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...

A city Atlanta's size needs a bright, mammoth, well-organized CD store, and Tower does an admirable job of fitting the bill. Of course it doesn't have everything. In these days of obscure underground rave DJ mixes and reissues of the most fringe artists, what retail outlet could? But it sure comes close, and even though you pay higher prices for the luxury of finding one of Frank Zappa's 70-odd albums, it's comforting to know that what little Tower doesn't stock, can be ordered quickly. It also carries an excellent selection of local, indie, import and special edition discs less...