l'idee fixe

location: 3320 rue ontario est, montreal

phone: 514-527-2121

my finds:

none.

the review:

small vinyl collection focused more on mid 70's-late 80's music. more of a book, dvd, and cd store. cd collection has a bit of everything. even saw erykah badu's mama's gun ($7). if you're looking for a certain used cd, there's a good chance they may have it. window displayed beatles rubber soul and revolver album covers, which may mean great albums occasionally roll through.

la note

location: 4301 rue ontario est, montreal

phone#: 514-899-5677

my finds:

1. pink floyd: a nice pair (double lp) $13

the review:

small shop with an extensive collection of 60/70's rock with a random, impressive reggae section. and then a little bit of everything else. one of the few places that sells classic beatles albums such as revolver ($13) and let it be ($7) for surprisingly low prices. cd selection is more even-handed consisting of a good hip hop selection. definitely worth the trip.

urban outfitters

location: 1250 rue sainte-catherine ouest, montreal

phone#: 514-874-0063

my finds:

1. the strokes: is this it (new) $22

2. arcade fire: funeral (new) $17

the review:

though technically not a music store, this urban outfitters always has a good little selection of records. they definitely support indie rock and still stay true to classics. but they mostly carry new artists. prices are average for new vinyl. may come out a little cheaper than ordering on-line once shipping and handling is added on. best part is it's always fun to shop for records while your girlfriend shops for clothing.

hmv megastore

location: 1020 rue ste-catherine ouest, montreal

phone: 514-875-0765

my finds:

none.

the review:

unlike other hmv's this mega store offers a small, impressive vinyl selection. good for finding new indie rock groups with a few older records being sold brand new. prices are $17-28. would still recommend looking for vintage vinyl at second-hand stores over hmv. as far as cd's go the 2 for $20 is always a good deal. being hmv you can find almost anyone on cd.