Northside Records call themselves "The soul of Melbourne" and they ain't wrong baby…read more Chris Gill owns and runs this joint; and if you don't know who this bloke is, you should definitely drop in and say hey. He's the enormous white dude (i.e. tall) with the blondish Afro who you see around town -- The Prince of Gertrude Street, some say. He hosts a soul and funk show on RRR 102.7FM on Thursday afternoons called 'Get Down' and the dude seriously knows his shit. He's got this manner about him that's all chill and hip (in a good way) and you hear him interviewin' and actually relatin' to some serious soul and funk heavy hitters on his show. The store specialises in soul and funk, but also spreads its wings into hip hop, indie releases and all kinds of sweet vinyl goodness. You gotta check this place out and meet the man/myth for yourself. For real.

Bless you, record stores of Melbourne, for keeping vinyl alive and reminding us all of what music…read moreis supposed to sound like. I know mp3s are cheap (sometimes free) and convenient, but they forsake quality of sound to a degree and that makes me sonically depressed. And so places like Northside cheer me up no end. Specialising in new and secondhand soul, funk, hip hop, afrobeat, reggae, dancehall, dubstep (and more) vinyl, from new releases to rare & collectibles. Spend a couple of hours in here flicking through the racks and stacks and you'll surely come away with something good. Check out Northside's excellent website for what's coming into store and the gig guide.

Great service and selection. And the owner Warren is so friendly and such a joy to talk to! Easily…read morethe best and my most favourite record store in Melbourne!

Fabulous record store, lovely staff. Take time to browse and chat to Woz and the gang.read more

Wonderful shop for vinyl record enthusiasts. Good range of new and used titles with a focus on the…read more70s to 90s. Definitely the record shop I visit more than any other. They do CDs as well.

From the owner: Remastered or "re-stored" sound, original master pressing or recordings. Prices comparible with OS.read more

I really enjoyed coming to this place. Right across the street of Flinders Station, Minotaur prides…read moreitself on being a go-to dealer for pop-culture products. A title well-earned! They have absolutely everything in this store. I'm a comic book enthusiast, so the comic book section excited me a bit. Unfortunately, the majority of their comics are wrapped in plastic so free loading in the store is out of the question (darn!). If you're into the more Asian side of comics, they have a pretty good manga section too with all the essentials (maybe missing a lot of the obscure mangas, but Minotaur is a good place to start if you're just getting into it). They also have a wide collection of films, posters, books, shirts, and even games and toys. There are random knick-knacks too so it is always fun to come in and just take a look around even if you aren't purchasing anything. Cute things I have found: a stuffed animal of the pig TonTon from Naruto, SuperMario Brothers Mushroom Backpack, Star Trek Bobbleheads, Hello Kitty Monopoly, and multi-coloured Domos! 2 stars off because the prices are pretty steep... but even if you aren't purchasing anything, I would recommend you stopping by just to take a look around.

If you love Pop Culture, this is a MUST visit place…read more We spent a few hours wandering around, and enjoying all merchandising available. Sadly we were not able to buy much as only had so much space in our suitcases. A real treat here, so much to see and put on your Wish List. #1 I wish they had a branch in Auckland !!!!

I have to admit, I'm one of those people that still frequents my local DVD store to rent TV series…read moreand movies for lazy stay-in weekends. Call me old fashioned but I just cannot succumb to the download everything mantra. Video Busters in Prahran is my all time favourite store mainly because it always has good deals throughout the week. In this day and age, $1 doesn't get you much. At Video Busters however, the $1 movie deal on tight-arse Tuesdays will get you any movie (including new releases) for just 1 buck! Other great deals include five 7-day DVDs (You can have a Gossip Girl extended marathon) for just $5. Besides that, I love that they sell their old DVDs off for a fraction of the cost compared to some other chain stores. My verdict is, rent it, love it, buy it. And Video Busters gives me that choice, all in one store.

I love this place. They are cheap like $1 rental cheap and their selections sh*t all over…read moreblockbusters. When you need a night in, or you've been talking about the latest TV series your dying to watch from start to finish or your Asian DVD man has returned to Thailand.. Video Busters is your one stop shop. The Prahran location always had deals going and they are always so convenient. The store is a decent size and is always fully stocked with a wide range to choose from. Be sure to avoid the giant family size block of Cadbury's chocolate strategically placed between the latest release DVD's, gets me every time. They also have a set of computers at the back of the store and for a small fee you can browse the web or use Wi-Fi.

I've bought many things here at Drummers Paradise over the past ten years since moving to…read moreMelbourne. There's always been a closer music store but always I've driven to come here. Great range of kits, sticks, cymbals and cases. Loads of accessories and hardware. All the big brands, good service and staff that know their products. I've no idea about the guitar side of the business but absolutely when it comes to drums (as the name implies) it's a drummers paradise.

If this big and obvious sign to the entrance has been here a long time,…read moreI haven't seen it. It took a few goes of the memory to get it at first, but then it's almost convenient to go to as you duck and escape the nearby tourist trap cafe area. Basement Discs is generally quite a good store for jazz records, and will have a selection of world, and indie music too. It's quality over Quantity, and quite often it won't be chocked with Super top ten commercial artists. Sure, some popular ones make the way onto the shelves, but it's more more about good music. They participate in World Record store day, and sell gig tickets, etc.

There was once a time when the coolest place to be spotted was flipping through cd's or records at…read morean independent music store, spending your day discovering new artists and falling in love with genres of older eras. Unfortunately for most, that time is in the past. Basement Discs is one of the few stores holding out against Itunes and JB Hi-Fi ( Who by the way, are still okay for some music, but too many of their shelves are filled with reality tv box sets to really feature all the artists they could. But I digress). They literally have all types of music here. The sales assistants are great,and can introduce you to some new things based off what your current likes are. They stock everything from Blues, to thrash metal, to country to 90's girl and boy pop bands (Oh how I miss the Spice Girls.Just saying..). Of course, the vinyl records attract the DJ's too, though I personally dont even know how to turn a record player on. Check it out if you are a real music lover, and still find joy in owning the hard cover of an album, with jacket covers and song lyrics to boot.

Grub Street BookShop is Quaint little bookshop with a wide spread range of books…read more Located on the bustling Brunswick Street, you'll stroll past Grub and find some books out the front in boxes (A tad trustworthy if you ask me!). When you enter the store, you'll encounter some awkward cosy isles packed choca-block with books. The thing that i love about Grub is that they stock random, quirky and interesting items. The books are so reasonably priced its ridiculous. The sections are divided by small plaque cards but if you cant find something, the staff are happy to help you out in finding something that meets your criteria.

Grub Street books is the kind of bookshop that inspires you to buy a million old books, most which…read moreyou've never heard of, and sit in a quiet room and read for hours. This quiet little store on Brunswick St, although curiously named Grub Street books, is chock-a-block full of old, secondhand books. Astrology to adventure, sexuality to semiotics - no matter what your interest Grub Street will have a book on it. You feel like you could lose yourself in the books there are so many, they tower above you and are piled below you - careful where you're standing, you might walk right in to a stack. The staff are friendly and helpful but do enjoy their peace and quiet, and the prices of the books are very reasonable. You could walk out with 10 books for $20. A great little bookshop for those that love that old book smell.