keith Frerichs), Eli & Adam Play Folk Music, and a mysterious project called I Have Crabs, this is shaping up to be one of the most legendary nights yet.

Thank you to our pals over at SIR for providing our musical back line!

Band spotlight: Alan's Cousin
Imagine Flight Of The Conchords and Tenacious D have a baby, and meanwhile, James Taylor and Sugar Ray have a baby. Those two babies get it on and have baby, but they realize, "Hold up, we were born a few days ago, we simply cannot raise a child." Said baby is given up for adoption and raised by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. That baby is Alan's Cousin.

SOB X RBE’s just announced soon to launch headlining four-month US tour plus their upcoming sets at such prestigious 2019 festivals as Coachella (both weekends) and New York’s Governor's Ball (June 2nd) should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following the celebrated young Vallejo CA rap crew’s meteoric rise to fame over the past three years. Friends since childhood SOB X RBE officially began in early 2016 by the four ambitious young Vallejo talents; Da Boii, Slimmy B, Lul G and Yhung T.O. This tight knit collective of “brothers” was the fusion of two entities: SOB (Strictly Only Brothers) and RBE (Real Boi Entertainment).

In the bygone era of the pre-Internet age, when an earlier era underground Vallejo rap quartet The Click (E-40, Suga T, B-Legit, D-Shot)  rose to fame, to do so they hit the road to got their music heard via selling their indie (Sick Wid It) tapes “out the trunk” of their car. Meanwhile for reaching their audience, SOB x RBE took to YouTube to post music video versions of their tracks as they unleashed them. Below is their extremely popular YouTube music video for "Anti" which since been published in September 2016 has racked up over 34 million views. Clearly all that extra work invested in producing music videos, compared to simply posting audio tracks to Soundcloud, paid off in terms of rapidly spreading SOB X RBE’s music, and their image. Consequently within a relatively short time the new young group were  selling out shows, at first in San Francisco, and collaborating in various capacities with different artists.