Surprised this place has as few reviews as it does, because it totally fills niches left open by Amoeba. Dependable source of '60s-'70s rock and pop. Made many discoveries here. Still find obscurities I never knew existed. Because they're pretty finicky about what records they choose to buy, it means you can depend on them completely that the physical quality of the vinyl will be high (no listening stations to preview it though). read more

Stopped in to Atomic as I was meeting friends in the area for brunch and thought there might be a cool record shop in the area that I hadn't yet perused. So glad I stopped in! Living in central LA, most of the record shops are now so overpriced, it's hard to walk away with more than a couple records and a shred of dignity in tact. Atomic is one of those places I wish I had found earlier in my record collecting days; lots of obscurities with $2-$5 price tags in decent shape, and lots of great collectible records for far less than I've seen elsewhere. Amoeba is great and all, but I find their used records these days too picked over, so I only shop there for new releases. This place is the exact opposite, not too many new records, but boxes and boxes of old gems waiting to be discovered. My one qualm here is how tight everything is packed (because they've got so much of it!), almost all of the records I bought had a pretty decent uniform warp to them from storage, still completely playable but probably could have been prevented with a little more breathing room. Will be back again for sure next time I'm in the area! read more

I can't believe anyone has anything bad to say about this place. Good clean records in all of my favorite genres. People behind the counter were friendly and helpful. This place is a gem!!!! read more

The Best In The world. I am not surprised that the L.A weekly has deemed Atomic Records as the best in actual records. I believe they are the best all around for records, Cd's and DvD's. Steve and Rick along with every one else that works there are the most informative, friendly and generous in the used record biz. If any one wants to sell their collection, this is the place to come to. They are honest and will let you know what you really have and are selling. The other stores out their are not friendly nor as honest in my opinion. Not to say they are dishonest, they just don't tell you everything you need to know. Rick, Steve, the guys and gals do. I don't go anywhere else anymore. They are always buying and making available the best choices for me all the time. Long live Atomic Records and congrats for the praise from L.A Weekly.... Ed read more

I really like this place for the cheap used DVDs and the cheap $1 CDs they have. They have racks of CDs for a buck. I love 90s music so I am in heaven. I buy like 10 at a time and when I'm done I don't feel guilty giving them away to friends (or the thrift store). The used DVD bin near the front has tons of cheap DVDs. Good ones too, not the crappy no-name DVDs you'd find in the bins at Best Buy or Kmart. I don't have a record player but they have tons of vinyl... read more

One of the best record shops around. Fair prices, great selection (especially for jazz), and a knowledgeable staff. They do not carry contemporary titles, so don't come here if you're looking for a new release. But do indeed stop by if you are looking to delve into a treasure trove of material from years past. read more

Been a digger and DJ for over a decade. Every time I come in the shop looks clean, but the vibe sucks. First trip I asked the guy at the counter if I could hear a track off a hip-hop record I found. He said, "You know how that songs goes," then refused. Fail. Second trip I brought in rare unopened Smiths vinyl and they tried to completely low ball me. Fail. Last time I called in for a specific record and the guy chuckled like "we only sale Bruce Springsteen and reissues of Coltrane." Do yourself a favor and dig at a shop where Baby Boomers aren't glorified by the fact that vinyl is back and now they feel relevant again. read more

Hey! I can't talk about selling vintage vinyl here. Or the social skills, or lack there of, of certain staff. I just look, pick and pay. This, along with "Freakbeat" in Studio City, is my go-to place where I buy my ALL my CDs, really CHEAP! I'm proud to say I've never bought a CD new! Parking, and the huge jazz section here are more mucho bueno than FB, but both rare, surviving record shops, have their individual charms. This creative stretch of Burbank's Magnolia Blvd. has lots of neat independent stores, "That's A Wrap," the movie/tv costume resale place, a neato, big thrift shop and great places to eat: HELLO! Porto's! read more

Love me some Atomic! A fellow vinyl addict pal of mine from Ohio and I always hit this place when he's in town. Stuff can get pricey, but if yr willing to get yr hands dirty in the 45 rpm corner boxes you'll unearth some rare gems! Plus it's right next to Porto's, which is a win for yr ears AND yr stomach read more

Atomic Records is a special place. This is the place to go for CDs, Vinyls, Movies, etc. Today I went there looking for a vinyl of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. They took out a stack of copies of the album. They then went through each copy they had to find the best one. It's a three record album and they found the best, most in tact versions of each vinyl that they could find. In the end they had put together the best version of the album and I got it for an amazing price. Better yet, they cleaned each vinyl for me before I left. You're not going to get that kind of service and treatment at Amoeba. Going to Atomic Records isn't like going to a store. It's like going to your friend's place and having him hand pick an amazing record for you. Thank you Atomic Records! read more

Cool place and friendly staff! I am always happy to see what they have in stock. Usually come away with a few goodies.

As a jazz and vinyl fan, I can confidently say that Atomic Records has one of the best curated selections of exactly that, jazz vinyl. Of course that's not the only reason I go, there is a special feel and energy about the place. This is one of those record stores you go to and your met with a happy, helpful and patient staff. They will take their time with each customer - exchanging stories - or, in most cases, let the customer roam the very clean stacks. read more

Cute place decent selection.. I always leave with something and my boyfriend likes to look at movies while I'm busy with the records. Its clean and does not have that dusty stuffy smell like allot of places do. I dont like that Yoko ono's music is mushed together with john Lennon... Very annoying... She is her own person!! I did buy her album approximately infinite universe from here at a nice price. I love that album!! All in all the prices for things aren't too bad its not like ameoba were any thing decent will cost you 30$vommit!! If ur in the area visit its nice only other thing is that some employees come off as cold.. But what ever I ain't here to make friends ~ read more

ok place, lots of vinyl... You will love this record shop if you're into jazz. It looks like they cater to this type of music... Over all though, kinda disappointed. I'm a musician and I listen to just about everything...and I get it, we all have different tastes...but this place doesn't really have a lot to choose from. (I'm specifically talking vinyl). It feels like it would be a real cool shop if it were 1980...seriously, to the guys running this place...music has changed man, there is A LOT more out there than what you have. I'd say you have about 15% of all the different music genres. Again, I know we all have different tastes so this place may work for many people...however I don't recommend and I wont be back. Way better places to buy vinyl out there. The staff here is actually very nice and prices were fair. read more

Great selection! Good prices. Never have enough time to browse casually, but you can find a lot quick and in a hurry. read more

Atomic Records - Store front - Music & DVDs Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The dudes that work here are super nice and helpful. Huge selection and they know their stuff. Just go and buy some vinyl. read more

WOW! So many records and so little time. I could have spent days in here going through every section. Unfortunately, I didn't have days. I only had 30 minutes. The staff was very helpful in finding what my daughter and I were looking for. They even uncovered an old Elvis album which made my 13 year old so very happy. Thank you :) Can't wait to come back. read more

I wish there were more record stores around, but the sad truth is there aint. So I'm grateful to Atomic for being there, and being so damn close to home. I know that last bit is more of a subjective praise, but nevertheless... The folks that run the store are friendly enough and helpful if you're looking for something in particular. You'd expect people that operate a business like this to be on the "we think we're better/smarter and know a shit-ton more about music than our customers" tip, and while they're probably right on the knowledge about music part, I've never felt condescended to when browsing their aisles or asking a question. Also, they have pretty cheap prices on used movies too. Most of the selections are of sub-par flicks but you could still stumble across something worth owning. So I thank you Atomic Records. May you continue to prosper as a business in this new year and beyond. read more

Good selection of CDs in great condition for decent prices. Friendly service. Lots of vinyl.

I like this place so far. I found some great Bobby Blue Bland here that I, along with anyone else who listens, just melt for. I am going to through out an idea, a donation to the commons of the record selling and consumer world. I want to find a place that has a few computers that anyone can use only to look up music. I don't go to amoeba much, but i don't think even they have done this. I have 400GB of music on my computer. I routinely forget about amazing bands. I have only a limited capacity for retention. Most folks who buy records are too cool for the "grocery list" tactic. Does anyone know of shops that do this? read more

Jazz record stores always have the best country. Atomic is no exception: Johnny Paycheck on Little Darlin', pre-eye patch Dick Curless, and a sealed copy of The Stonemans' All in the Family for under $30. The staff were even nicer than their stock. Two jazz fans who knew their Johnny Paycheck. The only unfortunate part of my visit was arriving just before close and having to leave town early the next day. I didn't even get to through a quarter of the under-stock! I'll see you again, Atomic Records. read more

Drove here from Hemet to find out my collection wasn't worth much. Mostly because of the condition. Disappointing but I appreciated his honesty. read more

Absolutely my favorite record store. I'm a bit flummoxed by all these reviews about poor customer service - these guys have been nothing but kind and helpful. One employee even walked me to my car with a umbrella when it was raining once! I'm just learning about jazz so I need a lot of guidance when selecting albums. They've never led me astray! Great selection of records, all in great shape. I've never come home with a scratched or dirty record, and their prices are incredibly fair. Excited to add some new records to my collection today, including a live recording of Getz with Astrud Gilberto that I'm especially jazzed about. (HA! Get it?) Anyway, this store is the real deal. read more

Went in today looking for a specific record as a gift for Christmas. The two men working were super helpful and they actually had the rare-ish record I was looking for in amazing condition on the wall. I was too excited to wait until Christmas to give it to my boyfriend. Go here! They are super friendly, knowledgeable, have a great selection, and most importantly didn't laugh at our weird musical tastes :) read more

A record shop that doesn't lack in selection and offers you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to hocking/selling you're old unused gems! read more

I've been vinyl hunting for awhile now. Been to many stores, thrift shops, yard sales... this store is really good. It has a good selection and not just for vinyl but dvd's. The prices are reasonable aswell. I got about 12 items here and the quality of each one was good. I recommend this store read more

This store is amazing great selection and amazing prices. It literally blew my mind! Staff is very friendly. A little crowded because of the boxes of records piled up but it doesnt bother me. If youre looking for a record store please check this place out! You wont regret it. read more

Great Selection of DVDs, CDs and records! Someone greeted me when I walked in right away. My questions were answered in a customer friendly way. I was even offered some new arrivals to view that hadn't been priced yet. I was pleased to find a 3rd season of a show that I've had on my wishlist for 10+ years. My friend picked up about 7 or 8 movies. I'm sure you'll find something. read more

Great place, shops like this are getting harder and harder to find. conscientiously owner operated.

This is without a doubt my favorite record store in Los Angeles they always have something for me without a doubt from punk jazz to heavy-metal to doo-wop and rockabilly I can't go wrong movie soundtracks exotica weird and strange personality stuff Christmas and other holidays everything is covered!!! read more

Shopped here for many years from late 90's on. I liked the store even though the 2 owners/brothers were full of themselves. I put up with them as best I could and bought some nice lps. Then they started selling the cool collectible psych rock, punk, metal and rare jazz on ebay when ebay started really taking off..most of it never hit the floor. Since then the store has been and is full of alot of filler mediocre lps. The owners are still standoffish and don't seem to care about their customers and can be downright rude! Like another reviewer here I had the same experience. I took in around 100 clean easily sellable RARE lps in and they really low balled me. Figuring I'd been a long time customer and dropped loads of $ over the years they would be fair...no way! That's ok as I sold them for much more money at Rockaway Records store. I hve never been back and never missed 'em. Good Riddence Atomic!!! read more

Love this spot, They have a great selection, with new stuff coming in pretty much every day , extremely Knowledgeable staff that are more than happy to help if you just ask... Some people apparently need sales associates to hold their hand while they look around and carelessly put their drinks down on the shops inventory etc... Well, Put on your big boy pants & buy some music instead of whining about the amount of attention you get.. lol read more

Atomic Records is always on my list of places to go when I'm in LA. Located near Warner Bros. and other studios it's convenient and not as insanely busy traffic as I find when going to Amoeba(hi Mark!), Great staff at Atomic, though they remind me a bit of the lead character in High Fidelity: they've heard & seen it all. With standard FAQ's they seem to be on a monotone auto-pilot when answering, but ask them an intelligent question or make an educated comment about rare LPs and they are very enthusiastic and welcome conversation. The staff who have been there for a long time are well informed on many genres. Though I've only talked Jazz, Soundtracks and Latin music with them, they were knowledgeable and always had a cool story about the day some jazz great came into the store. Hey do buy LPs but they need to be in really primo shape and have appeal to collectors. Yes, you may have a great Ray Charles or Ella LP but if it's common they likely won't buy it. It's taken me years to realize that with LPs, as well as with books at used bookstores, it's best to not be a motivated seller, be a motivated trader. You'll get much better in-store credit than you will cash. I often regret having sold a great LP when I needed some pocket money, but when trading, I always seem to get more LPs than what I traded in. Example: one day at Atomic I traded 3 Miles Davis LPs that I had doubles of. In trade I got 2 Ahmad Jamal and 3 Cal Tjader LPs. Great trade! I agree the prices are a bit high, but I wouldn't buy at this kind of store to re-sell on eBay anyway. I did buy a Jamaican LP there that I resold for a huge profit to an old DJ down in Jamaica, so there are hidden bargains there. I miss the CD & LP listening stations they used to have. I disagree with the reviewer who said "If I'm going to buy a $50 LP, I want to be able to play it first." As a collector, I do NOT want to pay $50 for an LP that most anyone can just walk in and put on the turntable. I've seen people at listening stations putting fingers on the LPs, cleaning them with their shirts and being very casual about how they drop the needle down onto the LP. If you want to buy a $50 LP, go find it on-line to listen to some tracks so you know if you want to buy it. Atomic Records is a great place, easy parking for free in the neighborhood, nearby post office, coffeehouse/bakery and lots of junk shops(some waaaay over-priced though). They have good hours, will usually search a title for you by phone if they have time. I have noticed they do a slow turnover with their stock, but I think they are doing a lot of biz on-line that we don't see. That LP in the bin since 1997 may be a lesser copy. They might hold the mint/sealed copy in the back for on-line buyers, or they will use that bin LP as a way of getting the interest of a retailer shopper who can buy the high-end copy. Final word: Whether you go there to buy or not, you really MUST see their wall of rare LPs displayed. You could easily spend $10,000 on a small stack of rare gems from that wall. read more

Great finds at great deals! I love this place. 1/2 of my record collection comes from there. I normally have to clean my used records, but they're records are in such great condition that I sometimes don't have to. They're also very knowledgeable and friendly dealers. read more

Unfortunately I'd have to give this place 1 star. The guy at the counter (I assume he was the owner?) was extremely rude to me and my boyfriend when we went to this location on Record Store Day. First off, why list your location under the official Record Store Day event list if you are so against participating it? He turned down several customers rudely when asking about the event in the store. When I had gone up to ask about any new selection for the event (apparently I missed a small sign on the door) I was instead told how they only provide vintage records and they don't do any record store day events. He was very judgmental about anyone in the store that wasn't over 50 and white. I got the vibe this person was the Simpsons "comic book guy" of records. My boyfriend heard him complaining about all the new people in the store, and how no one respects vinyls. Apparently this guy felt that Record Store Day was ruining vinyl collecting. Again- why list your location if you are so against it? I felt extremely uncomfortable in this store. I can't believe someone would turn away all that business. Aside from all of that, they have a poor music selection. There's plenty of better stores in LA. read more

My first time coming to this store. Was greeted right away which is a great way to start. I had a lot of vinyls to sell and was treated very good. They helped me unload my truck, gave me good money for everything and were very helpful and extremely friendly. Love this store. Will recommend it to all my friends and family! read more

As a developing Jazz record collector, there is no greater pleasure than finding an early-pressing Blue Note in the Dollar section. One that is still playable, of course. Well, Atomic Records has a 50-cent section and has given me the pleasure of not only 1, but FOUR Blue Notes from that wonderful pile, in addition to many other gems, including several Beatles albums. Newer stores utilize the term "curated" when describing their available selection. Yet, if that term is to be used at all, it would only apply to a few record vendors who not only have been in business for decades, but also strive to maintain a collection worthy of a museum. Atomic Records is one of them and I am glad that they SELL their pieces. Steve, one of the owners, is famous for saying that the store is the road-map for collecting records. It is not difficult to understand why. There is not a single record for which I have inquired about that they do not carry. Rare items are sold online (they really know what RARE means, not approximations or exaggerations of eager novices). Their Jazz section is incredible and more than affordable. For example, I found most of McCoy Tyner's discography on Milestone Records, in near-mint condition, for less than four dollars an item. I have seen the same records at other stores for more than twice the price. Newer stores also seem to get carried away pricing their Blue Notes, even the DMM variety. These DMMs should range from 10 to 15, like at Atomic Records, not 25 to 30. The only time I have seen a Blue Note DMM for 19.99 at Atomic was a NM copy of Hank Mobley's "Straight No Filter," which was the first pressing of this album, released in 1985, of material recorded in 1963. Also, it did not have the promotional stamp, like the one I bought for less. The encyclopedic knowledge of the staff is incomparable. It is always fun to overhear their conversations narrating stories related to music, films or adventures in collection-purchasing. Unlike other vendors who act snobbish, they are always ready to joke or carry a conversation. Some reviewers seem unhappy about their demeanor. However, if you read their other reviews, you will discover their tendencies to complain. Besides, it is not humanly attainable to be at one's optimum 100 percent of the time. During one my first visits, for example, Steve handed me a stool to browse the 50-cent section and moved out of the way, as he was inspecting a collection near the entrance. Other times, he just greets me and continues inspecting collections. Yet on other occasions, he chats and jokes around. DO NOT expect to find damaged records trying to pass for acceptable items and priced at regular prices, like in some newer stores (those quickly end in the bargain section). Most of their records are in VG+ to NM condition. If not, they are priced accordingly. Also, do not expect to find new records that sound dull and have been hastily pressed. If this store has remained in business for decades, it has been due to the market of USED records, which are sonically and technically superior to most of the new material currently being produced. I have heard that their CD and DVD sections are also great, but my interest is only in vinyl. I only have 2 complaints. One is the lack of listening stations. They have been kind enough to exchange/refund money, without hesitation, for a record that was noisy on one side. I ended up getting another record, of course. The other is the increased appearance of Scorpio Blue Notes on their shelves. These are digital-to-vinyl reissues that, in my opinion, do not merit the cost, even when purchased new from other vendors from 10 to 15 dollars. Returning to Atomic Records, almost on a weekly basis, has been a great experience during the last 2 years. I have never left empty-handed and I will continue to satisfy my passion for vinyl there. Or is it an addiction? read more

I love used record stores, I buy vinyl and live near Atomic Records, it would seem to be a good match but I have personally boycotted Atomic Records because the main guy that works there is continually rude and weird. A very snobby crew. There are many other places that are happier, better and less expensive. Atomic Records doesn't belong in Burbank, they are not cool at all. read more

NEVER COMING BACK. It was my first time and my last. I came in with good morning, please and thank you. After a while I got yelled at by two employees for checking out a pile of records; "that doesn't belong to us, is not ours, it doesn't belong to the store!!!" They yelled with attitude. I felt it was very disrespectful. "Wouldn't you assume that a random pile of records in a record store is something I'd believe you are selling? " I talked them quiet. They just stood there and looked down in shame, no apologies whatsoever. They still wanted to be rude and told my friend he couldn't pay with a card and he asked what was the minimum, they clearly made it up to $5 because they looked at each other trying to figure out an amount...some people have very low education. Sorry, not worth it at all!! read more

The least sexy record store in America! Everything is just sitting around in card board boxes. Lots of old bloated white guys around thumbing through mostly dollar-bin caliber records. read more