Soundscapes

Though this is one of the smaller sized record stores in the city, I’d have to say this might be my favourite one. Having lived so close to it for the past 7 years has made me a regular here. Especially for buying concert tickets. Just like Rotate This they sell tickets. Plus you’re only paying a 2 – 3 $ service charge which is something I can totally get behind.
I’ve also been to some great intimate in-​store performances here. I’m not too sure if they still do these but I hope they continue to.
Also their window displays are always so creative!

Thurs. Sept. 11, ~8:45pm.
This review may seem harsh, but it’s no more unpleasant than my experience with this store.
I had intended on buying a substantial amount of concert tickets for upcoming events but when I attempted to lock my bike up on a bracket at the front of the store, the clerk came out and very sternly, in a miserable condescending tone, said «Uh buddy, you can’t lock your bike there.» No questions, no suggestions of other places to lock it (every bike rack was full for as far as I could see either way), just poor attitude. I asked him why I couldn’t lock it there and he struggled for a valid reason. Once I told him that I was there to give them a substantial amount of business, his attitude changed to «oh, well you can totally lock it up there if you’re just here to buy something.» This is what did it for me, this «okay, as long as it benefits us» attitude. I explained that I didn’t appreciate his attitude, walked away and took my business elsewhere, which was followed up with more unapologetic crap attitude that I would actually walk away.
For a place that has a motto of «We pride ourselves on a relationship with our clientele that is based on respect and a mutual love of music.» I certainly didn’t feel respected in any way.
I have no desire to every be back to your store and support the livelihood of people with that kind of attitude.

When it comes to CD shops, I put them into one of three camps: used only, new only or used/​new. Soundscapes is in the new only camp.
That means really fantastic deals aren’t common. But whether I’ve been looking for electronic, jazz, indie or kraut rock*, they have generally had it. Often you’ll find some crazy rare import or other goodie but at an appropriate price. I have had to put down so many titles that were $ 20+ each. In general, selection is great. In fact, I think this might have been the only store in all of Canada to have had one of those super rare Smiths box sets that came out at this time last year.
Of course the main reason to come here is for tickets. They usually have them and for a very modest service charge. The fact that they keep the online listing updated is super helpful.
The other reason I have always liked this is store is attitude. That is, the LACK of attitude here. The guys and gals at the cash are just fellow music geeks – helpful and not up for snobbery, no matter who comes in looking for what.
Recommended!
*Probably the best kraut selection in the city. Only Sonic competes.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone in there without finding something I want and buying it/​them. Sometimes, it’s something I didn’t even know I wanted it, til I sampled it there,

This is a great music store and we hope it stays around forever. Great prices, great helpful and friendly staff and an awesome up to date collection of music. Not to mention, books, films and CONCERT TICKETS!
This is the place to get them, we love you Soundscapes!

Best record store in Toronto. Love it! Awesome staff, I basically just buy anything they tell me to, and it’s always extraordinary. Amazing local and Canadian bands too, stuff you can’t find elsewhere. Just be advised, it’s really easy to drop a load of cash here, with so much good music to buy!

Great store. I’ve wasted many an hour at soundscapes. The staff let you alone to wander, or check out the listings of upcoming shows, but are usually helpful if you have any questions. It’s even worth it just to pop in and check their concert listing on the bulletin board by the front door. Also a good place to stop by if you have a music lover in your family. Great gift options! (Yes, it’s that time of the year.)

Great simple store with a friendly knowledgable staff. Mostly CD’s here, with some records. I go here for tickets since it’s a lot closer to me than rotate and they keep late hours, which is a serious plus for me.

Soundscapes is the best music store in Toronto to purchase concert tickets at! They have a minimal surcharge for tickets, which is insignificant compared to Ticketmaster (cash only for tickets). Soundscapes has an excellent website with a very current inventory of tickets online, excellent staff picks, contests, and new releases of music. They are open to 11pm daily. I love that they are an independent music store and I love the location in little Italy. They often have in store live music performances. They carry a wide range of music genres and a large selection of local indie artists. I find vinyl prices to be a little pricey. I am a frugal when it comes to vinyl and I will always seek out the best prices. They also carry a great selection of music books. I wish that Soundscapes, Rotate and She said boom could conglomerate and take the best aspects out of each other to strengthen these already excellent music stores=)
I highly recommend Soundscapes!
But make um understand its Westside foe life!

I am guilty of it… I haven’t purchased a physical album for myself in God knows how long. When your parents are still holding on to their 8-​track player you know that a good old CD is about as technologically advance you can get without loosing them completely.
They have a great selection of hard to find box sets and an impressive selection of music related books.
Soundscape is also my go to place for concert tickets. They spare you the regular Ticketmaster Rape and Pillage fee, just make sure you have cash as they don’t take any other form of payment for tickets.
I wish they had more vinyl. As I recall they don’t have much (if any).

I don’t usually go into music stores, but I’m so glad that I walked into this one.
Soundscapes packs a big punch in a small space. Actually, a very very small space. Walls full of CDs, DVDs, magazines, books, etc etc etc could seem overwhelming, but it’s all very organized.
I’d never heard of about 99% of the artists here, but there’s something very grass-​roots/​indie/​progressive about this place. I really like their website, too. Very comprehensive. Cool reviews.
I walked out with an instrumental CD, «This Is It», and KRS One’s «The Gospel of Hip Hop». Good read.

I have found CDs here that are not really that easy to track down in the city. Some have been overpriced but some have been relatively cheap ($ 9.99 for MC Lyte). I have also bought magazines and the odd DVD there so they have a little more to offer than just music. A great place to buy concert tickets as well.
The place is super small though so it’s not really the kind of spot you can get lost in. No records to dig. I think I had time to kill once and only lasted maybe three minutes in there. I am pretty impressed with their selection though. If you are into CDs and are trying to find a rarity this might be the spot for you. They also seem very accommodating when it comes to putting a poster in the window to promote your event, though the staff niceness-​versus-​snobbery can vary pending on who’s working.

Three MORE things to love about Soundscapes, beginning where Melissa J left off…
1. A lot of their CDs are sorted by record label grouping — so for the smaller labels that have a really particular audience you can browse by genre. Arts & Crafts, Domino, Fat Cat, Merge, Warp Records, etc. It’s a fun way to shop for new music if you want to hear more from a label family.
2. Biographies. Soundscapes has a ridiculously large selection of music biographies and music history books. You can find so many cool bios here beyond the usual Bob Dylan or R.E.M. book (why ARE there so many bios about these two bands, by the way?). There are books about every genre and era in music history.
3. DVDs. There isn’t a music-​related DVD that you won’t be able to find (or at the very least, order) at Soundscapes. They have music video DVDs, biopics and live concert footage DVDs. I bought a really good Glastonbury DVD here that I had been digging around for for a long tome and I found it here.
The staff isn’t over friendly or helpful but they’re not dicks either, and when I’m shopping for music that’s all I really care about — that I’m left alone and not judged silently (or openly for that matter!) about what I’m looking at.

Excellent music store in Toronto. Great selection of new CDs from a wide range of genres. Mostly focused on smaller ‘indie’ artists (vs. major label output), the store is really well organized for discovering new music.
They clearly display what they feel is the latest and greatest music out there, often in listening stations so you can hear before you buy.
They also sell tickets to most concerts in the city, which helps if you want to avoid ticketmaster hassle + service charges (Soundscapes does charge their own percentage fee on top of the tickets, but its usually reasonable).
Staff can be a bit aloof, as expected in a record store, but they are generally friendlier and more approachable than Rotate This.
A great place to get your hands and ears on new music, DVDs, books and magazines. One of the few places in the city that I seek out to discover new music, books or DVDs (rather than just discovering it online). They also have a section dedicated to local independent artists without labels or distribution. Often you can find beautifully hand crafted packaging or limited edition EPs that wouldn’t easily be available elsewhere.

Three reasons to love Soundscapes:
1) They sell concert tickets! You don’t have to make a deal with the devil of Ticketmaster to go to concerts! There are other options.
2) Staff have always been nice to me. Generally I am a bit intimidated when going into record stores because I feel like they can smell the «I don’t read Pitchfork» on me, but I have never felt judged too harshly here.
3) They are open late! So if you’re at a bar across the street on a really bad date and you want to leave and go look at music for a bit, you can pretend to go to the washroom and run out the door for a couple minutes! Or never go back. That would be even better.

Soundscapes is one of the few stores in Toronto where you can actually buy music that you’d normally only find on the internet. They have an excellent selection of music you’d find on Pitchfork or from various music blogs, and for people who aren’t comfortable with downloading music, this is a great place to appease your guilt.
As far as record stores go, I find that it’s not a very good store if you’re just browsing. There’s so many artists that you’ve probably never heard of that it’s overwhelming to try and investigate them all. It’s really the type of store you go into when you know you’re looking for something specific.
Soundscapes is also a concert ticket retailer. They have an easy to read list posted right by the door of all the upcoming concerts they have tickets for, including prices and whether it’s sold out or not. You can find the same list on their website. Best of all, they only charge $ 1 for their service fee, unlike Ticketmaster who tries to rob you blind.

When I walk into Soundscapes, I feel fresh. You know, kind of like that feeling when you pick up a new issue of Print or Wallpaper magazine: it’s clean, designed well, and forces you to smother your face in it and pack it all in.
Though it doesn’t rival the size or offerings of stores like Reckless in Chicago or even Zulu in Vancouver, it has the spirit and offers a solid selection of good new music and all the concert tickets you need. The in-​stores, attracting talent ranging from Badly Drawn Boy and Kid Koala, to my personal favourites Born Ruffians and Royal City, are great, although the sound sometimes needs a lil’ work.
Also: the staff has never been condescending to me, which is good for my fragile indie heart. Love this place.

This is one of the best indie music stores in Toronto. Generally when live shows listed in the weeklies say they have tickets for sale, Soundscapes is listed as one of a handful of stores where you can buy them. They carry a lot of CDs that the big chain stores won’t, but the staff can be a bit snobby, so definitely watch out for that.

This is the best place to shop for CD’s in Toronto, bar none. They have the best selection of indie music in the city. The staff are super friendly. You can listen to the CD’s before you buy them. They also have cool magazine and DVDs, they sell concert tickets, and they have in-​store live performances. Most important, their prices are very fair. Plus, it’s in the heart of the college street area with all the bars and restaurants. Outstanding!