Books — Recently Added

A great contrast to some of the more straight-ahead James Brown biographies on the market – as writer James McBride takes a circuitous path to look at the genius of The Godfather – not the shining stars of the bigger highlights in his career, but the lost corners and more distant ... Book

A really lovely late-life portrait of Billie Holiday – an oversize book that's filled with black and white photographs taken during the month of April, 1957 – when Billie was headlining at the Sugar Hill club in Newark! Holiday's late troubles are well-known, and often etched upon her ... Book

That's Brazilian jive, instead of Brazilian music – as the author here shows just how much the larger Brazilian culture helps shape the sound of it's songs – a wonderful interplay between urban and rural, modern and ancient, popular and intellectual – forces that have come ... Book

A detailed look at one of the most famous rock and roll concerts of all time – the ill-fated Rolling Stones 1969 performance at Altamont race track, in which the group made the mistake of inviting Hells Angels to handle security! The Angels were bullies, and famously stabbed a concert-goer ... Book

A fascinating memoir from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Margo Jefferson – her story of growing up black on the Chicago south side of the 50s and 60s – a world that's far richer and more complicated than most stereotypes of the city usually represent! Jefferson's father was a doctor, ... Book

If you liked the first volume of this essential book, you'll love this revised edition – because it's almost 3 times bigger, and stuffed with great new features! The book's a lifetime labor of love for Freddy Fresh – an extensive discography that's got to be the most definitive book on ... Book

A hell of a great idea for a book – a collection of newspaper ads for horror films from the 90s and 00s – served up with page after page of striking images, as well as text from the author about each film, and snippets of press reviews from the time! The book is a beautiful tribute to ... Book

Dang right, it ain't retro – as Daptone Records helped ignite a huge funk and soul underground in the 21st Century – music that might have been inspired by the past, but which really helped point the way forward for a generation! Daptone didn't just spring onto the scene fully formed ... Book

Maybe the most amazing graffiti book you'll ever hope to own – an amazingly heavy, oversized volume that tells the tale of the birth of the format and its global spread – served up in dozens of articles brought together in the space of an imaginary newspaper! The pages are huge, and ... Book

A well-done monograph for a show that ran at the University Of Maryland – and one that stands well enough on its own, given the amount of history and information included with the images! The book follows the spirit of the exhibition – and not only includes a timeline of creative ... Book

Dark tales from the Midwest – mostly 18th and 19th stories from a variety of sources – including sailor shanties, slave spirituals, and the folklore of Native Americans – all presented here in a relatively easy to read format, with a few illustrations. Our favorite story, though, ... Book

An amazing collection of 40s and 50s jazz drawings by Gene Deitch – the complete anthology of his work for legendary jazz magazine Record Changer! Gene was an amazing artist and cartoonist, whose work helped solidify the legacies of some of the most famous cartoon characters in the American ... Book

A fantastic look at the use of images in political activity on the British scene – a great legacy that runs from the early 20th century to the present – presented here a book of stunning full color images! Most of the work here focuses on the strong role that posters, billboards, and ... Book

The sounds of Bollywood are nothing new to the racks at Dusty Groove – but this may be the first book we've ever seen that does a good job of opening up the actual films for the laymen like us! The book's a non-academic, visually-stunning look at the fantastic Indian film culture of the 70s ... Book

There have been a number of art books over the years about George Herriman – groundbreaking cartoonist and animator, and the creator of Krazy Kat – but this may be the first really well-done historical look at his live and creations – presented in a beautiful format that still ... Book

A really cool look at albums that never happened – planned projects that were almost produced, but which fell apart at some point in the creative process – leading to a surprisingly large legacy of lost albums by some of rock music's biggest stars! Sure, everyone knows a few of these ... Book

We're ultra-proud to be Chicagoans – and one of the many things that makes is proud is The Chicago Defender – our city's famous African-American newspaper, easily one of the best and most important in a long legacy of progressive 20th Century publications! This very hefty book tells ... Book

That's quite a cover photo on the book – and the interweaving of key talents in the image really gets at the style of the narrative within! Author Steven Blush delivers a decidedly one-sided document of the New York scene from the late 60s onward – a picture of countless creative ... Book

Italy was hit hard in the postwar years – as you've no doubt seen in the urban landscapes of neo-realist directors from the time – but the city of Rome was one of the first places to really bounce back, and was ablaze with new cultural activity during the 50s! The story of that scene ... Book

A personal look at the south side of our hometown of Chicago – one that traces historical patterns of growth and segregation, and looks at the area as both one of the city's dark secrets and its overlooked strengths! Author Natalie Y Moore grew up on the south side, and spent years reporting ... Book