The CBD has some great record stores. Start at Metropolis (experimental/black metal/psych/folk), work your way down to Missing Link (indie/folk/hardcore/black metal), then Synaesthesia (experimental/avantgarde/black metal), Basement Discs next door (for jazzier/roots/blues fans), then wind down with a capuccino at Metal Mayhem (er, metal, all kinds) in the Banana Alley vaults under Flinders Street Station.
Dance music stores are pretty crap, though Slap records (10/60 Langridge St, Collingwood) has some nice folks working there. Polyester on Bruswick Street, Fitzroy is also good for indie, as is Greville Records (off Chapel Street in Prahran) though it's more on the rockier side.
Metropolis - Level 3, Curtin House, 252 Swanson St
Missing Link - www.missinglink.net.au
Synaesthesia - www.synrecords.com.au
Actually, Synaesthesia has now closed. Adieu!Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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