One of the best books we've ever read on any sort of creative scene and cultural moment – a superbly-penned account of the rise of underground comix in the 60s, and the growth and changes of the movement in the decades that followed! Author Brian Doherty makes the scene come alive in ways that are even more powerful than most music books that try to do the same – tracing the disparate roots of key figures like Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Trina Robbins, and others – as they end up converging in San Francisco in the late 60s, finding a way to express themselves through new styles and new means of production and distribution – then spread out as the 70s move in, and underground comix provide the building blocks for the graphic novel generation to come. The book is insanely well-researched, but also written with a lively style that really gets at both the creative talents and individual personalities of each of the folks involved – all at a level that makes for a hell of a read that goes way past the usual book on comics, music, or any other sort of cultural creative scene! Hardcover edition is 439 pages. Book

Discomix versions of stellar late 70s and early 80s selections from Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson– giving the extended mix treatment to some stellar singles by a number of great vocalists and augmented by the top notch players! The approach essentially pairs up jams for an extended mix – running 6 to 8 minutes each – and the musician ship is incredible! Players including Sly Dunbar, Lloyd Parks, Ossie Hibbert, Tommy McCook and others. Volume 2 includes "Tribal War/Jah Did It" by George Nooks & Prince Weedy, "Rope In/Love In A Jamdown" by Cornell Campbell & Lui Lepkie, "When I Think Of You" by Ruddy Thomas, "Naggo Morris" by Jah Guide, "Innocent Blood/Rock It Up" by Culture & U-Brown, "Good To Be There/Jah A The Magician" by Chalice & Puddy Roots and more. CD

Discomix versions of stellar late 70s and early 80s selections from Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson – giving the extended mix treatment to some stellar singles by a number of great vocalists and augmented by the top notch players! The approach essentially pairs up jams for an extended mix – running 6 to 8 minutes each – and the musician ship is incredible! Players including Sly Dunbar, Lloyd Parks, Ossie Hibbert, Tommy McCook and others. Volume 1 includes "Feeling Soul" from Ruddy Thomas & Trinity, "My Man/Blouse & Skirt" by Marcia Aitken & Trinity, "How Can I Leave You/Bubbling Love" by Dennis Brown & Prince Mohammed, "A Win Them/News Carrier" by Leo Graham & I Roy, "Natty Contractor/Drunken Master" by Michael Black & Ranking Joe and more. CD

A lengthy discussion with Chris James of the stellar seventies sweet soul act The Natural Four, Nardwuar vs Queens of the Stone Age, interviews with the last living brother of The Maddox Brothers and Rose, Mark Ridlen of 70s/80s Texas punk/psych band Lithium Xmas (also a member of Rapid Fire, the evil band from Ron Howard's "Cotton Candy"), New Orleans musical eccentric Quintron on his return to his ravaged city, Brazilian guitar legend Toquino, and Beach Boys' biographer Domenic Priore. Also, the scrapbook of Black punk legend Neon Leon, a Clancy Eccles tribute, hundreds of novelty celebrity records profiled, and a history of Diabolik. Plus, lots of great comix, including Freaky Bear by Plastic Crimewave, an incredible recreation of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" starring Batman by K. Thor Jensen, and lost comics and 70s rock writing by Funkadelic's Pedro Bell. Magazine

Really great vocal work from legendary underground figure Brion Gysin – best known as a poet, but also a key European connection for the American beats – and a frequent partner in the language experiments by William S Burroughs! Here, Gysin mixes his words in both singing and spoken styles – a bit more of the former than some of his recordings with avant jazz musicians – and hits a groove that bubbles over with all sorts of cool funky touches that often recall the vibe of the Ze Records material from the French scene of the early 80s. Ramuntcho Matta handles production and the main creative direction of the music – and opens the door to work from Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Caroline Loeb on vocals, and Yann Le Ker on bass and guitar,. Titles include "Sham Pain", "Junk", "Kick (discomix)", "Stop Smoking", and "Baboon". LP also features the unreleased tracks "Kick (alt 7" mix)" and "Kick (alt 7" inst)" – plus "All Those Years", "VVV", and "Stop Smoking (alt mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely global look at the history of comics over the past 50 years – one that assumes from the start that the graphic medium is a worldwide one, which allows the authors to quickly move past overdone coverage of American giants from the time! The book begins in 1968 – a time when underground comix were already on the rise, and bigger US publishers were shaking it up – and things quickly jump overseas – to look at the amazing explosion of talent on the French and Italian scenes at the end of the 60s, the huge wave of British creativity in the 70s, and the ongoing changes in manga that took place over many decades. The writing is great – and very thoughtful – and the book is illustrated with examples throughout, both in color and black and white – with a very good balance between word and image. 317 pages, softcover. Book

Two amazing works from Belgian electronic genius Alain Pierre – both appearing in this form for the first time ever! Side one features 11 minutes of continuous music that Pierre created for the short film O Sidarta – music that mixes a range of electronics, keyboards, and acoustic percussion with studio effects and voice – all with a result that almost feels like some of the longer-form prog creations of the German scene of the time – although with qualities that are much more varied, less rock-based, and with occasional nods to the earlier generation of musique concrete! The flipside features the 17 minute "Notions De Physique Intererieure" – a work that uses a wide array of electric sources in a very short space – theremin, Arp sequencer, Telefunken echomixer, and more Arp, Kort, and Oberheim keyboards – all in this slow-building, wonderfully spacey sort of mode – almost hinting at some of the straighter fantasy soundtracks that Pierre would create in the mainstream – as the piece has the feel of a story in sound! LP, Vinyl record album

Two classic Lloyd Charmers productions – back to back on CD, with lots of bonus tracks too! Delroy Wilson steps up strongly with Sarge – a set that's got an unassuming cover and a very deep vibe – this mellow groove that always seems to work great with Delroy's style – and lets him really push over the top with all sorts of warmly crackling energy, stretching things more than some of his contemporaries who were maybe just content to kick back in the rhythm. The set's definitely one to remind you that Wilson was one of the more soulful Jamaican singers of his time – and titles include "My Conversation", "I'm Still Waiting", "My Cecilia", "Ain't That Loving You", "Everybody Needs Love", "Got A Date", and "The Last Thing On My Mind". On Boothe Unlimited, the great Ken Boothe is featured strongly on vocals, but the set also features a fair bit of instrumentals too – that balance between soulful lyrics and dubby instrumentals that you'd usually find on a 7" single, carried out here as a showcase for some stunning production from the great Lloyd Charmers! Titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Look What You've Done For Me", "You've Broken The Guitar", "Out Of Love", "Missing You", "To Get Rhythm", and "Second Chance". CD features 13 tracks on CD for the first time ever – and also includes 12 bonus tracks, all discomixes of titles on the albums! CD

A fantastic entry in this really great series – a set that's not really disco or reggae, but which reimagines classic soul and funk tracks with a blend of laidback rhythms and contemporary instrumentation! True, you might play this stuff at a club – but the overall vibe here is a lot deeper, and the music is a great summation of the spirit that the Stix label has put into their singles over the years – usually very expensive on their own, which makes this full length set a really great introduction to their music! Titles include remakes of "We Love In Brooklyn" by Soul Sugar, "Take Me With You (unreleased discomix)" by Blundetto & Booker Gee, "Summertime" by Wolfgang, "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by Mato, "Risin To The Top" by Hawa, and the cuts "She Can't Love You", "Radiactivity", and "Forget Me Nots" by Taggy Matcher. LP, Vinyl record album

Rock and roll poster art from the late 50s onward – a lavish book that starts with early images of R&B revue posters, moves through the 60s underground through the big years of rock festivals and Fillmore shows – into the ever-evolving 70s landscape, right up through the revival of classic rock acts in the 80s! The author has a great eye for more stunning imagery that moves way past the obvious – the kind of special styles served up by key figures who helped shape visual representation of live music – presented here in a lineup that includes work from Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Hapshash, and others – figures who also helped move some of the aesthetics of the comix world into the service of music. There's lots more images along the way – plenty of surprises that go way past rock posters – and the softcover edition features over 700 images over the course of 224 oversized pages, most in full and striking color! Book

A beautiful collection of images by Ivan Brunetti – a cartoonist we've followed for decades here on the Chicago scene, and have watched with great appreciation as he's gotten worldwide attention for his work in the New Yorker and numerous other publications over the years! Brunetti's an amazing individual, with a character that goes even deeper than his artwork – and this book is something of a memoir, told by Ivan in words that go alongside the images – little stories about their creation, or his own place on the planet at the time – with some cartoons, some cover illustrations, and lots of obscure drawings, sculptures, and physical objects that are a real discovery, even if you've bought his comix and other books. The layout is great – as illuminating as the contents – and the hardcover book is color throughout. Book

Massive issue with a great interview (with amazing photos) with Chicago 60s and 70s behind-the-scenes soul music queen Helen Saffold, another ridiculous Nardwuar interview with Snoop Dogg, the story of British Invasion pin-up boy Ian Whitcomb, Metal graphic designer Dennis Dread's visit to Frank Frazetta's art collection, the tragic tale of underground comix rebel Jim Osborne, Cleveland 70s punk legends Easter Monkeys, Plastic Crimewave salutes the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, an in-the-booth interview with White Sox organist Nancy Faust on the eve of her retirement, an insiders look into the Ramones, and tons of comix, reviews, and obituaries. Magazine

Chicago Soul/New York Underground issue. Songwriter/manager Bernice Williams recalls the early days of Gene Chandler/The Du-Kays, and the true story of "Duke of Earl"; Northern Soul legends the Conquistadors tell tales of 1960s West Side Chicago teenage R&B (plus the first soul Jesus concept album); Do "The Chimp" with Chicago 60s garage rocker/R&B singer Jerry Mundo; H. Dwight Thompson tells tales of 70s NYC punk with the Heat and Klaus Nomi's first band! Relive the early Hip Hop parties of the Disco Fever nightclub; Nardwuar meets Jay-Z and N*E*R*D*; plus great interviews with Chris Montez and Doug Randle, and amazing tributes (by those who knew them) to Lux Interior, Michael Jackson, Billy Lee Riley, Sid Lavarents, Sky Saxon and (sadly) more. And amazing comix about Lennon, Danzig, Hagar, record store clerks, hot dogs, riots, and much more by the best underground cartoonists on earth! 120 pages. Magazine

The Chicago R&B coverage includes an in depth exploration of Chicago's local after school TV show Soul Train show – which ran from 1970-1979 – and a conversation with Chicago's radical Sounds of Black. Plus 30 pages exploring all aspects of truck driving music including lengthy interviews with Jerry Reed and Joe Stampley. Also features Dave Dudley, Red Sovine, Del Reeves, Red Simpson, Stompin' Tom Connors, CW McCall, Starday Records, Sweet Charles Sherrel and more. Plus Flavor Flav interviewed by Nardwuar, Incredible Stage Wrestling, Joe E., and tons of comix and countless reviews. Magazine

A great issue with Roctober's double-flip format – one side printed right side up for the music content, the other upside-down for the comics! The double-cover issue has features on PJ Proby, ONO, Skafish, Klaus Nomi, Lenny Bruce, The Mummies, Sly Stone, Sun Records saxophonist Martin Willis, and Pedro Funkadelic Bell – plus Heavy Metal cartoonist Serge Clerc, and comix by Plastic Crimewave, Archer Prewitt, Matt Madden, King Merinuk, Rob Syers and MORE! Magazine

This issue features a fantastic interview with the Dirty Wurds, one of Chicago's greatest blues-based 60s garage bands! Also featuring interviews with peter Bagge, Al Aronowitz, and Unknown Hinson, plus features on Andy Kaufman, Chicago Stoner rock, comic book history and much more. Plus numerous comix and detailed, insightful remembrances of Richard Tepp, Ray Charles, Arthur Kane, Richie Cordell, Johnny Ramone, Russ Meyer, Greg Shaw and more. Also includes bonus CD! Magazine

The great Joe Tex is celebrated with a career overview and an extremely extensive critical discography of his original LPs and reissues. The issue also features interviews with the Subsonics, the Registrators, and Alfonso Cafrey, the legendary Disco/Funk session bass player who was in the failed Village People-esque All Sports Band. Also featured: articles on Disco Demolition Day (an anti disco riot at a White Sox game), the Chipmunks, Simply Saucer, illustrated obituaries of Claude Trenier, Erik Braunn, Paul Burlison, Dewey Terry (Don & Dewey) and more. Plus over 20 pages of music comix by the best underground cartoonists in the world. Magazine

Features the absurd story of 1980s Chicago primitive hardcore legends Negative Element (includes full length CD of unreleased Shaggs-meet-Black Flag punk), the ultimate Solomon Burke interview, Trio Mocoto interview (70s Brazilian Samba Rock legends), Funkadelic's Pedro Bell, Nardwuar vs. Jimmie "JJ" Walker, Pop goddess Margio Guryan interview, Paul Burlison (Johhny Burnette Rock & Roll Trio) interview, The C*nts, Brazillian underground scene report, Southern comedian T. Bubba, Plus Handsome Dick, Ramones, Electric Prunes, Mark Lindsay, Creation, Downliners Sect and lotsa comix! Magazine

Epic DJ Fontana (elvis presley's 50s-70s drummer) interview. The (pre-industrial) Wax Trax Records story – including the saga of the Jonny iii (Wax Trax house band). Czech prog-gods Plastic People Of the Universe interviewed. Little Richard is Jewish! 1950s country star Marvin Rainwater interviewed. The return, and self-destruction, of the Misfits. Flaming Lips interview. Don "Sugarcane" Harris obituary. Screaming Jay Hawkins obituary. David Lee Roth comix. 1960s psychedelic comic books explored. Interview with Gregg Gellar, master compilation producer, focusing on his "Sammy Davis Jr.-Yes I Can" box set, as well as the ins and outs of comp production. Plus Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Chuck Berry, rock & wrestling, comix and Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr. as you've always imagined them! Magazine

An epic interview and reassessment of Vanilla Ice. R&b diva/legend Sugar Pie Desanto (the female James Brown) speaks. 10 second Patti Smith interview. Jersey garage-kings the Swingin' Neckbreakers interviewed. Albert Ayler murder conspiracy theories...in comix form! Strawberry Shortcake records...a lost cult. The Wix records story (a woman rockabilly fanatic puts out some messed up albums by Ray Smith, Wayne Worley and the Worleybirds and Wayne Keeling). Plus G.G. Allin, Ted Nugent, Sammy Davis Jr. Magazine