Riders of a Certain Age will recall there used to be a time that purchasing new music required actually leaving the domicile and going to these awesome places called record stores. There you would plunk down a few dollars for vinyl that featured cover art and lyrics sheets that you intensely cared about.

I mention this because today is Record Store Day, when indie record stores offer promotions, performances and a chance to purchase some new and unique records. Here’s a list of participating record stores in our area, along with a Google Map showing their locations and links to all the stores.

The 2 bus that runs along Sunset Boulevard hits four of the stores: Origami Vinyl and Blue Bag Records in Echo Park and Sick City Records and Vacation Vinyl in Silver Lake. In addition, Touch Vinyl and Record Surplus are on Santa Monica Boulevard in West L.A., easy to reach on the 4 Bus. Gimme Gimme Records and Mount Analog in Highland Park are easy to reach via the Gold Line and Permanent Records LA on York Boulevard is along the route of the 83 Bus and an easy bus ride from the Gold Line’s Highland Park Station.

There are more stores on the list and map — so please check it out for stores in our area. I think we can all agree that the Digital Era is fun and convenient but that we really don’t want to live in a world without indie record stores, bookstores or coffee shops.

Need to get in the mood? Here’s a fun — and profane — scene from High Fidelity. Warning: don’t watch if easily offended!

And since Dave Grohl is featured on the Record Store Day logo this year….

Note to Other Government Bloggers: it’s not easy finding a Foo Fighters video in which Mr. Grohl doesn’t use a certain word currently prohibited/discouraged on Government Blogs.

One of the first LPs I can remember buying because I really, really, really liked the cover:

And a current resident of my house:

And from Side One, Track 2 of Darkness:

Happy Shopping!