The most polarizing of John Lennon's post Beatles ouvre – the strident, Spector-produced, sprawling mess that is Some Time In New York City – a record that has too much of every idea John & Yoko had at the time, which makes it all the more fascinating after all these years! Angry, self-righteous and quite often brilliant – feminist anthems backed by Wall Of Sound pop, an ode to John Sinclair in the mold of a country rock tune – wild stuff from a superstar! Frank Zappa and the Mothers on side four! Include "Woman Is The Ni**** Of The World", "Sister, Oh Sister", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Attica State", "New York City" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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A stunning image of our legendary Chicago outpost – the three story building where Dusty Groove has resided since the start of the 21st Century, and a building that's chock full of music, every day of the week! The sleek images gets at the charms of our Wicker Park location, and our placement alongside other important Windy City landmarks – and as always, the inside contents can always be found, in an ever-changing array, at dustygroove.com! Print is on heavy paper, mounted flat inside a plastic sheath for easy handling. Photo

A stunning image of our legendary Chicago outpost – the three story building where Dusty Groove has resided since the start of the 21st Century, and a building that's chock full of music, every day of the week! The sleek images gets at the charms of our Wicker Park location, and our placement alongside other important Windy City landmarks – and as always, the inside contents can always be found, in an ever-changing array, at dustygroove.com! Print is on heavy paper, mounted flat inside a plastic sheath for easy handling. Photo

Loads of classics – "Terminal Preppie", "Trust Your Mechanic", "Winnebago Warrior", "Bleed For Me", "Moon Over Marin", and "Well Paid Scientist" – and a back cover with an image of Cal City, IL! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the west coast – and a motherlode of tracks that you've probably never heard! Inner City Records was a small time funk powerhouse – owned and run by organ player George Semper, who cut some mighty fine records on his own! The label's not to be confused with the New York-based jazz label Inner City – because this one was a much more down-n-dirty funky one – and cut some killer work in a deep deep mode, much of which was never issued before – and is making a long-overdue first appearance here! The tracks have some seriously fine jazzy work in them – snapping funk, with a hard and dirty edge, played by performers that include Charles Owens, Rodney Franklin, and James Gadson – all of whom would later go onto become superstars in their own right. A number of tracks have vocals, too – and titles include "Plastic Situation" by Ron & Candy, "In One Peace" by In One Peace, "Funkorgy" by Funkafreek, "Tenderness" by Funkhouse with Candy, "Thank U" by The R&B Classic Funk Band, "It's Insane" by In One Peace, "Spread The News" and "Hands Of Time" by Perfect Circle, "Sticky Boom Boom" by United Soul Association, and "Funktime" by Funkproof. CD

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". CD features 4 bonus tracks – including "Pressure", "Sorrow (inst)", "Seven More Days", and "Dynamite (single)". CD

2CDs – and a motherlode of classic work by The Temptations! The set focuses on the group's groundbreaking work with producer Norman Whitfield at Motown – sides from the late 60s and early 70s that were some of the most righteous to ever come out of the motor city! Whitfield had a really magical style that was perfect for the group – taking their older group style, and souping it up with heavy bass, rumbling drums, and lots of fuzzy guitar licks – all of which made for a sound that was instantly psychedelic, and massively righteous! The set includes 2 previously unreleased longer takes of "Psychedelic Shack" and "Ball Of Confusion" – plus 22 other classics that include "Slave", "Message From A Black Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down", "Cloud Nine", "Runaway Child", "Love Can Be Anything", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Ungena Za Ulimengu", "Masterpiece", "Ain't No Justice", "1990", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Plastic Man", and "War". CD

The great John Lennon album from 1973 – still in an exhilaratingly creative mode with strong Plastic Ono traces, even if the overall effect is more mainstream friendly – ultimately, an album that stands incredibly well on its own, even if its something of a bridge to John's rock and roll years to come! The songs aren't as overtly strident as the ones on Sometime In New York City, but there's plenty of passion bubbling under the surface – and the struggle to be as honest and passionate as he can be without bludgeoning us over the head with his feelings brings an underlying tension the work as whole that's pretty amazing to this day. Includes the great, always emotionally resonant title track plus "Bring On The Lucie", "Nutopian International Anthem", "Intuition", "You Are Here", "Meat City", and "I Know I Know". 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

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". LP, Vinyl record album

A dozen tracks from Kennedy, Free Drinks, The Anthorne Project, Xploding Plastic, Zka4t, Unforscene, City, Jeremy Beecher, and Banabila. CD

Shindig magazine usually looks at the past, but this time around the past is closer than usual – as they've got a special feature on the best releases of 2023 – although many of them also have to deal with older music! And in true Shindig fashion, Big Star is on the cover – with an exclusive interview that also discusses the tensions that were rising during the creation of their legendary album Radio City! The issue's also got other features – articles on Donovan, Paul Williams, PP Arnold, Plasticland, The Fairies, Chris Farlowe, and others – plus a look at the changing scenes during the 20 key musical years of 1964 to 1984. Magazine