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Go for a breeder if possible, but make sure everything's in order first (health certificates, make sure the bird is fine before you buy, etc etc). They're usually cheaper and in a lot better condition than pet store birds, plus you can find out what they've been weaned onto, if they've had any training and things like that. Most of the pet stores I've been to didn't know much, if anything, about the birds they were selling, and some of them were just so sick looking. If you can't find a breeder, avoid Pet Smart because their birds seem to consistently be in bad health.
As for species, I can't think of anything inbetween, just either or. Finches are great song birds, cheap and available in most pet stores, but they're usually not hand tamed. They don't seem to require much from you aside from feeding etc, but if you get one you should have at least two.
On the other hand, if you want a great bro, try a conure, however be warned that they're very social and intelligent birds and need a lot of attention. Depending on the type of conure, they can also be pretty loud and the noises they make aren't very pretty, either. Definitely get one from a breeder so you know it has a good nature and has been hand tamed.