To The Hipsters Of The Ottawa Region, I Have An Idea Concerning Your Predicament Calum Marsh

This is something I've wanted to tackle for a long time, but I knew it would be a time-consuming behemoth of an article that I've sort of avoided just sitting down and getting it done - fortunately my boss left her laptop here and I've got nothing else to do for five hours. And hey, I'm kinda getting paid to write about music. So here's the deal: this is the comprehensive guide to all things music related in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. If you live in Ottawa or ever plan on visiting and you want to know anything at all about this city's indie music scene - yes, believe it or not, we have one - this is the guide to read. Now, I don't know everything: I've probably missed a million and one cool bars/venues/bands/people/stores in this city that you love, but hopefully this covers the lion's share (isn't "lion's share" a stupid expression, by the way?). If there's anything I've excluded, tell me - and everyone else - all about it in the comments box. I'll try add to this periodically to keep in relevant and reliable. Part I: Record Stores Independent record stores - that is, locally owned and operated stores which sell cds (and preferably but not necessarily vinyl) - used to play a vital role in sustaining a city's local music scene. A long, long time ago, music lovers hungry for the latest buzz band couldn't rely on reading daily music blogs or - gasp! - the internet to tell them who they should be listening to. Though magazines like NME were in circulation to do just that, it was often the exclusive role of the record store to find the best music and get it to the kids. The record store also acted as a kind of homebase for the scenesters. There were no "Top 8" lists or "Add To Friends" buttons - meeting other music-savvy pals meant, you know, walking up to them and saying hi. It's a scary thought, I know, but that's all that could be done. Local music scenes thrived because an equilibrium had been established: the indie kids needed music and the indie stores needed money. If you didn't buy an album, you didn't hear it (unless you practiced home taping, of course, but the extent to which that was damaging the industry was peanuts compared to what we're used to now), so the hipsters had no qualms about giving up their hard earned cash for music they loved. And then the internet came along. Don't give me that bullshit about indie artists wanting you to download their music for free - yes, I know how it works: you download the album, realize you like them, go to their shows, but their merch; but that's not the problem. A lot of people download and then buy the cd, but it's just not the same: in the days of old, a lot more kids were buying a lot more records, plain and simple. Worse is the lack of vinyl: a lot of record stores made most of their money selling 12" dance records to local DJs - people thought that the death of vinyl couldn't kill the format entirely because DJs would always spin records: but it wasn't the fall of the format that changed things, it was the proliferation of downloading. It makes sense, mind you: why would a struggling local DJ pay ten to twenty dollars for one song on vinyl when he could buy it online for less than a buck - or, hell, for free? So now we have a worldwide music community based almost entirely around the internet, making it nearly impossible for a local record store to sustain a local music scene or, in the worst cases, to stay in business at all. It's easy to see this taking effect in Ottawa: in the past year alone, two of the four major local record stores were forced to close (one went out of business, another was torn down to make way for expensive downtown condominiums). Another record store has opened in the wake of these closings, but the number of these stores in town is considerably less than only a few years ago and it seems to be rapidly declining still. Fortunately we're blessed in this city to have a number (albeit a small number) or excellent independent record stores (rated here on a four-star scale): ___________________________________________________________________ CD Exchange (142 Rideau St. - 613 241-9864) Though it lacks a number of important things - a vinyl section, most importantly - it does have an impressive collection of used cds. If you're looking for cheap indie albums and you don't mind buying second hand - I've never had a problem with one of their cds - this is probably your best bet. They also score points for having a solid selection of used DVDs: I always seem to across rare and exciting movies here, and the prices are fairly reasonable. I'd also recommend it if you're looking to trade CDs or DVDs for cash since they pay considerably more than most other trade-in places. Anyone still in mourning over the lose of Record Runner will appreciate their new "Record Runner Section", which is basically a cash-grab marketing scheme designed to take advantage of their biggest competition's demise - um, but I guess it might be worth checking out. ▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ CD Warehouse (locations in Kanata (499 Terry Fox), Nepean (1383 Clyde), and Ottawa Central (1717 St.Laurent) - 599-4700, 225-9027, 523-0110, respectively) I've only ever visited the Nepean location, but I was impressed. It is quite literally a CD Warehouse, which translates to a gigantic collection of cds and music-related merchandise and memorabilia. They're the only store in town I know of with such a huge classic section (comparable to, say, that of the Sam The Record Man on Younge St in Toronto), and if you can think of a cd, they've probably got it. The store's size kind of ruins the usual "indie store" ambiance, but the staff know what they're talking about (most of them, anyway...). No vinyl, but they've got so much of everything else you hardly even notice. ▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Compact Music (190 Bank St, 785 Bank St. - 233-7626, 233-8922) Easily the least "indie" of the indie records stores, Compact is a strange store to visit. My most memorable visit was hilarious, though: an old woman asked the clerk if they had a 'Keane' record, and, puzzled, he searched in his computer. "Nope", he said, "I've never heard of them...". "Try 'K-E-A-N-E'", I interjected from afar. He types it in, "Oh...I guess we do". Not that I think these guys should be into Keane or anything - in fact that would have shot their credibility too - but if you work at a record store you should probably know what the hell you're talking about. They recently got a vinyl section: it's comprised of three Tom Waits LPs (bonus points for that call) and about a million 'Dr.Hook' records or some such shit. There's really no reason why you should go out of your way to visit Compact, but I suppose if every other record store in town got destroyed by an earthquake Compact would be worth visiting - then again, you could always buy on Amazon... ▲ ___________________________________________________________________ End Hits (407 Dalhousie - 241-4487) Ottawa's newest record store is also its best. Though it may not ever live up the legendary status of now-defunct Record Runner or Organized Sound, End Hits has a hell of a lot going for it and is slowly turning into Ottawa's main source for indie music. Their vinyl section is still in its infancy, but the lack of selection is made up for by the strength of the records that are available: you don't get that classic "panning for gold" feeling sifting through dozens of worn out records with the hopes of finding something rare, but you'll almost certainly find something worth buying. I always have a hard time leaving that store without buying something, which is usually good sign. The CD collection is reasonable considering the store's size and age (it opened a few short months ago), and it's the best place to go if you're looking for local records. They do consignment deals with local bands, so if you're in a group and want your album sold in stores, this is the place to talk to. They've definitely got the widest selection of concert tickets in town - their ties with Punk Ottawa and RevRock guarantee that - so if you're looking to grab tickets to a particular show or just want to see who's coming to town in the near future, End Hits is your best bet. ▲▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Organized Sound (CLOSED) It was a sad day when I learned that Organized Sound was closing. It is - er, was - without a doubt the best record store I have ever stepped foot in. Their cd collection and ticket selection were top-notch, but it was Organized Sound's practically perfect vinyl section that made them the only record store in town that I ever wanted to visit. They specialized in electronica, dance, and experimental music - genres you can't find anywhere else in this city - but they had an equally impressive and extensive selection of indie rock LPs. Prices were a bit high - not high enough to keep in business though, I guess - but I have no qualms about giving my money to such a terrific business. And here's an interesting idea: Organized Sound had "no-crap" policy - known as "Ottawa's discerning record store", their guarantee was that you would like absolutely every one of the records they carried. They encouraged customers to pick something they've never heard before, something totally random and adventurous, and just buy it without knowing what it will be like - you had their word that it was always be good, and you know what? It always was. It's a terrible shame that they had to close; where the hell am I supposed to buy DFA 12 inches now? ▲▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Record Runner (CLOSED) Sigh. Another legendary record store closed for financial reasons. Some stupid big business decides that they want to erect "luxury condominiums" and we have to pay for it. Possibly the most popular and revered record store in Ottawa's history, Record Runner had a kind of charm that made everyone love it: they may not have always had the cd you wanted and they staff could be a bunch of smarmy brats, but we always forgave them for their shortcomings; they were the record store, and it seemed like they would always be. Highlights unluckily their fantastic DVD collection (especially the foreign and cult sections), their extensive ticket selection, and their commitment to keeping stocking new indie albums on vinyl. ▲▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Turning Point (corner of Cooper and Bank) Turning Point succeeds for one reason and one reason only: it's the only vinyl-selling store in town that sticks exclusively to old, used records. I've written about why I love this store before: it seems that on any given day, something worth buying turns up. Where other record shops in town are run by and cater to the young, hip indie crowd, turning point is just the opposite: it's a bunch of old guys selling records to other old guys. Fair enough. ▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Vertigo Records (193 Rideau St. - 241-1011) I've always admired Vertigo for being the only record store in the city to strike a balance between the new and the old. Offering a wide array of brand-new indie rock favourites as well as commendable collection of used classics (a lot which are surprisingly rare, too), the folks at Vertigo definitely know how to satisfy the largest number of people. Though they don't exceed in any one area, they're pretty solid as a whole: they've got a healthy new and used cd collection, they've got vinyl, an area reserved for hip hop stuff, a decent ticket selection, t-shirts, box-sets, and, most surprisingly and impressively, a room reserved for turntables and stereo systems (all of which is painfully expensive). If you're not looking for anything specific, Vertigo might be the best place to go for a nice long browse - it doesn't hurt that it's close to the mall and to End Hits, making it easy to swing by when you've got some spare time. ▲▲▲ ___________________________________________________________________ Next: Clubs/Venues Download: The Acorn - Do You Not Yearn, At All? LCD Soundsystem - Yr City's A Sucker (Instrumental)