Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) is easily the most swankily laid-out store in town, complete with faux retro audio equipment for sale and a mammoth vinyl collection of old and new material, including hip-hop and indie rock. The large space yields plenty of elbow room, but takes away from the charming clutter that most mom-and-pop stores offer. Used music is a tad pricy, but most of it is quality stuff.
End Hits (407 Dalhousie) is a nice little walk-up joint that is remarkably clean and orderly for an indie/punk establishment. Besides a nice collection of silk-screened posters, End Hits offers a good selection of music that is efficiently edited down to quality over quantity. In classic rock fashion, the basement subs as a concert venue. Everything you need to know can be had at punkottawa.com.
CD Exchange (142 Rideau) - let's just say that it's not the best for a wealth of eclectic finds. It requires wading through an overload of commercial sludge to spot the store's few gems. The one saving grace is the metal section, which is made up of the remnants of the much-missed metal haven Record Runner (R.I.P.).
Turning Point (411 Cooper), a plain and simple mom-and-pop
Birdman Sound (593 Bank) is a small, narrow, no-bullshit space that's perfect for vinyl flipping. This is the place for new punk, old punk, garage and psyche vinyl. Black beauties are still being pressed, and this is where to check 'em all out. The staff know exactly what they're doin' and aren't shy to tell ya. The location is not great, but central enough to search out. Look for the impeccably designed cheesy storefront window display.
Sounds Unlikely (5 Arlington) is the newest kid on the block. Rising from the ashes of Organized Sound and the second cousin to Shake Records (see The Black Tomato below), Sounds Unlikely fills a nice niche, having the best global, jazz and experimental sections in town. If these music sleuths haven't heard of it, it doesn't exist. The address should sound familiar: It was the infamous home of Ottawa's nuttiest punk venue back in the day.
The Black Tomato (11 George) - the restaurant is really a front for the ghost of Shake Records, a wonderfully diverse shop that, in its day, was the very definition of what a record store should be. Its '99 closure has one remnant: a wall in the Black Tomato (near the bar) that stocks rarities and left-of-centre music. It's a small collection, but of exceptional quality.
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