A really well-done document of a pretty amazing time in the Chicago music scene – a huge early 90s burst of creative activity – one that gave the world a handful of famous groups, and a much bigger number of even better acts who really made the city great! Writer Bruce Adams issued some of the music on his label Kranky – but the book here goes way past that imprint, and instead presents a really vivid portrait of the scene at large – clubs, labels, bands, writers, and all the other forces that helped really make Chicago great back then – a city that was bubbling over with new energy right at the same time we started Dusty Groove on the south side. Adams definitely has plenty of his own opinions throughout, but those are also balanced with his insider perspective – which comes forth with a well-balanced explanation of so many intricacies, at a level that's so different than the usual sort of book of this nature, especially from the coasts. And if you're worried that the book is too rock-heavy, don't – because players in the scene here also include Dusty Groove stalwarts like Ken Vandermark, Fred Anderson, and Joshua Abrams. Hardcover edition is 288 pages. Book

A book that's as lively as the image on the cover – one that traces the role of drums and percussion in the music of New Orleans – following a legacy that runs from the 19th century all the way up to contemporary sounds as well! If you know the sounds of Nola, you know that the drum is the key – and that because of the city's placement as a crossroads of culture, New Orleans helped create all sorts of new grooves, from the early years of jazz up through more contemporary soul and hip hop as well. The book is square, almost like a record cover – and is filled with images of both instruments and players – as it traces a long legacy that begins in Congo Square, then runs through improvised percussion experiments, early jazz, then blues, funk, soul, and later styles as well. Book is hardcover, 227 pages, with images throughout. Book

Writer John Corbett has given us words on a huge variety of musical styles over the years – a fair bit of them left field and avant – but this time around, he's tackling the full range of 70s rock, pop, and soul music – in a huge book that's unlike anything he's ever written before! First off, the large volume is very personal – part listening autobiography, part paean to the musical giants who shaped the decade, and part hindsight record review of all the amazing sounds that were created during the 70s! The book follows the decade with year-by-year chapters – yet it's hardly a history at all – as Corbett picks key songs and albums as touchstones for each year – partly because of their impact, but more because of the power they had for him as a listener. The albums run the gamut – from Nursery Cryme by Genesis, to Les Stances A Sophie by The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, to Pink Moon by Nick Drake – and songs include "Sex Machine" by James Brown, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper, and "Long Time" by Boston. 496 pages, hardcover. Book

Think you know hip hop records? Think again – because if you only know the commercially released and vocal versions of the material, then you only know half the story – because among true collectors, the instrumental wax can be even more in-demand! This book opens up that secret world of hip hop – by detailing rare instrumental versions of hip hop albums – some issued only as promotional items, some only as record club or online releases, and some as dodgy bootlegs from the underground! The book has page after page of these releases – with label scans of the original records, alongside other release information, and a very well-done review for each item – a brilliant book that will really open you up to a greater range of hip hop vinyl to collect. There's listings for about 200 different instrumental records, plus more images and other details in the book – and the whole thing even features a bonus CD of instrumental mixes! Book

An unusual little book – one that's partly an instruction guide, but also a great look at the power of posters in the 20th century – filled with historical examples that are used alongside the oversized pages on instruction! The text within is relatively loose and open – presented poster-style, really – but it does a good job of structuring the presentation of other materials, with is very vivid throughout – and pretty interesting, even if you never plan on making a poster yourself! But if you do, the book's also pretty handy too – because the pages are all nice and thick, and you could easily cut them out, pull them apart, and use them for letters, stencils, or whatever else you might need for a poster too. 119 pages, softcover, in color. Book

An overstuffed edition of the Goldmine Jazz Price Guide – filled with great information! First off – forget the prices in this one, because we hate price guides, and we don't suggest that they actually have any correspondence to the real world – because people buy records at all different prices, for different reasons. HOWEVER, this is a great little book filled with useful data on jazz releases – and we find it to be an excellent resource when we need to look up details of work by specific artists – maybe more like a discography than an actual guide to pricing records. The book does have some holes and mistakes – but there's a heck of a lot of useful information in here, especially if you have questions like "What year did that come out?", "What label was that on?", "Which record was first in his career?" We're surprised at how many listings we can find for key albums – and the book's especially helpful for figuring out releases that seem to have a sly history of reappearing on the market! There's also a helpful section on different jazz labels and pressings, and the book is 506 pages, softcover, with lots of black and white illustrations – and listings for over 40,000 titles! Book

Here's a book that will blow your mind – and your ears as well – a richly detailed look at the way that sound has been used as a weapon – both as a direct force of sonic power, and as a more subtle means of disturbing space and human activity! The writer is as direct as the title, which is great – because the book is a no-punches-pulled look at the way that sound can really be used to screw things up – with a look at certain frequencies, tones, and modes of employment – some done in secret, others more overt – by those who seek to turn one of our key senses against us. The book is a well-crafted blend of history, science, and theory – with notes on the contents – and this hardcover version is 197 pages in length. Book

One of the most essential discographies we've ever seen – mostly because we own almost none of the records in the book, which makes it an essential volume to use for digging in the crates! This time around, the folks at Rittor – who've given us other great record books over the years – turn their talents to the world of Japanese groove, particularly from the 70s and early 80s – a time when so many Japanese artists were picking up on the best styles in American soul, and using the music to come up with some great grooves of their own! The book is filled with hundreds of full color images of rare Japanese records by a variety of artists – soulful, funky, even a bit of fusion and AOR groove too – and each record is listed with a label and date of release, plus a lot more information in Japanese. Unlike other books of this nature, which focus on American or European artists, and feature information in alphabetic characters, this one has a lot more Japanese overall – but the covers and other English text are more than enough to point you in the right direction to dig – for hundreds of great records you never even knew existed! Book