V.A. - South Michigan Avenue

Though the ’60s garage band explosion was felt in every corner ofthe country, the local uprising of talent in Chicago thrived unlike anywhere else. The Windy City had the perfect infrastructure in place; from a booming population of teenagers, to hip music stores in every suburb, a proliferation of teen clubs willing to take their money, and a powerhouse radio station (WLS) equally up to promoting local bands. When it came to giving local groups a shot at 45 rpm fame, no Chicago label—not even the hallowed Dunwich Records—was more prolific than USA Records. USA’s Jim Golden was such a strong supporter of Midwest talent that he started up a second label focused solely in this area, Destination Records. A quarter century into the CD age, it’s hard to believe these pivotal labels have never been properly anthologized. Until now, that is! Sundazed once again arrives to the rescue with an exhaustive dive into the pure, undiluted garage side of USA and Destination Records; tapping into everything from priceless artifacts from the Lost Agency, the Foggy Notions, and Park Avenue Playground to label hitmakers the Buckinghams, the Cryan’ Shames, and the Flock at their most rockin’. There’s so much impossibly great music on these labels, we had to expand this collection to 40 tracks. The album artwork is stuffed with rare photos, band bios, and an interview with the legendary Jim Golden. For a full course of Chicago ’66 garage at its finest, look no further than 2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60’s Garage & Psychedelia from USA and Destination Records!

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