Although the staff has a tendency to be smug, Laurie's is a great shop. It buys and sells CDs and boasts a small but unique collection of new music. Its shelves are a revolving door, as is natural with this type of place, but it always has albums you won't find in the superstores. It also sells miscellaneous pop culture-based junk and souvenirs.

Very small and located in multi-ethnic Lincoln Square, Laurie's is a good place to either browse or to seek out an elusive album. Prices are only relatively cheap, but the range of hard-to-finds makes Laurie's worth stopping into once in a while.

Otherwise impossible to find books and videos are abundant here. Laurie's seems to specialize in rare, oddball and one-of-a-kind merchandise and will buy just about any CD you bring in. Check it out, and help an independent businesses survive the Post-Sam-Coporate-Wal-Boom.

Centerstage Reviewer: Adam Payne