Good record stores are hard to come by, but living in LA, with the likes of Amoeba Records for your all encompassing needs to the small gems like the impeccably curated metal selection at Vacation Vinyl to the jazz selections at Mono Records to the rare rock and roll originals at Freakbeat Records, there's plenty to choose from in a city where individuality and obscurity and the basic understanding of all things local and underground is not only tantamount to being cool but essential to survival. Or so we think. 

Meet Mount Analog, a boutique shop on Figueroa in Highland Park co-owned by record enthusiasts/DJs Zane Landreth and Mahssa Taghinia.

"Mount Analog is a curated new and used record shop, clothing boutique, art gallery, live event space, goods merchant, film and book store, as well as community nerve center. Its' products and goods are influenced, inspired and many times directly curated by those behind the diverse labels and brands, forging a space that is more a co-op than traditional retail."

In other words, Mount Analog is more or less a glimpse into Landreth and Taghinia's artistic consciousness, a representation of their lifestyles and taste. I am such a big supporter of stores like these, that essentially represent the individual as opposed to a conglomerate aesthetic that inevitably turns into a mish mash of contradictory vibes or, even worse, represents one boring thing. 

And the best part about Mount Analog (the reason I'm writing about them), is that they sell mixed tapes. Like original gansta mixed tapes. Like the kind you'd make on your Sony boombox in high school and slip into your best friend's locker. I don't know where Mount Analog gets these from, or if they're made in house by Landreth and Taghinia themselves, but I am really into it, and back it 100%. 

Warren, my partner in DJ crime, turned me on to this one tape. The cover has two dudes on it, looking very rockabilly/country, maybe 2 parts Link Wray, 1 part Elvis, and a splash of Buddy Holly. They look like they're giving a raucous performance at the local church auditorium for a school dance and pissing off a lot of nuns.

I've been listening to the tape for maybe three days straight now, and so far this one's my favorite. 

Bracey Everett - Lover's Curse

The end.