Record Stores in Quebec

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Can anyone reccomend some record stores in Montreal and Quebec. Most interested in the used vinyl category. Thanks.

― Magic City (ano ano), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

s1utsky to thread!!

i was just there and found lots of good used vinyl.

"le pick up" (on mount royal i think) had a lot of vinyl, really tightly packed together. when i was there it was like 90 degrees out and le pick up had no air conditioning at all so i wasn't there long. but there was some choice stuff. lots of french and quebecoise girl group 45s.

the best store i found (for my own narrow purposes) was (i think) debede, but they had mostly cds.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

That is one of my pet peeves, when the bins are so full, you cant even look through them.

― Magic City (ano ano), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah you have to lift out a small section of them to browse, poss. provoking dirty glances from the shop clerk!

on the other hand it increases the possibility that you'll find something choice in there that everyone else was too lazy to find.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

atom heart in montreal has a cool name and is well stocked with avant to more straight types of techno/house/electronics

http://www.atomheart.ca/

― disco stu (disco stu), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

they have used vinyl, too

― disco stu (disco stu), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheap Thrills used to be great for new and used vinyl. Haven't been there (Montreal in general) in years. It's at 2044 Metcalfe st. 2nd floor, or http://www.cheapthrills.ca/

― pauls00, Wednesday, 9 July 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

By the time I moved out of Montreal 2 years ago, Le Pick-Up had closed down and Cheap Thrills had dumped most of their vinyl. For used vinyl, try Disquivel on St.Laurent (best selection), and Beatnick (best prices) and Primitive (lotsa goodies, but often pricey), both on St.Denis. Avoid La Maison du Livre like the plague - millions of unclassified, beat-up, discounted LPs that people got rid of for a reason.

If you're looking for 45s, go to Le Marche du Disque on Mont-Royal, especially if you like disco - I've found lots of semi-rare stuff there and it's always very decently priced. The old guy who handles the singles section would often offer me discounts when I bought a bunch. Primitive also has a smaller but well chosen selection of 45s.

As far as I can tell, Montreal is nowhere near as good for used vinyl as it used to be - turnover is next to non-existent in LP racks. A year after leaving, I came back to find the exact same records in the racks as the previous time. It's still way better than the Tampa area for R&B, disco, prog and new wave, though (Tampa kicks Montreal's ass for country and butt-rock).

― Patrick, Wednesday, 9 July 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Disquivel is pretty good. There's also Esoteric (or is it Esoterique?) on St. Catherine. They have a lot of weird tech/electronica/minimal stuff. Sometimes Ninja Tune has a big 'ol sale at Casa Del Popolo, but I don't really know when the next one is. I could ask...
There used to be Rotation and Noize, but they both bit the biscuit. Fortunately, Pop Shop opened nearby on St. Laurent just above Prince Arthur. There's also the oh-so-pretentious and annoying Inbeat records--house, house, and more house. I try to avoid it because they always look at me funny--and that's when I'm just walking by. Ick.
DNA is similar (on Pine near De Bullion?).
If, like me, you're into reggae, there's Dubshack in NDG (on Sherbrooke)--lots of recent 45s, but not as current as stores in Toranna. Triple A is up in the Park Extension area...I can't recall the exact address. It's owned by one of the local Sound System cats, so it's pretty good. Lots o' niceness.
That's all for now...S1utsky???

― cybele (cybele), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and Mojo (how could I forget!!!) on St. Laurent near Duluth. Excellent selection of jazz, blues, funk, and 70s reggae.

― cybele (cybele), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was in Montreal last September I went into Esoteric, really nice place if you are into specialist electronic.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

In Quebec itself, the only used record stores I found were all on this one street. I forget which Saint street its on but I seem to recall it was going from the wall out towards St Foy. And if your not afraid to ask the locals, there were a small number of those rainbow flags on the road for a block or two.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Mojo has a good selection but very pricey. Disquivel has lots and is worth checking out. Le Pick-Up is really good, and they've just moved, not closed. Cheap Thrills still carries some vinyl, I believe. Pop Shop is an extension of Primitive, both good selection but as noted above pricey. Apparently the dude who owns both of them is considering opening up a Mile-End branch right across the street from my building, in which case I'm doomed. Doomed.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

used vinyl
Disquevel is good for everything except 60/70s rock/pop which they overprice. But anything else is usually cheap.

If you want to dive try MARS (everyone hates it and the owner is a jerk) but I have actually bought decent vinyl from there and the stock is huge (you must have time to waste). The trick to buying is to pick out 20 records (most of which are decoys) and offer him $20 for all of them. At first he'll be a jerk and say that they are worth $5000000 but then offer him $20 for half the original stack and he'll shit his pants. Also, use "collectable" rock for your decoys like rolling stones, beatles and shit that he thinks is worth tons of money.

Used vinyl is also amazing at Primitive (pop shop as well) but wicked expensive. pretty friendly staff who like to talk to anyone who isn't a 60s garage-head

Really amazing selection also at Beat-Nik records right next door to primitive.

Le pick up is cool but pricy for anything 60s - also have some in house releases

New records/cds
Sound Central is good for new vinyl, cheap prices and has the best staff.

Cheap Thrills is good for used cds and expensive new cds. Esoteric is very similar. they both carry some vinyl but have very little.

a really amazing NEW record store in Montreal is called Le Sub-Altern which is near St Denis and Sherbroke. They carry new CDs for $12.00 CND straight up!!!! Like any sort of mid to large indie for sure and some smaller indie. Not cut aways or promos; new cds at $12.00. Totally amazing.

Stores that suck
L'oblique sucks crap and hasn't changed stock for 5 years.

atomic heart only caries two or three records.

mojo only caries 180 g re-issues of seminal jazz/funk albums

Whenever i have guest i do the "grand circle"

home->Esoteric->Cheap Thrills->(Mars if they like to dive)->Sound Central->Sub altern->Beat Nik->Primitive->Le Pick up->home
Do this on foot and you get to see the core downtown of the city

― ddd, Thursday, 10 July 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

also; the only indie record store i remember in Quebec City was Platine which was pretty heavy into skate punk. but that was a while ago

― ddd, Thursday, 10 July 2003 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

is clairobscur still open? for all your import goth/darkwave needs. not reasonably priced, but then that stuff never is and at least you can have a listen first.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 10 July 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

oh how things have changed! disquivel... gone! lots of other stuff... different!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

So has anything new opened up in the past two years?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

This is the list I have got from here. Are they all still around?

Debede
Le Pick Up
Atom Heart
Esoterik
Dubshack
Pop Shop/Primitive
Mojo (?)
Le Sub-Altern
Sound Central
Cheap Thrills

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

Esoterik and Cheap Thrills are my two picks, plus all the spots on Mont Royal (pick up, paul's boutique) for used vinyl.

Alex, if you want company for record shopping let me know!

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

FIELD TRIP

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

also check out jamcan, newish place on st-laurent just north of mont-royal, well-priced vinyl, lots of reggae and stuff.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

Jamcan's decent - I still stick by earlier "weird rock pricing" statement.
Sonik (Boom?) on Duluth?
MARS!
I'm giving away my secret spot, which is probably already known to everyone anyway, but the flea-market (marche de puce or whatevs) at St. Michel has a whole glut of record dealers, too.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

Esoterik and Cheap Thrills are my two picks

Mine too.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

i haven't looked at the rock section there

do not go to mars!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

esoterik is a really nice store staffed by really nice people

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

Mars is closed dude

xpost

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

story here:

MARS RIP

sold on ebay, scroll down for danno's recollections

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

hahah oh yeah, i forgot about the ebay thing! so weird

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

oh man, the thing in your link about the toxic waste sign is too much...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

I went to MARS about a month ago. Still open!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

I got a House of Love record for $5.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

I would totally be up for a record shopping field trip. I am staying at a B&B near St Denis street. Is that close to most of these places?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

probably!!

st-denis is a long street though... where more specifically?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

Near rue Sherbrook, I think.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

Yeah it's literally right next to that intersection in a little alleyway.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

that's a totally good place to stay!! also near a very good record store called atom heart!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

So is Dubshack gone? I can't seem to find any reference to it on the web? I found Triple AAA records though and this website.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

haha!! WELCOME TO TORONTO HEAT AT MEDIEVAL TYMES

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

i don't know from the dubshack though

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

i've never been here but i'm into checking it out!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

I didn't even notice that. Yeah that definitely goes on my list.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

toronto will definitely have a LOT of dancehall stuff for you to check out, almost certainly more than mtl

...sadly...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

what did you mean by "that intersection in a little alleyway"?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

They have the music, we have the asses.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

The B&B isn't actually on either St Denis or Sherbrooke, it's on some little sidestreet just off that. Laval or something?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

oh nice... that's such a nice place to be staying. very picturesque!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

It's an all B&B trip for us actually. Which means lots of very brightly color bedding as far as I can tell haha. Although I think our Niagara on the Lake place is fairly muted (by comparison anyway.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

AAA is opposite (arguably) the best roti joint in the city, though there are a couple of new contenders.

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 28 July 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

"toronto will definitely have a LOT of dancehall stuff for you to check out, almost certainly more than mtl"

Unfortunately Toronto ILMers don't like talking about their record stores!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

I've eaten at the roti place on Avenue du Parc (it's in the 4800 block, on the west side of the street) and found it pleasant. Also, and this was huge, my ex-girlfriend noticed that one of the songs playing over the stereo (it was repeated later in the meal, so we got a chance to hear it twice) had a chorus that was lifted, COMPLETELY LIFTED, from Scatman John's breakthrough single "I'm The Scatman." !! Be-bop-bop-bodda-bo, indeed!

But I'm a jardin du Cari man at heart.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

(But don't ask Slytusk for restaurant recommendations - the guy lives off of a healthy bachelor's diet of margarine and pasta, and chewing tobacco. Weeeeeeeeeird.)

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Thursday, 28 July 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

it's good for your gums!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

i'm going to what's supposed to be an amazing new roti/jerk place soon!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

ymmmmm. jerk.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 28 July 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

~~who you callin' a~~

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 July 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

Montrealers! Is "Ben's Smoked Meats" still in existence?

― SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Friday, 29 July 2005 02:32 (twenty years ago)

ben's deli? yeah!! i'm ambivalent about the food/service but god if it isn't the most gorgeous deli in the world

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 29 July 2005 03:36 (twenty years ago)

Is L'echange not around anymore? They used to have a pretty good, decently-priced CD selection. Tons of classical especially. They used to be awesome for vinyl (Can's Future Days for $3!! Maggot Brain for $2!!!), but they got rid of all of it.

― Patrick (Patrick), Friday, 29 July 2005 13:29 (twenty years ago)

yeah, they're still around... both outlets i think!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 29 July 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

incidentally i walked by yesterday and as far as i could tell MARS is still open

shudder

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 29 July 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

For a relatively classy, but inexpensive, art-nouveau eating experience, I'd recommend Croissanterie Figaro, on the corner of Hutchison and Fairmount, in the Plateau, close to the border of Outremont. L'Incontournable is one of the best sandwiches I've had in my life, the terrace is nice, and the coffee's perfect, too.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Friday, 29 July 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

i second the figaro recommendation. nice spot

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 29 July 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

If you visit Paul's Boutique, please encourage him to clean his god-damn records.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Sunday, 31 July 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

Hey have any of you guys ever been to Junglist Fridays at Blue Dog? One of my fav ragga-junglists apparently spins there a bunch!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 31 July 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

HOLY SHIT THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON THE WEEK I AM IN TORONTO:

http://torontojungle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14266

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 31 July 2005 04:50 (twenty years ago)

Is that Blake's night? I've never been to it, but we did get in a nasty tiff over jungle once...

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Sunday, 31 July 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

I have no idea. RCola is the guy who I was talking about.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 31 July 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

five years pass...

Any suggestions for a decent shop in MTL with some really cheap vinyl? Especially a place with lots of 12"s!

― Michael Servetus, Thursday, 14 October 2010 00:14 (fifteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.