The Sound of Market Street 15 S. 11th St. Mon-Sat, 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. (215) 925-3150
The Sound of Market Street is a music lover's heaven, with loads of CDs and vinyl albums. As you browse the racks, you'll pass Ludacris and Bob Marley. Then, suddenly you'll hit the CDs of the could-have-beens -- artists who are talented but never quite mastered the pimp or slut vibe necessary for stardom.
If you wander around looking lost for long enough, the manager himself might come ask if you need help. He could rave about the 20-year old store forever, explaining, "Any music store is gonna carry your Nellys and your Madonnas, but our store, we've got a wider variety. We carry the music other stores have to special order."
When you're done with the hip-hop, rap and reggae floor, cruise over to the third floor. Here there's a very broad range, with everything from rock to country to folk to soul. Just when you're trying to take it all in, a worker may pop out from behind the counter. If this was the store in the movie Empire Records, he'd be Ethan Embry. You have just walked into his playground and he is eager to participate in the adult version of show and tell, especially if you're talking about jazz. Ask him for a recommendation and he'll scurry around, pulling out dozens of CDs and spouting off facts about each.
Whatever your music tastes, you're going to find something you like. Plus, if you go into that part of town, the streets are alive with the Sound of Market ... (Oh come on. You know you got that song stuck in your head when you read the first line of this article.)
