Rock, electronic, folk, local, international, and more – whether you’re looking for something new or seeking out old hidden treasures, you’re gonna love our list of the best record stores in Montreal.
Phonopolis: The Most Indie
On a little stretch of avenue Bernard between rue Waverly and Parc avenue—an area regarded as the quintessence of Mile End these days—you’ll find a quaint multicultural neighborhood that’s become the epicenter of all that is cool: a bar with local musicians playing all day long (Le Dépanneur Café), an old, well-established restaurant serving brunch accompanied by live DJs (Le Nouveau Palais), the most charming flower shop in the city (Dragon Flower), several retro and vintage clothing shops (Arterie, Local 23), a publisher of independent comics and bookshop (Drawn & Quarterly) and two record stores: the newer Sonorama and the excellent Phonopolis. Since 2007, this record store has been a treasure trove of local and international indie gems, and also has a good selection of more experimental music from noise rock to electro… We now have a mini-store located inside of Synergy Cycle in the Pointe-Claire Village of Montréal’s West-Island, at 300 Lakeshore.
207 Bernard O., Montreal H2T 2K5
https://online.phonopolis.ca/
Death of Vinyl: The Most Addictive
This is the kind of place where you could easily lose yourself for hours. If you need any convincing, there are nearly 50,000 vinyl records on-hand. That’s how massive the collection is in this boutique located at boulevard Saint-Laurent next to the train tracks. Still not convinced? Step into one of the cozy listening booths with your latest discovery and have a private listen. In the crates, you’ll find an eclectic selection of rock, hip-hop, world, new wave, blues, jazz, and classical records of varying quality and condition, all with reasonable price tags. Death of Vinyl is the essential used record store to get lost in, rain or shine!
6307 St-Laurent, Montreal H2S 3C3
http://www.deathofvinyl.com/
Cheap Thrills: The Oldest
Opened in 1971, Cheap Thrills is the oldest used record shop in Montreal, which is quite a reputation to hold up! A real Montreal institution situated right above a Vietnamese restaurant in the central city, Cheap Thrills has over 10,000 records and CDs, with a penchant for jazz, avant-garde and experimental music, as well as new releases. Add to that their impressive selection of used books and you’ll understand why Cheap Thrills remains a favorite spot for music lovers, bookworms, and local students in search of a bit of culture.
2044 Metcalfe, Montreal H3A 1X7
http://www.cheapthrills.ca/
Aux 33 Tours : The Biggest Selection
Aux 33 Tours is to lovers of rare or new records what Death of Vinyl is to crate diggers: it’s a place you come back to again and again just for the pleasure of rummaging through the crates and discovering new surprises. You’ll find thousands of new and used vinyls in stock with hundreds of new shipments each week! Even better, it’s the only record store in Montreal with a good selection of premium Japanese pressings, limited edition records of exceptional quality. As for the style, Aux 33 Tours has a wide selection. From rock to blues, jazz, pop, hip-hop and world music, Aux 33 Tours has what it takes to please even the pickiest of record collectors.
1373 Mont-Royal E, Montreal H2J 1Y8
http://www.aux33tours.com/
L’Oblique: The Most Intimate
Don’t expect to find the same selection here that you’d find at Aux 33 Tours, for example. This little shop isn’t trying to stock all the latest releases. Rather they focus in on artists they love: preferably local, Francophone, Québécois or Canadian, with a taste for underground, indie, and rock in all its forms. Ever since it opened in 1987, the place has been run by Luc Bérard, who has also shared his love of music on the waves of radio CIBL. This is an essential stop if you want to get familiar with the local scene!
4333 Rivard, Montreal H2J 2M7
https://www.facebook.com/Boutiqueloblique/
Bonus | 180g: The Most Cozy
We already included this cafe-record store located in the heart of the industrial Mile-Ex neighborhood on our list of “5 Spots to Check Out in Montreal” and again, more recently, in our “25 Places to Explore in 2017”…but we couldn’t resist telling you about this place one more time!
6546 Rue Waverly, Montréal H2V 4M3
https://www.facebook.com/le180g/
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