Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: The limited edition double album Weird Scenes From The Hangout presents an exhilarating journey through psychedelic and freakbeat anthems that were the heartbeat of Liverpool's renowned mid-'80s club night, The Hangout. Released on striking Neon Pink and Transparent Curacao vinyl, this 2 x LP compilation curated by Richard Norris (The Grid, Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve) captures the vibrant essence of his club's eclectic soundscape. The album features a carefully selected roster of tracks from iconic acts like The Velvet Underground, Can, Captain Beefheart, The Seeds and The Left Banke, reflecting the diverse and energetic vibe that Norris fostered at The Hangout. This special compilation brings together floor fillers and dancefloor anthems that defined the psychedelic scene during the 1967-1982 period, meticulously licensed to recreate the magic of Norris's celebrated club nights. The Hangout, launched in autumn 1984 at Liverpool's Krackers club, was a haven for psychedelic enthusiasts and dance music aficionados alike. With its pulsating beats and psychedelic visuals, the club became a hub for revelry, featuring guest performances from bands such as Zodiac Mindwarp and The Cardiacs. Norris's vision was simple yet profound: to curate a dance experience that embraced both obscure and popular tracks, ensuring that every tune ignited the dancefloor. This reissue not only revives the spirit of The Hangout but also celebrates the enduring impact of its eclectic playlist. With remastered sound and original artwork, this compilation is a treasure trove for fans of psychedelic and freakbeat music, showcasing a pivotal era in Liverpool's vibrant club culture.

Review: The world of garage psychedelic rock is a mad one and this deep dive into it is a thrilling ride indeed. It takes a look right at the start of the genre from the moment it exploded on the underground scene in the US and UK in the mid-60s right up until 2019 in the midst of its revival. This is the second instalment in the series after the Two-Piers label kicked it off with Pop Psychedelique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019). All the key bands such as The Paragons, The Preachers, The Strangeloves, The Squires and The Monks are featured and make for a fine celebration of this unique genre.

Review: Two-Piers is one of those very special imprints that has tasked itself with unearthing the kind of gems people who compile movie soundtracks only ever seem to be able to find. In the past, the label's compilations have focused on essay-worthy things like the evolution of French pop (1964-2019, no less), and but in this case the team turns its attention to a bonafide zeitgeist.

Calling everything here 'rare' would be overstating it - we have legendary household names in the form of Nina Simone, Willie Nelson, and Tim Buckley, to name but a few. But nothing here is an obvious choice, calling to mind a bygone age when you could still find yourself discovering new material by chart-toppers years after falling in love with them because access to everything was limited. Aligned by a feeling - late nights spent stargazing with equally obsessed musos - what's here is marvelously timeless.

Review: Night Train: Transcontinental Landscapes 1968-2019 offers a lifetime of a music on this magical collection chosen from the familiar and surreal, guided by an eclectic selection of tracks curated by the compiler of Music For The Stars. From the laid-back grooves of JJ Cale's 'Cherry' to the haunting beauty of Linda Perhacs' 'Hey, Who Really Cares,' each song paints a vivid picture of the changing fields and coastline outside your window. This assortment showcases the power of compilations to expand one's musical taste, with artists like The B-52's, Chris & Cosey and Tangerine Dream offering their own unique contributions to the sonic tapestry. With tracks ranging from introspective to euphoric, The Night Train celebrates the beauty created by artists and musicians alike, inviting listeners on a transcendent journey through space, sound and emotion.

Review: Wig Out! Freak Out!, the latest compilation from Two-Piers, dives into the world of freakbeat, pysch and mod from 1964-1969. Pulling the cream of tracks from the UK and United States freakbeat and garage scenes of the time, this one is squarely aimed at the alternative 1960s and club dancefloors. Compiled by Mark McQuillan, and with tracks from The Sonics, The Kinks, The Action, Chocolate Watch Band, The Haunted, The Standells, Paul Revere and The Raiders, The Shadows of Knight, The Yardbirds, The Seeds and more - Wig Out! Freak Out! is packed full of freakbeat and mod classics.

Review: Night Train: Transcontinental Landscapes 1968-2019 offers a lifetime of a music on this magical collection chosen from the familiar and surreal, guided by an eclectic selection of tracks curated by the compiler of Music For The Stars. From the laid-back grooves of JJ Cale's 'Cherry' to the haunting beauty of Linda Perhacs' 'Hey, Who Really Cares,' each song paints a vivid picture of the changing fields and coastline outside your window. This assortment showcases the power of compilations to expand one's musical taste, with artists like The B-52's, Chris & Cosey and Tangerine Dream offering their own unique contributions to the sonic tapestry. With tracks ranging from introspective to euphoric, The Night Train celebrates the beauty created by artists and musicians alike, inviting listeners on a transcendent journey through space, sound and emotion.

Review: During the mid 1980s, years before he found fame with loved-up acid house/rave era outfit The Grid, Richard Norris ran a "psychedelic and freakbeat" club night in Liverpool called The Hangout. This fine compilation rounds up some of Norris's favourite 'floor fillers' from that night, joining the dots between the propulsive krautrock of Can, the NYC headiness of The Velvet Underground, the organ-rich Mod quirkiness of The Turtles, the high-octane psych-jangliness of The Seeds, the driving garage-rock of The Seeds, the gnarled psych-pop of Captain Beefheart, the flash-friend hedonism of Sharon Tandy's 'Hold On' and much more besides. An absolute masterclass from a man with an incredibly good record collection.