Hope I'm not too late... all the spots on Argyle are good - Seahorse (your best bet), Foggy Goggle, Economy Shoe Shop, etc - music varies night-to-night. Coconut Grove is pretty good too, upstairs at Pizza Corner. As Jay said, any big shows are at the Paragon. Gus' Pub is a cool dive bar in the north end where all the local bands play. Check out The Coast http://www.thecoast.ca/ for music listing.