We're thrilled to introduce the second in a series of California-inspired Amoeba SF shirts with the Amoeba SF Surfer tank and tee! This colorful retro design celebrates the unique culture of the Northern California coast line as our little buddy takes to the waves. These unisex tees and tanks run in sizes small through 2XL and are just $15.98 each, available online and at Amoeba SF. The tees are 100% cotton and tanks are an 80%/20% cotton/poly blend.

Our first tee celebrates the state song, “I Love You, California,” with our Amoeba standing in for the California grizzly bear hugging the great Golden State. Those t-shirts are available in unisex crewneck, slim fit scoop neck, and children’s sizes 2, 4, and youth large.

Both shirts in the series were designed by Amoeba SF’s own Luciano Talpini Aita and silk screened here in the Haight Ashbury District of SF by our good friends and neighbors, Free Gold Watch. Talk about Keeping it hyper-local, FGW is just a block away from Amoeba SF and has been printing Amoeba SF’s line of gear for many years! FGW’s store front contains one of the greatest pinball arcades in the Bay, so stop by, play some pinball, and support this wonderful, uniquely San Francisco business.

From L.A. and S.F.’s garage rock scenes to Compton’s blossoming rap artists, California artists represented well in 2014. Here are 25 of our favorites from the year, in alphabetical order.

Allah-Las – Worship the Sun

On Worship the Sun, L.A.’s Allah-Las get some dirt on their boots by scuzzing up their sunny surf-garage sound with some rattling guitar solos, stonery grooves (“Buffalo Nickel”) and head-spinning psych-rock tunes (“501-405”).

Cherry Glazerr – Haxel Princess

Cherry Glazerr had the debut record of the year for Burger Records, moving unstoppably on the strength of its garage riffs and singer/guitarist Clementine Creevy’s teenage caterwaul.

Cool Ghouls - A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye

Cool Ghouls make music like the transformation of San Francisco never happened, spinning out jangling three-minute hippie-rock nuggets that enliven their classic rock influences with youthful exuberance without getting silly like some bands of their ilk. The thinking man’s garage band.

California is experiencing the worst drought in recorded history. Help fight the drought by taking LA Waterkeeper's "Dirty Car Pledge" to not wash your car for 60 days. It saves water, money, and the static-cling car sticker they send you will save your image, too! Take the pledge now at DirtyCarPledge.com

Here are some additional tips to help conserve water:

INDOORS

• Replace all non-water saving showerheads with water-saving showerheads.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save up to 3 gallons each time.
• Turn off the water while you're shaving. Just fill the sink with a little water and rinse your razor. You can save up to 3 gallons.
• Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Instead rinse them in a sink full of clean water.
• If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing.
• Replace your toilets if you can to high efficiency toilets.
• Consider native and other drought-tolerant plants that need 2/3 less water.

OUTDOORS

• Water your lawn deeply and less frequently. Avoid over watering and runoff.
• Adjust sprinklers to water the lawn, not the pavement. 
• Water early in the morning or late in the evening - avoid the hottest part of the day when evaporation is highest.
• Change watering schedule seasonally.
• Do not allow the hose to run as you wash your car. Use a self-closing hose nozzle, or turn off the water, between rinses.
• Use a broom instead of the hose to sweep away dirt and leaves.
• Lower the temperature on your water heater.
• Wash only full loads of clothes or dishes.

We had another earthquake last night in Los Angeles, this time a 5.1, and it came less than two weeks after a 4.4 earthquake. I don't mind the little earthquakes, but when we start getting up into 5s, I get a litlte nervous. (Side note: I held the belief that the smaller earthquakes relieve the tension along a fault line and reduce the likelihood of a larger event. The super useful and sometimes perception shattering earthquake.usgs.gov just told me that was untrue.) I actually didn't feel the 5.1 earthquake last night, but I jumped out of bed for the 4.4 and ran to a doorway. Then I thought, "Am I supposed to be standing in a doorway?"

Turns out, no, not so much. Doorways in modern buildings are generally not built super strongly, so unless you know it is a load-bearing doorway (and I would have no clue which doorway that was), standing under one isn't going to offer you much protection. The best thing to do is drop, cover, and hold on wherever you are.

If you can get under a heavy desk or table, make yourself as small as you can under that sturdy piece of furniture. Or you can crouch in an inside corner, covering your face and head with your arms. If you're outside, get into an open area, making sure to stay away from power lines, trees, streetlights, and buildings. If you're in a high-rise building, stay away from windows and elevators. If you're driving, as I was last night, stop as soon as you can without causing an accident, and stay in your car until the shaking stops. Do your best to stop in an area free of power lines, overpasses, trees, etc  - basically, keep clear of anything that might fall on you if it were to collapse in an earthquake.

Through my Weekly Roundup series every Thursday (returning in 2014), I listen to a lot of stuff from California-based artists. Here’s a list of 40 great albums that were made by artists based in this great state. There were lots more, so just consider this my own personal list, and let me know if there’s anything I missed!

40. FRONDS – FRONDS

Epically beautiful seafaring pop from the dude formerly of The Mallard.

39. Kisses – Kids in LA

The cute electro-pop duo get dancier with freestyle sounds on their second album.

38. Tyler, the Creator – Wolf

The Odd Future kingpin digs deeper into his defensive and strange world on Wolf.

37. Ty Segall – Sleeper