Laurie's Planet Of Sound

08/14/03

Tired of sadly lacking superstore selections? Stop by this bastion of underground jams.

by Jennifer Olvera at Citysearch

The Scene
Self-satisfied music geeks inspect local label releases, undiscovered LPs and almost impossible-to-find DVDs in trance-like fashion while skipping classes like philosophy 101. An older folk-seeking crowd, spillover from nearby Old School of Folk Music, chat away about hard-to-find releases and killer licks, while multi-cultural Lincoln Square locals snag oddball B-movies and must-have imports.

The Goods
Wood crates brim with a particularly large collection of bluegrass, jazz and folk gems, as well as releases from Chicago labels such as Bloodshot Records, Touch and Go and Thrill Jockey. There's plenty of uncommon vinyl to sift through, sometimes at extra affordable prices, as well as punk-driven college rock on CD. Both new and used selections tantalize tunesters, while peculiar finds like Hello Kitty cartoons kick up the kitsch factor significantly.

• Pros: Great indie selectionLocal talent
• Cons: Small spaceLimited pop selection