Massive Amoeba Envelops California
While other music retailers have been shriveling and dying, Amoeba Music has been growing and growing. "Our store is vibrant; the walls have energy," says founder Mike Boyder. And its shelves carry an astonishing 300,000 items.

That represents twice as many titles as Virgin's Megastores, and about 10 times as many titles as a typical Wherehouse outlet.

Large collections of jazz and classical titles, knowledgeable employees, and a lack of promotional displays add to Amoeba's distinctive feel. Recent news accounts have ascribed a "cult status" to the stores, currently located only in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Get engulfed by the Amoeba

Read news about Amoeba from Yahoo and the New York Times [fee required]