Hear Music likes to think of itself as the friend that gives you a really good mix tape (or, for anybody who came of age in this century, a burned CD). In 1999, they partnered with Starbucks, so their compilations can now be sampled by lots and lots of potential friends: in addition to choosing what plays in all Starbucks, their highlighted selections are displayed somewhere near all those coffee beans.

But Hear Music also has five of its own retail outlets, one of which is located on the Third Street Promenade. Their music-master staff is more than willing to help you whittle down your purchases, all the better for impressing your own friends with a killer combination.—Lonny Pugh