Best Music Store

Cactus Music and VideoRegulars stop by Cactus to browse used vinyl and check out the magazines, clothing and rock-music action figurines. They also show up when local or touring musicians drop by to perform. Oh, yeah, and they go to Cactus to buy CDs. During the past 12 months, general manager Quinn Bishop has brought renewed focus to the CDs sold at the store, pursuing both independent artists and national acts whose CDs were previously for sale only on the artists' Web sites. Alejandro Escovedo's live Por Vida album and a live Marcia Ball CD recorded at Waterloo Records in Austin are just a couple of these new arrivals. Best of all, at Cactus you won't find snooty clerks like Jack Black's character in High Fidelity. But the staffers do know what's up -- five of them have more than ten years' experience at the store. "They just truly love music," says Bishop. Imagine that.