What folks are buying at Amoeba Records
November 2, 2012 10:53 AM   Subscribe

What's In My Bag? The concept is simple - shoppers at Amoeba Records (locations: Berkeley, San Francisco and Hollywood) talk about the vinyl, CDs and DVD's they're buying. There's a bunch to watch, categorized via artists / customers / staff. A few to get you started - Bob Odenkirk, Jim Thirwell, Lee Ranaldo, Grimes, Elijah Wood, Mike Schank
posted by davebush (20 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
Just started watching; this entire endeavor is already worth it for Lee from Sonic Youth repping Ol' Dirty Bastard: "he was just like so off the hook!"
posted by naju at 11:06 AM on November 2, 2012


Bob Odenkirk? Sure, I'll bite. I expect Lee Ranaldo's to be particularly obscure ... eh, close enough.
posted by mrgrimm at 11:11 AM on November 2, 2012


Oh man, the J.G. Thirwell one is worth the price of admission. That guy is.. ... something.
posted by lumpenprole at 11:15 AM on November 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


What a terrible job though --- chasing people around at Amoeba with a camera.
posted by iamck at 11:19 AM on November 2, 2012


What a terrible job though --- chasing people around at Amoeba with a camera.

Seriously. Let's say you catch Steve Albini picking up the latest long-player from Taylor Swift. Boy, would he be red!
posted by mrgrimm at 11:54 AM on November 2, 2012


Well haven't you heard? Taylor Swift is basically Leonard Cohen.
posted by naju at 12:25 PM on November 2, 2012


Have I stated how much I love Bob Odenkirk?

No?

I love Bob Odenkirk! and I approve of everything he bought (I've already seen all the videos he talks about). I'd never heard of that live 1960s album he shows; I'm very interested in hearing it, but I would have been anyway.

Bob! Please let me work on any film you shoot in New York! I'd be your line producer for free!
posted by droplet at 12:43 PM on November 2, 2012


Taylor Swift is basically Leonard Cohen.

Her lyrics aren't bad, but the music does not hold up, imo.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:44 PM on November 2, 2012


Legendary Pink Dots.
Rollins: "I don't know what this is, but I do know the label. I buy anything on this label." awesome. Wait, Rollins listens to Kaoru Abe?
posted by boo_radley at 1:07 PM on November 2, 2012


I loved John Flansburgh's, if only for the way he refers to other performers as "quirky" with no sense of irony whatsoever.
posted by panglos at 1:35 PM on November 2, 2012


Years ago I went to a live broadcast in NYC by the Seattle radio station KEXP (love it so much) and Elijah Wood was there. Some band that he was promoting was supposed to play a live set but got waylaid somewhere and couldn't. So, to fill the slot Wood just played tunes from his iPod that he was listening to at the time. Bottom line, I was shocked to find that he has surprisingly diverse music tastes, and was into some damn good music that I hadn't heard before. Pretty cool to see/listen to.
posted by staccato signals of constant information at 1:37 PM on November 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


There goes my Friday.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 1:58 PM on November 2, 2012


I'm not famous, but when I shopped at the Amoeba Records in Haight-Ashbury last year, I picked up a vinyl copy of the Brimstone and Treacle soundtrack.
posted by Gelatin at 1:58 PM on November 2, 2012


My life would have been infinitely better had Peter Frampton and I looked alike in 1976, instead of now.
posted by davebush at 2:13 PM on November 2, 2012


Shit. Now my whole weekend will be lost to this. Already, just on page 2 of the artists and I've given up the next three hours of my night.

Damn you, Amoeba! And damn you, davebush! DAMN YOU!
posted by youandiandaflame at 2:36 PM on November 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


Well... this is pretty impressive music-nerdyness so far...

I was shocked to find that he has surprisingly diverse music tastes...
I was about to yelp: "Careful Elijah, it's early Raincoats!" but it looks like he can take care of himself here. I really loeve those Amoeba modesty stickers on the brief Wicker Man film clip...

I expect Lee Ranaldo's to be particularly obscure...
Lee don't have a copy of No New Yorr...? Oh, had more than one, lost them, of course.

(I had a rather short tour of Amoeba a few years ago, picked: Buddy Emmons 'Steel Guitar Jazz' and Trevor Pinnock/Rameau 'Les Cyclopes').
posted by ovvl at 4:49 PM on November 2, 2012


I used to buy records from a guy who told me had sold a Fred Neil record to a guy who was in Sonic Youth. I had assumed it was Thurston Moore (because he's a big record collector too), but the Sandy Bull record in Lee Ranaldo's bag, as well as the name drops for John Fahey and Leo Kottke, makes me wonder if it was Lee instead.
posted by jonp72 at 6:28 PM on November 2, 2012


I was prepared to not care too much about this, but I found out from the Lee Renaldo one that there's a new Sandy Bull album out, which is reason enough to celebrate every fucking thing. Thanks!
posted by OmieWise at 6:29 PM on November 2, 2012


I used to buy records from a guy who told me had sold a Fred Neil record to a guy who was in Sonic Youth. I had assumed it was Thurston Moore (because he's a big record collector too), but the Sandy Bull record in Lee Ranaldo's bag, as well as the name drops for John Fahey and Leo Kottke, makes me wonder if it was Lee instead.

I would be shocked if Thurston Moore wasn't equally into those guys. Who knows who it was?
posted by OmieWise at 6:31 PM on November 2, 2012


The Fiery Furnaces. They have good taste.
posted by nonreflectiveobject at 10:46 AM on November 3, 2012


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