SGV 020: The Vinyl Eruption; when will it cool? With The Midnight Hour

Covina’s Midnight Hour Records is a store for music fans at every level. Brand new to the game, “just here for your ten records that you really need”? Sure, you’ll be back though. Longtime fiends buying 45’s instead of groceries? Put it on your tab.

Midnight Hour SGV and SFV are sibling stores run by the Amalfitano family, Argentineans by way of La Puente. Brother Brian grew up in the backyard punk and powerviolence scene, but these days he’s more into Fiona Apple. The stores have the understated mission of bringing a bit of everything to the racks – especially the stuff that plays to local Latino tastes. 

Midnight is riding the long rising wave of the vinyl boom – plus the pandemic-driven retail therapy bubble. They’re one of numerous record shops that’ve started up in SoCal recently. So what’s their philosophy on being part of and surviving in this very saturated market? Why should you buy from them instead of Amazon? And what’s the most expensive record Brian’s ever bought?!