Los Angeles 05.28.2009

Spinning Right ‘Round Again

Vinyl records return to take over Los Angeles

Comebacks are uncommon in Hollywood. Still, there are a few ways to kick a Tinseltown revival into gear: a successful stint on Dancing with the Stars, a run for governor, or a bit of jail-time and/or rehab might do. For vinyl records, however, the comeback is happening on its own terms, no sex-tape necessary.

No matter how believable our feigned interest in The Jonas Brothers is, it’s obvious that we’re children of the cassette. Until our clubbing days, the only vinyl we knew of was the costume made from it that we accidentally stumbled upon in our parents’ closet (perhaps the very trigger that forced us out of ours at age seven). As we grew, we developed a taste for the vintage (mostly the vintage found in bottles), and vinyl records were at the top of our swish list. Sure, with DJs laying MP3s on their decks instead of wax these days, technology is beginning to outpace us, but before we have a chance to browse the forehead-rejuvenation coupons available in Malaysia, vinyl’s comeback in Los Angeles makes us feel like tween queens all over again.

Origami Vinyl
A recent addition to Echo Park’s swath of Sunset, Origami Vinyl is a record-lover’s paradise. The shop’s selection includes hard-to-find presses from artists such as Jenny Lewis or the Fiery Furnaces, and frequently updates its website with new records in stock. Maybe we’ll be freed of our iTunes shackles sooner than we thought…

Origami Vinyl
1816 W. Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park
(213) 413-3030
www.origamiorigami.com

Vacation Vinyl
Los Feliz’s Vacation Vinyl is aiding the renaissance as well, though with an army of obscure artists. Circuit DJs going out on a limb and switching to vinyl may not find much to mix into Offer Nissim’s latest release at this shop, though we’d get on all fours the dance floor for any DJ creative enough to try…

Vacation Vinyl
4679 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz
(323) 666-2111
www.vacationvinyl.bigcartel.com

Turntable Lab
For those still frightened of the wild bears on the eastside, don’t stress, vinyl has returned back west, too. Turntable Lab on Fairfax might have a selection more appealing for gay-oriented dance floors or afterhours in the hills, and the sleek interior features more than just the latest house white label – record bags, apparel, books and gadgets also compete for attention. This shop doesn’t break a golden rule of L.A. shopping: similar to a visit to the Pleasure Chest, when shopping for vinyl it’s always smart to check out a few accessories too…

Turntable Lab
424 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles
(323) 782-0173
www.turntablelab.com

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