Best CD Store

LITTLE 5 SOUL has not only survived, it's grown from a stall in the Bazaar at Little Five Points to its current location, where you can always find owner Darryl Hicks chatting about everything from soul to house to classic hip-hop CDs. The store serves as headquarters for the local house and soul music scenes, too, with live performances, tickets to shows, and a chill atmosphere for connecting with other lovers of everything from Black Sheep's early '90s masterpiece to Quadron's recent debut. 1131 Euclid Ave. 404-653-0724. www.moodsmusic.net. less...

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into CRIMINAL RECORDS is that the high-set counters make the staff tower over you like gods of musical knowledge … either that, or tatted-up pharmacists. Instead of handing out Prozac, however, they’ll prescribe you the latest from Peter Bjorn and John or the Polyphonic Spree. Tucked between Junkman’s Daughter and Aurora Coffee, this L5P staple doubles as a comic-book shop, a magazine stand, a toy store and, sometimes, a concert venue. It’s got plenty of vinyl, material from local bands, concert DVDs and rare EPs from the likes of Death Cab and Kings of Leon. Plus, its ridiculously wide selection of graphic novels (it has more than most stores that just sell comics) means you can satisfy penchants for Brian Eno and Brian Michael Bendis simultaneously. less...

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into CRIMINAL RECORDS is that the high-set counters make the staff tower over you like gods of musical knowledge ... either that, or tatted-up pharmacists. Instead of handing out Prozac, however, they'll prescribe you the latest from Peter Bjorn and John or the Polyphonic Spree. Tucked between Junkman's Daughter and Aurora Coffee, this L5P staple doubles as a comic-book shop, a magazine stand, a toy store and, sometimes, a concert venue. It's got plenty of vinyl, material from local bands, concert DVDs and rare EPs from the likes of Death Cab and Kings of Leon. Plus, its ridiculously wide selection of graphic novels (it has more than most stores that just sell comics) means you can satisfy penchants for Brian Eno and Brian Michael Bendis simultaneously. less...

Can two music stores survive on the same street in a small hipster enclave? In Little Five Points, the answer is a resounding yes. Eric Levin has carved out a nice niche market for his CRIMINAL RECORDS enterprise, offering an impressive selection of domestic and import CDs. Oh, sure, DVDs, magazines, comics and toys are available, but this is the place for CDs. It’s rapidly turning into a great venue to catch a wide variety of live music, too. Criminal hosts a ton of cool, stripped-down in-store performances for your listening pleasure. After the set, get the artists to sign — what else? — their brand new CDs.
466 Moreland Ave. 404-215-9511. www.criminal.com.

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There's no better way to fight The Man than by taking your business to the neighborhood mom-and-pop instead of the big bad mass merchandiser, right? Maybe, but fact is, TOWER RECORDS has a bigger and better CD/DVD/magazine selection than any other store in town. As an added bonus, you can wear your Dockers and corporate ID from your 9-to-5 without having to endure looks of derision from the help. "3232 Peachtree Road, 404-264-1217. www.towerrecords.com" less...

Oh sure, Little Five Points has those gritty and faux-hip record stores, but for those who live and work outside the Perimeter, EAT MORE RECORDS is a cool and easy-to-reach destination for CDs. Owner Craig Freierich, with Cliff Krapp, has operated the fiercely independent store in various locations since the early '80s. The staff is actually polite and well-informed, and the well-stocked store features a great selection of posters, collectibles and imports. Eat More offers as good a CD selection as you're likely to find at any intown shop. "1210 Rockbridge Road, Norcross. 770-717-8111." less...