Best of Boston

2008 Best Music, Specialty

Twisted Village

Largely, and proudly, devoid of the latest by Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, and their mainstream compatriots, this Harvard Square basement shop is ideal for seekers of Japanese guitar noise, old Dick Dale surf tunes, and free-jazz and psychedelia. Most important, visitors get the experience of digging into the crates and taking a chance on an obscure gem (an increasingly rare thrill for music mavens and neophytes alike).

12B Eliot St., Cambridge, 617-354-6898,