Freakbeat Records

Much of my beloved record collection got damaged in an apartment flood when I was in college. Over the years since, I would constantly pine over those lost gems, until I decided to compile a list and replace them. That’s turned out to be a daunting task indeed, but alas, has been largely achieved.
Some of my records weren’t necessarily collector fare, but scarce nonetheless. Freakbeat has been a great resource in rebuilding my coveted collection. The selection and staff are excellent and it is very organized, making it easy to find things.
Highly recommended.

By far the best record store in the valley. In one visit I have found all the records I was looking for. Other stores did not have even one in stock. Bob the owner is very cool. Very helpful. He called me promptly to informed that the particular record I was looking for is available and he is holding it for me. Very pleased. My new favorite music store.

Nice place and kind owners but selection isn’t that big and price aren’t that cheap.
Coolest thing? About a thousand of records in the dollar bins

Still one of the best places to go for your music needs, the people who work there are great, they could play better music, lol

By force of habit I went straight for the rare wall just out of force of habit even though I can’t afford most of it due to exchange rate. I was more interested in the fact sheet more than some of the titles themselves. It was cool to learn about some of the facts. Dart board pricing but it amuses me when stores tack on numbers without proper assessment of current market value. Re-​issues plummet value of originals. Very disappointed.
The store is small and well organized.

This by far is my favorite record store and I live 4 hours away. I find more vinyl gems here than anywhere else in the Los Angeles and the staff are really great. If I had to choose between all the record stores in LA… This is it.

This is one of those «mom and pop» record stores, filled with mainly «pops» behind the counter. And these pops are very informative about music. Alot of CDs and records. Not alot of popular vinyl selections like the Siouxsies or the Joy Divs but if you’re a hunter and not looking for the popular names then this store is for you. You’ll probably find those non popular artists in the vinyl sections and all kinds in the CD section. I walked away with Talking Heads, the Smiths and Stereolab on CD with a Stranglers album on vinyl, all for about 14 bux. Not too shabby. If you’re in the valley and record shopping, come here and finger thru the reasonable priced used CDs and vinyl.

One of my favorite record shops in LA. It has a great selection of vinyl and CD’s, covering both old and new releases. The guys that run it are great, veterans to record shops and the LA music scene. It has small but interesting Country, Jazz and Soul sections, and a bigger Rock section. They also carry books, box sets and a bit of music memorabilia. A brilliant place!

I’ve been here several times in the last few months and I’ve never walked out empty handed. Awesome classic rock gems and other great stuff. I’m starting to prefer it over Amoeba.

One of my favorite record stores in LA. I rarely leave empty handed. I find great used CDs, lots of 7″ vinyl, used LPs and rarely do I feel I am overpaying. I’ve found some oddball gems in their discount section too.
I come here every Record Store Day and there is always a long line (they don’t open until 11) but I am consistently pleased that the vast majority of stuff I request — thy have.
Bob the owner is great and most of the staff are helpful and good guys. Feels like what a record store should be.

I like this place. Owners are polite and knowledgable. Selection is great. And prices are fair.
The record and CD selection is huge, but I come here mostly for the used Blu-​Rays. They have a good selection and are always harboring a cool little gem. But most of all, the used movies are fairly priced, unlike a lot of other used stores who jack up their «used» prices to barely competiting with new copies.
I also sold them some of my old stock once for store credit, and got a pretty decent deal.
Only downside is parking. It can be really hard to come by, so plan to take a little stroll. Otherwise, highly recomended.

Nice little shop located in the valley. The best deals are when they have their annual sales. Huge CD section. Fair priced on both vinyl snd CD.
Parking is tough in front or back. Recommend the residential streets around the corner.

Disappointed. Way overpriced. Also, do NOT sell your records to these guys. They’ll give you peanuts compared to what other shops will give you. Atomic gave me triple what Freakbeat wanted to give me, AND Atomic wanted 4 times as many of my records.
There is no parking. Literally, there is no parking! They’re right in the busiest section of Ventura Boulevard, yet no one was in the shop at all. No parking in the available residential area either. Its like you have to park 2 miles away, then walk back to the store.
The shop is also kind of small, and their selection really wasn’t all that either. You could find similar records at amoeba, or Atomic, for half the price, and better quality.

BEWARE!!! Came in today to add some more vinyl to my collection. RACISTS work here! Especially the man with medium length hair and the man who told me that I was sensitive for reacting to these men’s racist and stereotyping statements. The statement went
Man 1: «you know what I don’t get? Why these Asian people runoff from the nail salon don’t come in more.» (My goodness! So all Asians are comparable sewer runoff?!)
.
I stated «excuse me? Don’t you think that’s a bit racist?
Man 2: «Jesus! Aren’t you a bit too sensitive» (I didn’t appreciate the rolling and squinting of the eyes by the way, I caught that)
I responded: «No, you’re just a little rude»
WORST customer service. Old white men laughing and making fun of my friend and I. She has a strong Vietnamese accent and they thought it was okay to mock us as if we were the stereotypical nail salon workers! How ignorant! This is 2015. People come in all shapes and colors!
SHAME on you and your staff
Your staff should be more respectful of the customer.
Reported to the BBB (Better business bureau)
These men are Insulting. Dehumanizing. Immoral.
Clean up the horrible customer service and racist comments! What a waste of a vinyl store :(j

Freakbeat Records is an absolute Goldmine for people who treasure the authentic sounds of music on vinyl records! As a New Yorker, it has that comfortable, homey feeling of a Greenwich Village Record Store from the 70’s. I have spent many a wonderful afternoon sifting through all the jazz, rock ‘n roll, Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, the Go-Go’s, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors,…and on and on!
Treasures are certainly to be found here… right here on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks!

Lovely people, great inventory, groovy atmosphere. A real treasure. If seeking out hidden gems or a place to sell your cds/​dvds/​LPs, in the Valley, this is it. Plus, they really, really know what they sell.

I recently stopped by this record store on a mini road trip. I was actually at a different record store and I overheard them recommend this store for a more modern record selection. I was able to find a decent selection of new records and some cool vinyl bootlegs too. They had a nice wall selection of higher priced vinyl and some good quality cheaper vinyl too. I would definitely stop by again to see what new records they would get in.
A note on the staff, they are the stereotypical record store staff. I kinda thought those types didn’t exist anymore, but sure enough they’re still working at this store! Overhearing there conversations were good for a laugh!

This is my jam!
The choices here are right up my alley.
If you’re looking for metal it’s not the best location but rock, jazz and the classics are here in abundance. Also they have players to test out your records before you buy, which is a huge plus in my book.
If you want a good selection with a good range of price this is your jam too!

Excellent record store in Sherman Oaks. They have a perfect blend of different musical genres. They have a good collection of records that are a little harder to find. Pricing is mostly around market rate, a few pieces a little more money, a few a little less. Will absolutely buy from them again and again.
While at the store, you feel that you are among friends. You feel wanted while shopping there and that they appreciate your business.
They have a lifetime buyer in me.

I was driving down Ventura, looking for a bite, and just happened to spot this location right off the street. It’s a small shop with a noticeably bright sign out front.
They’ve got a solid selection in here. Most of the mind-​blowing titles were up on the wall and going for large sums of money, but I was able to snag a few gems in the bins. Organization could’ve been tighter, with «Used Rock» containing everything under the sun that wasn’t Jazz or Hip-​Hop. Every good store should have a Metal section.
The soundtracks could’ve been beefed up a little more. That’s usually the first place I head whenever I hit up a new shop, but there wasn’t really much of a selection here. Kinda disappointing.
What made me happiest about shopping here was the pricing. VERY reasonable, and in many cases cheaper than ordering off of Amazon. Most of the titles I came across were priced on the low end of where I’ve seen them, making it difficult to narrow down your selection when there’s so much to choose from for such solid prices.