Flavorwire

Amoeba Records – Hollywood, San Francisco, and Berkeley, CA

With three locations in the great state, Amoeba is the clear choice for music-loving Californians. Their stores are huge, their merchandise is eclectic, and their staff’s knowledge level is just mind-blowing. They even stock cassette tapes! And Amoeba’s community ethos isn’t just talk — the store has devoted itself to Gulf Coast relief and has already raised over $150k for organizations such as Oxfam and New Orleans Musicians Clinic. They’re also famous for their epic in-stores (which those of us on the East Coast can check out on the web): this month features both Richard Thompson and Local Natives.