Vinyl Lovers in the Valley Can Find Everything from Hardcore Punk, Soul, Cumbia & More at This Cool New Record Shop

If your vinyl collection could use more Misfits, Thelonious Monk, Maná, or Mötorhead (and everything in between), then make your way over to the Valley's namesake town. The city of San Fernando has scored The Midnight Hour, a cool new mom-and-pop record shop that debuted in the 818 back in September. That's not all: Its owners are bringing their curation of music to West Covina, where their second L.A.-area outpost officially opens today.

Located on low-key North Maclay Avenue, the boutique stocks new and used vinyl, cassettes, handmade gifts, and more. Expect to find albums and rare international pressings in nearly every format across every music category and subgenre, including funk, garage rock, grunge, hardcore, hip-hop, Latin, metal, New Wave, psychobilly, rap, soul, and beyond. You'll also find "mom and dad jams" (rather, grandma and grandpa tunes?) from classic rock acts like Fleetwood Mac and Alamaba (to name a few) alongside original mixtapes.

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Also in the mix are vintage band tees, music memorabilia, metaphysical accessories, used cookbooks and local history books, and other cool finds. Just a few offerings include locally-made vegan chocolates, crystals, Funko Pop bobbleheads, Misfits action figures, stylish slippers by L.A.-based label MCLC, skincare and body products Moon Rivers Naturals, hip-hop saint candles, and much more.

The Midnight Hour was founded by born-and-raised locals and married duo Sergio and Alyssa Amalfitano, two veterans of L.A.'s hardcore punk and nightlife scenes. Alyssa grew up in San Fernando, while Sergio (who's also the lead vocalist in hardcore punk band ACxDC) was raised in the San Gabriel Valley.

The record shop was a natural extension of duo's pre-pandemic DJ nights at spots like North Hollywood's now-shuttered craft beer haven Bar One, where they spun soul, reggae, oldies, and more. Over the years spinning for clubgoers, the duo began collecting vinyl to sell at DJ events. "Slowly, it just became [us saying], 'You know what, we love doing this, we've always talked about having a record store. Why don't we try [opening one]?'," Sergio tells UncoverLA.

Midnight Hour is also an amalgamation of the Amalfitanos' music industry connections, Alyssa's experience in retail and office management, and Sergio's background translating his creative talents into businesses (he also ran a silkscreening company and was previously a club photographer).

The couple signed the paperwork for their space in 2019, just as talk about the overseas pandemic began buzzing. Their storefront has a history of housing businesses rooted in music: It was previously a recording studio, and before that a car stereo store.

Opening stores in San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys was key to Midnight Hour's mission to serve the local community.

"Both the Valleys are very similar in terms of [primarily Latinx] demographics, and in terms of how you grow up [there]," says Sergio. "You go to backyard shows to see a punk band, then afterward, you're at a cholo's house and they're playing oldies, punk, boogie, and freestyle," he jokes. Their offerings of quinceañera, mariachi, ranchera, and cumbia music also cater to customers who hail from Central and South American countries.

When it comes to curating their non-music merch, "we're trying to get things that you can't find on Amazon. We stock products from other mom-and-pop shops and try to support local people we know directly, and support small businesses," says Alyssa. "The soap is a female-run company in Arizona, the bath bombs are made by a mom as her side job."

The founders hope that their expansive selection inspires shoppers to expand their musical horizons. "Music is culture; when you listen to reggae, punk, or hip-hop — the more open-minded you are to being around different people and eating different foods, the more eclectic your tastes are going to be. Variety is the key," adds Sergio.

Want more, more, more? Scroll through the gallery above for more insight Midnight Hours' San Fernando shop, then tell all of your SGV pals to swing by 668 North Shoppers Ln., where the shop's second location is now open.

Midnight Hour Records, 701 North Maclay Ave., San Fernando, 91340; Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m.