soundevaluations: MAKE SOME NOISE!

Written by Claude Lemaire

I don't usually talk about record stores, but here is one that I felt like sharing with you. Situated in the Montérégie region, a southern part of Québec not far from Montréal, Le Noise record store opened its doors to the public last summer officially on RSD June 2021.

Known by music connoisseurs, the boutique specializing in vinyl releases and accessories already had a strong presence online since a couple of years and still presently, before brick and mortar dreams became a thing of reality.

Spearheaded by Julien–encompassing over twenty years of experience in music retail, including General Manager of Montreal megastore HMV–the "grunge kid from the 1990s" turned mature entrepreuneur, finally put needle to vinyl.

The mid-sized store–roughly 10 by 35 feet deep– is mainly stacked with sealed vinyl releases but there is a portion of about a thousand or two reserved for second hand records with a "new arrivals" subdivision. The used section is not registered online.

With a name like 'Le Noise' one could be forgiven for thinking that they carry and cater to mostly metal, punk, hard core, and industrial genres. That would be a terrible mistake. The well-kept and lit store is mainly divided into "Pop Rock", "Metal", "Jazz", "Blues", "Electronica", "World", and a few other categories.

The artists/records are placed alphabetically in pale blond wooden bins at just the right height and depth for easy browsing–with the extra inventory situated at our feet for quick record bin replenishing–and big sellers decorating the walls at eye-level.

Pine hardwood flooring brightens the ambiance. The visual vibe is one of warmth, clutter-free, and eco-friendly–BYOB in this context stands for 'Bring Your Own Bags' or choose a reusable cloth-type record bag among some of your favorite bands.

I particularly appreciated the jazz section which featured a fine selection of classics from various audiophile labels at different price points, including several Acoustic Sounds 'Impulse 60!' titles, Tone Poets, and Blue Note '80' and 'Classic' series. I noted many Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Art Blakey LPs–even some mono versions.

They carry the popular Spin-Clean record machine as well as MoFi poly inner-sleeves.

The young staff and store manager were very curteous every time I visited the premises.

After all that vinyl hunting, if you're feeling a bit peckish, be sure to check out Pâtisserie Les Gourmands Disent situated right next door, comprising a varied menu of desserts, croissants, sandwiches, salads, and soups, served in a friendly and unpretentious setting.