IDM Mailing Archive

I just returned from my brief vacation in San Francisco and thought I'd give a brief report of my record shopping. My companion and I bought more than 20cd's. We didn't go to any clubs. Thanks to the several individuals who sent advice about where to go. All recordings were bought on CD with the notable exception being AFX HAB2. Amoeba ( in Berkeley, on Telegraph ) - This is the West Coast's used CD mecca. Great new selection too. The store is huge and not focused on any particular types of tunes so It may be a bit overwhelming. Go directly to the back of the store for decent Techno/Idm & Ambient area and a great Reggae section. I would've spent hours here had it not been for the parking meter. The staff was busy refiling everything continuously. Recommended I Bought - Wibbly Wobbly Music Archive Vol. 1, Akabu She Bought - used Axiom Ambient $16, used Banco De Gaia "Last Train to Lhasa" $9 & used Transmissions from Planet Dog $8 Mod Lang ( Berkeley, on University near Shattuck ) - a very good store with a better selection of new vinyl than most. Very nice IDM selection. Recomended. Staff was haughty yet helpful. I Bought - Aphex Twin "Hangable Autobulb 2" 12" She Bought - FSOL "Lifeforms" EP We Bought - Woob 2 for my Aunt Ruth Soundworks - 228 Valencia (at Clinton Park) - comfortable store with a large Vinyl selection and a somewhat disappointing CD selection. The staff seemed nice but preoccupied. Recommended I Bought - Jungle Renegades 2, Zion Train "Siren" Tweekin Records - 593 Haight (at Steiner) - tiny hole on Haight nowhere near much anything else. Vast tracts of vinyl and a small, decent CD selection. Staff was at first missing and then uninterested yet british. Bought - nothing Tempted by - Irdial CD "There are too many fools...." Reckless Records - 1401 Haight (at Masonic) - Good store to check every once in a while, espescially for used stuff. Bought - Wagon Christ Redone EP, used Ben Neill "Green Machine", & Em:t - International Peoples Gang Tower Records - Market at Noe - Good Techno & industrial sections with some ambient. Lots of Coil. Bonus points for having many copies of Aphex Twin Classics @ $20.99 ( I usually see it for more than $30 ) Bought - nothing Tempted by - Psychick Warriors of Gaia - Record of Breaks Virgin Megastore - 37 O'Farrell (at Market) - Big Big store ( 3 floors ) that should give Tower records a real run for their money. Lots of cheesy import UK Pop. Big Acid Jazz section. Decent IDM+Ambient section. Bonus points for having lots of the double disc version of Goldies "Timeless" I Bought - Woob 2, S.U. Corporation Presents Dub Plate Selection Recycled Records - 1377 Haight - Not good for IDM or Ambient. But I found some cheap reggae I thought I wanted. Bought - used Beenie Man "Blessed" $6 and Bim Sherman Century 100 Streetlight - 2350 Market (between Noe and Castro) - Go upstairs & you might find something you want - but probably not. Bought - nothing Worth a mention Amoeba - the Clothes store on Haight also had a small but good selection of CD's ( mostly ambient/FAX ) & mix tapes Didn't Make it to : Borders Books and Music - 400 post (at Powell) BPM - 1141 Polk Rough Trade Records - 695 3rd (at Townsend) Star Alley - 322 Linden (at Gough I think) Record Finder - 258 Noe (at Market) Record Rack - 3798 18th st (at Sanchez) - Paul T23