FOR THE RECORD: BAGATELLE RECORDS This is the spot of all spots, but how many of you chasing the same Kim Fowley LPs I am don’t already know this? Bagatelle takes a little work—that’s the charm—but I fully believe any record ever made by humans ever will pass through the hands of Steves big and little before eternity runs its course, and I guess that means there is enough treasure for everybody if we’re just a little patient. 260 Atlantic Ave | Long Beach 90802 | 562.432.7534 // CHRIS ZIEGLER

PERSONALITY TYPE: BOB KURTHY’S POSTER ART Colossally recognizable typographic insanity from Blow Up Blow’s (and other bands beside) motorik drummer Bob Kurthy, who twists names and places into monsters and masks and stamps it onto a poster. His white tiger and hammerhead shark mark his more intense recent work, but everything he does comes with a hi-def intensity all his own. bobkurthy.com // CZ

LET IT BLEED: THE COMPOUND A big bunch of the local releases you love probably came out of the Compound, the recording studio with a buddy’s-house vibe and matter-of-factly professional sound. Great records out now or coming soon with Compound credit include Free Moral Agents, Look Daggers, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Repeater, Greater California, Year Zero and even Mars Volta, with a long list more that won’t fit here. Once there was Sun sound and Muscle Shoals sound and around here there is Compound sound. The first place to go when it’s time for a real record. Anthony Arvizu | 562.335.5623 | compoundstudio.com // CZ

SPUN OUT: DYZZY ON VYNYL Dyzzy is different from Bagatelle like Potholder is different from Egg Heaven—survive off one, thrive on both. Dyzzy himself is another guy you never see with legs—just hovering behind the counter, wondering where the other Dwight Twilley LP might be. Maybe less-known to out-of-town burrowers than Bagatelle but still spiky with vital finds. Also your number one stop for Crystal Antlers releases—Dyzzy knows his local rocks. 3004 E Seventh St | Long Beach 90804 | 562.438.8928 // CZ

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: FEVER DRAGON Rock’s new backpages is all pretty pictures, like it used to be in Creem and like it used to be on Cobrasnake and like it is now with Kenny Davis’ Fever Dragon, taking flash photos at all the most cheerful nightlife events. Party shots that capture the crowds the way the critics are supposed to review the bands, and if you haven’t been in one, then you’re going home too early. feverdragon.com // CZ

ONE OF A KIND: FINGERPRINTS MUSIC Amoeba absorbed LA—and Internet nipped up what was left—and the record stores that survived are the stores that aren’t just record stores anymore. That’s why it’s so important that Fingerprints lives on. It’s a record store and a community center and an open university—ask the counter people anything, but be polite—and the reliable supply line to a local music scene coming into a vital new moment, where musicians and music fans work and shop and recognize their own, a junction for all kinds of music at all levels of ambition and development. A true local institution. 4612 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.433.4996 | fingerprintsmusic.com // CZ

NOT JUST FOR SHOW: GO GO GUITARS Guitar Center works if you’re starting out or on a strict budget, but if you’re ready for an upgrade or just have some paychecks to burn, head here. The selection of boutique amps and pedals is not to be missed. Also, amp repair! Bonus tip: Local musician stalkers will have some luck here, but trusted sources tell us Mike Watt shops World of Strings. 5752 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.434.1300 // ELLEN GRILEY

SUPER BAD: GOOD FOOT Crucial rocks Prospector and Secret Affair packs Alex’s but Good Foot is the godfather, graduating out some of Long Beach’s most beloved DJs—salute to Rodi and Jacob and Angelina—and scheduled to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2008. DJ Dennis Owens—also to be congratulated for his special Christmas Good Foots, seriously the most cheerful nights of the year—has made this monthly funk/soul night at Que Sera into one of the city’s signature good times. A candidate for inclusion on the city seal. Que Sera | 1723 E Seventh St | Long Beach 90804 | goodfoot.org | every second Friday of the month // CZ

WRITE ABOUT EVERYTHING: INFLIGHTATNIGHT Measured, regular and sometimes wry local music coverage from Reid Shelton’s Infight At Night blog, which pushes smart select coverage of LA and Long Beach showgoing with of-interest news, solid mix mp3s and on-point observations like wondering what the hell Chris Ziegler is ever talking about? A blog with its heart, brains and taste all set in just the right place, from a guy you’ve certainly seen at shows alongside you. inflightatnight.com // CZ

HOLY FUCK: PULL YOUR PANTS UP Also nods to $ucka Free and Strychnine for roping in the better locals, and to Billgazer productions—featured elsewhere—for regular touring heaviness, but Kevin Poush has built a pretty popular Tuesday at the venerable Prospector by luring in bands from LA and beyond that wouldn’t have otherwise ever taken the Long Beach exits off the freeway. Holy Fuck and Watson Twins probably drew hardest, and good locals got the opening slots—a better deal than bands or crowds would get in LA at one of the best city venues, too. 2400 E Seventh St | Long Beach 90804 | myspace.com/pullyourpantsup | first and last Tuesdays of the month and sometimes more // CZ

TWILIGHT SINGERS: SILVER FOX KARAOKE Long Beach has such a lively little karaoke scene, it’d be a crime to single out any one as “Best.” So, all you Prospector, Paradise Cafe, Ripples, Clancy’s, Liquid Lounge and Alex’s fans, here’s to you! You’re all fantastic! As for the Fox, it bears distinction for a few reasons: great selection, friendly folks, few instances of favorites and/or favors, and a cute (non-threatening) stage. Climb on up, baby it’s your time to shine! 411 Redondo Ave | Long Beach 90814 | 562.439.6343 | silverfoxlongbeach.com // EG

LOST AND FOUND: VINTAGE COLLECTIVE’S RECORD STALL Whoever packs the LPs in the back of Vintage Collective doesn’t mind giving away a little of the good stuff—minimal digs here and there haven’t found me any monsters (triple-digit scores for single-digit prices clump up elsewhere) but I did rack up some necessary obscurities for as low as a tenth of what they were pushing for on eBay. When I start buying my furniture at the record store, then I’ll really be a step ahead. 2122 E Fourth St | Long Beach 90814 | 562.433.8699 // CZ

Tags: best of, dyzzy on vynyl, fingerprints, Long Beach, prospector