Two-Piers brings you their latest killer compilation in the shape of Richard Norris Presents ‘Weird Scenes from the Hangout (Psychedelic & Freakbeat Dancefloor Anthems 1967-1982). An album curated by Richard Norris (The Grid, Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve, The Time and Space Machine, and more) and centred around Richard’s Liverpool Club Night ’The Hangout’ in the 1980’s.

Richard Norris on how The Hangout came about after being inspired to go to University in Liverpool…..
For a place with a distinctly psychedelic tinge, Liverpool was missing one thing in the mid-eighties. A full-on psychedelic club night. I’d been schooled in all things psychedelic, a result of working at Bam Caruso, a label steeped in psych who lovingly reissued many lysergic greats. It was a fantastic education. I was determined to bring some technicolour sonics to Liverpool.
I found a suitable venue, called Krackers, at the bottom of Mount Pleasant. It was a big basement club, with a stage, video projector, lights, bar, and long tables. In front of the stage, there was ample space for a dance floor. There’s something about clubs in basements. They just work. I chatted to the owner, Bill, who suggested trying out Thursdays for the new night. Inspired by Bam Caruso, and the Soho club Alice in Wonderland, I agreed to take Thursdays on. 50p to get in. The night was named The Hangout.

The Hangout was born in autumn 1984. The place was perfect. Clips of op art psychedelic films copied to VHS tape were projected on to the large screen that covered the stage. There was a smoke machine, a bubble machine, many moving lights. The place opened to a packed dancefloor and stayed that way into 1985 and beyond. There were guest bands, including Zodiac Mindwarp, Mr.Suit featuring Larry from Wimple Winch, Freight Train and the Cardiacs, among others. There were giveaways of sweets, flowers, balloons, and jelly. Tons of jelly.

Musically, the Hangout’s take on psychedelia and freakbeat had one aim - to make you dance. We weren’t trainspotters – it didn’t matter if a record was rare, so long as it grooved and worked on the dancefloor. We’d give equal time to the more bandwagon end of sixties exploitation as to hipper acts. I’d pick up tracks on shopping trips in London with Phil Smee from Bam Caruso, or at Probe in Liverpool, where there was a class selection of psychedelia. Bob and Mick from Probe, and their mate Bernie Connor, became Hangout DJ’s, and brought even further mind-bending madness to the Hangout dancefloor. Standout tunes got played again and again, every week, until tracks like The Left Banke’s ‘I’ve Got Something on My Mind’, the Turtles ‘Buzzsaw’, Can’s ‘Outside Your Door’ and all the other tunes you now hold in your hands, became bona fide Hangout club anthems. The Hangout came and went in a flash, but its legacy of bringing psychedelic foot stompers to the dancefloor carries on. The Hangout left me with a personal love of all things beat and freak. I’ve been pursuing various musical shapes that all have their roots on the Hangout’s psychedelic dancefloor ever since.
I hope you enjoy this compilation. Every track is a tried and tested Hangout anthem. - Richard Norris, Lewes, August 2024.

TRACK LISTING

VINYL TRACKLIST:
A1) The Nazz - Open My Eyes
A2) The Easybeats - Good Times
A3) Sir Douglas Quintet - She’s About A Mover
A4) Can - Outside Your Door
A5) The Music Machine - People In Me
A6) Wynder K.Frog - I’m A Man
A7) Sharon Tandy - Hold On

B1) The Hombres - Let It All Hang Out
B2) The Left Banke - I’ve Got Something On My Mind
B3) The Seeds - The Wind Blows Your Hair
B4) The Apple - Buffalo Billycan
B5) Dantalion’s Chariot - ‘Madman Rising Through The Fields’
B6) The End - Shades Of Orange
B7) Warm Sounds - Night Is A Comin’

C1) The Velvet Underground - Foggy Notion
C2) The Modern Lovers - She Cracked
C3) Kim Fowley - Bubblegum
C4) The Balloon Farm - A Question Of Temperature
C5) Fleur De Lys - Circles **
C6) The Starlets - You Don’t Love Me

D1) The Turtles - Buzz Saw
D2) Lothar And The Hand - People Machines
D3) The Open Mind - Magic Potion
D4) The Swinging Medallions - Double Shot Of My Baby’s Love
D5) Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - I See The Light
D6) The Action - I’ll Keep On Holding On **
D7) The Creation - How Does It Feel To Feel
D8) The Third Eye - Pass Myself
** Exclusive Tracks To Vinyl Format

CD TRACKLIST:
1) The Nazz - Open My Eyes
2) The Easybeats - Good Times
3) Sir Douglas Quintet - She’s About A Mover
4) Can - Outside Your Door
5) The Music Machine - People In Me
6) Wynder K.Frog - I’m A Man
7) Sharon Tandy - Hold On
8) The Hombres - Let It All Hang Out
9) The Left Banke - I’ve Got Something On My Mind
10) The Seeds - The Wind Blows Your Hair
11) The Apple - Buffalo Billycan
12) Dantalion’s Chariot - ‘Madman Rising Through The Fields’
13) The End - Shades Of Orange
14) Warm Sounds - Night Is A Comin’
15) The Velvet Underground - Foggy Notion
16) The Modern Lovers - She Cracked
17) Kim Fowley - Bubblegum
18) The Balloon Farm - A Question Of Temperature
19) The Starlets - You Don’t Love Me
20) The Turtles - Buzz Saw
21) Lothar And The Hand - People Machines
22) The Open Mind - Magic Potion
23) The Swinging Medallions - Double Shot Of My Baby’s Love
24) Simon Dupree And The Big Sound - I See The Light
25) The Creation - How Does It Feel To Feel
26) The Third Eye - Pass Myself

Two-Piers brings you ‘Come to My World’, a brief History and dive into the world of Indie Pop from its humble beginnings in the 1980s right up to the many amazing bands flying the flag today. For those that truly love Indie Pop, this underground music has been a constant source of joy for almost 40 years

Indie Pop – how best to describe it? A kind of Anti-Club, an underground scene where people discuss 7” B-sides and handmade record sleeves, swap fanzines, share hand-written gig flyers and collect button badges of their favourite bands. Ridiculed at times by the music press in the early years and the uninformed calling it ‘cardigan wearing’, ‘twee’ or ‘bed wetting’ music, but to its fans it has almost cult-like status and its DIY attitude continues to shine. Go back to beginnings in the mid 1980s seeking out cool 7” singles in hand made sleeves, by bands with unusual names, taking them home and falling in love with this music and all these exciting new bands. Hanging out in tiny basement clubs like The Sunshine Playroom and The Apple Orchard in Brighton, and many other similar club nights around the country, with like-minded souls, watching these DIY bands just pick up some instruments and get out there playing live. Who needed the Music Press anyway?

Fast forward to 2024 and there are still so many great bands coming through in the scene, such has indie Pop’s legacy stood the test of time, and when so many other press-driven ‘scenes’ have come and gone. This compilation just scratches at the surface, there is simply so much incredible music. From the 138-track starting point we couldn’t clear everything we wanted of course, but the final track listing we hope gives a beautiful glimpse into our world of Indie Pop. Is it perfect? Definitely not but what is perfection anyway? It’s a great starting point to go and discover this ever-evolving scene, so go digging and see what you can find but for now we invite you to Come to my World

‘Come to My World’ starts at the beginning with cool bands like Talulah Gosh, The Flatmates, Blueboy, Primal Scream, McCarthy, 14 Iced Bears and The Springfields, releasing on trailblazing DIY labels such as Sarah Records, The Subway Organization and Creation. We go through the influential C86 cassette years, to the more commercial late 1980’s sounds of The Primitives, The Soup Dragons and The Darling Buds. Navigating through the 1990’s with the underrated brilliance of Heavenly, the flourishing Scottish scene including amongst others BMX Bandits and The Vaselines, plus Stateside the Indie Pop sounds of Velocity Girl and Blake Babies breaking through. Into the 2000’s and the US scene was producing brilliant bands in the shape of Dum Dum Girls and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, alongside from the side of the pond Underground bands like Joanna Gruesome, The Spook School and Veronica Falls. The compilation ends with a glimpse into the bright future of Indie Pop with the likes of The Goon Sax, The Lost Days and Ribbon Stage – Indie Pop Ain’t Noise Pollution! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Laura says: From its UK bedroom beginnings in the mid 80s, with guitar jangles and swoonsome melodies wrapped in hand-made 7” sleeves, indie pop’s sensitive, (occasionally) shambling, heartfelt sound has continued to endure through the decades. This double album from Two-Piers collects together some of the finest exponents of indie pop from early pioneers like The Flatmates, Talulah Gosh, Blueboy and The Wake to more recent janglers from the UK, US and beyond. So don your duffle coat, grab your satchel and shuffle along to these alternative pop classics.

TRACK LISTING

A1) The Springfields - Are We Gonna Be Alright
A2) Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh
A3) Blueboy - Meet Johnny Rave
A4) The Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven
A5) Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
A6) The Primitives - Way Behind Me
A7) The Orchids – I’ve Got A Habit
A8) Popguns - Waiting For The Winter
A9) McCarthy - Should The Bible Be Banned
B1) The Soup Dragons - Soft As Your Face
B2) The Darling Buds – Burst
B3) The Wedding Present – A Million Miles
B4) 14 Iced Bears – Sure To See
B5) The Wake - Crush The Flowers
B6) Even As We Speak - Falling Down The Stairs
B7) The Pooh Sticks - Indie Pop Ain't Noise Pollution
B8) Brighter - Does Love Last Forever?
C1) Heavenly - Over And Over
C2) BMX Bandits - I Wanna Fall In Love
C3) Blake Babies – Look Away
C4) The Vaselines - Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
C5) Velocity Girl – Sorry Again
C6) Milky Wimpshake – Scrabble
C7) Helen Love - We Love You
C8) The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
D1) Dum Dum Girls - Blank Girl
D2) Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
D3) Joanna Gruesome - Do You Really Wanna Know Why Yr Still In Love With Me?
D4) The Hit Parade - You Didn't Love Me Then
D5) Allo Darlin' - My Heart Is A Drummer
D6) The Spook School - Speak When You're Spoken To
D7) RIBBON STAGE – Playing Possum
D8) The Lost Days - Mess You Made
D9) The Goon Sax - Boyfriend

2CD
CD1
1) The Springfields - Are We Gonna Be Alright
2) Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh
3) Blueboy - Meet Johnny Rave
4) The Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven
5) The Brilliant Corners - Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me? **
6) Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
7) The Loft - Up The Hill And Down The Slope **
8) The Primitives - Way Behind Me
9) The Orchids – I’ve Got A Habit
10) Razorcuts - Brighter Now **
11) Biff Bang Pow! - The Chocolate Elephant Man **
12) Popguns - Waiting For The Winter
13) McCarthy - Should The Bible Be Banned
14) The Soup Dragons - Soft As Your Face
15) The Darling Buds – Burst
16) The Wedding Present – A Million Miles
17) 14 Iced Bears – Sure To See
18) The Wake - Crush The Flowers
19) Even As We Speak - Falling Down The Stairs
20) The Pooh Sticks - Indie Pop Ain't Noise Pollution
CD2
1) Brighter - Does Love Last Forever?
2) Heavenly - Over And Over
3) BMX Bandits - I Wanna Fall In Love
4) Blake Babies – Look Away
5) The Vaselines - Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
6) Velocity Girl – Sorry Again
7) Milky Wimpshake – Scrabble
8) Helen Love - We Love You
9) The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
10) Dum Dum Girls - Blank Girl
11) Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
12) Joanna Gruesome - Do You Really Wanna Know Why Yr Still In Love With Me?
13) Bearsuit - Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck **
14) The Hit Parade - You Didn't Love Me Then
15) Allo Darlin' - My Heart Is A Drummer
16) Flowers - All Over Again **
17) The Spook School - Speak When You're Spoken To
18) RIBBON STAGE – Playing Possum
19) The Lost Days - Mess You Made
20) The Goon Sax - Boyfriend

** Exclusive Track On CD Format

THE PICCADILLY RECORDS COLLECTION OF THE YEAR 2024

From Dusk, through to Dawn. A collection to accompany the change of the fields, the coastline the colour of the sky outside your window as you take your journey. From the compiler of Music For The Stars comes the next collection for Brighton label Two-Piers. Featuring artists such as J.J Cale, Chris & Cosey, The B-52s, The Asphodells, Bob Lind, Linda Perhacs and The Menahan Steet Band.

…This choice of tracks is just one journey, a celebration of the the beauty created by musicians, the space & sound, the dark & light.

All aboard….The Night Train.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Some purists get a bit sniffy about compilation albums; how dare someone claim to know more exotic, rare tracks than me, I’ll do my own crate digging thank you very much! Safe to say I am not one of these folk! A lot of time and a lot of genuine love has gone into collecting then sequencing these musical journeys, themed collections that whisk you away to somewhere fantastical, somewhere other…..

Well, Brighton’s Two-Piers Records are just such folk. Not content with curating my favourite compilation of last year (‘Music For The Stars’) they’ve only gone and topped it with this beautiful double album which collects all sorts of music spanning from 1968 to 2019 and presents it as an enchanted trip through the cosmos as we travel space and time aboard the Night Train. As Bob Lind so poetically croons, in “City Scenes”, this trip will take us…
“Through the tangled wispy worries of another night / In my freely fashioned destiny I search the night / For seas of light / To sail my lovely dreams…”

The record begins with heaving sleepers and a frantic bell (some lonely midwest railroad immediately springs to mind) clanging as the Night Train rattles into the station. We’re off into 1970 with a deep, groovy version of Jackson C Frank’s “Milk And Honey”, some heady HP Lovecraft and then my own personal gem The Rationals’ “Glowin’” (1969) which is just majestic. What’s immediately apparent is that although most of this music is moody and introspective, it also grooves. Everything is gently funky on the (er) undercarriage whether that’s late 60s / early 70s hippy music or the glacial splendour of the middle of the compilation’s electronic dance’n’sparkle. In this part you have Andrew Weatherall, Chris & Cosey, and a little known beautiful cosmic electro track by an act called Nine Circles along with the shimmering glory of Tangerine Dream’s “Love On A Real Train”. As we move towards the end a song which sounds like a lost soul classic but is actually by a modern collective called Menahan Street Band just astonishes.

This compilation will not be found on streaming platforms; you have to own a physical copy if you like the sound of this record. Again, something which increases my love for these things. It’s unique.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Edward Hollcraft – South Bound Amtrak 716
A2. J.J. Cale – Cherry
A3. Bonnie Dobson – Milk & Honey
A4. H.P. Lovecraft – Spin Spin Spin
A5. The Rationals – Glowin’
A6. Linda Perhacs – Hey, Who Really Cares

B1. B-52’s – Deep Sleep
B2. Nine Circles – Twinkling Stars
B3. The Asphodells – Another Lonely City
B4. Tangerine Dream – Love On A Real Train

C1. Chris & Cosey – Dancing Ghosts
C2. Johnny Harris – Fragments Of Fear
C3. Bill Frisell – 1968
C4. Bob Lind – City Scenes

D1. Tony Joe White – Rainy Night In Georgia
D2. Menahan Street Band – There’s A New Day Coming
D4. The Byrds – Goin’ Back
D5. Earth, Wind & Fire – Drum Song
D6. Leon Russell – Out In The Woods 

Label Two-Piers announce new compilation Music Against Misogyny, released for International Women’s Day 2023 (Wednesday 8th March). This ‘Charity’ Compilation features artists such as Brix Smith, Panic Shack, Sinead O’Brien, Los Bitchos, Girl Ray, Peaness, Dream Wife, Nuha Ruby Ra, Lande Hekt, Dana Gavanski, CIEL, Momma, ARXX, and more. It has been created to raise awareness of the work and challenges women face daily as well as to celebrate women’s achievements. With this, they are working to challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination whilst fighting for inclusion and equality, not only in the music industry.

Two-Piers have teamed up with Music Distributor ‘Republic of Music’ and ALL profits from the sales of this album will go to two charities that we believe do their utmost to help women from all backgrounds from domestic abuse to bereavement and homelessness - Brighton Women's Centre & RISE.

RISE is an independent, Brighton-based registered charity that helps people affected by domestic abuse, who offer practical help ranging from direct advice to refuge accommodation for those whose lives are at risk.

Brighton Women’s Centre have been supporting self-identifying women in Sussex for over 45 years. We help women from all backgrounds, facing all kinds of issues, to live happier lives. Women dealing with bereavement or trauma, women who have been through homelessness or the criminal justice system, survivors of abuse or discrimination – we’ve welcomed them all

All the Artists and Bands on ‘Music Against Misogyny’ have given the use of their tracks for Free to help raise awareness and much needed funds for these two charities so support us by buying a copy!

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl:
SIDE 1
A1. Nuha Ruby Ra – My Voice
A2. Lande Hekt – Gay Space Cadets
A3. Panic Shack – The Ick
A4. Sinead O Brien – Like Culture
A5. CIEL – Baby Don’t You Know
A6. Brix Smith – Fast Net
A7. Momma – Motorbike
A8. Dream Wife - Leech
SIDE 2
B1. Los Bitchos – Las Panteras
B2. Peaness – How I’m Feeling
B3. Girl Ray – Everybody's Saying That?
B4. ARXX Ft. Pillow Queens – Call Me Crazy
B5. Roe – I Can Change
B6. Ailbhe Reddy – Walk Away
B7. Lexie Carroll – The Sky Looked Nice Today
B8. Dana Gavanski – I Kiss The Night

CD
1. Nuha Ruby Ra – My Voice
2. Lande Hekt – Gay Space Cadets
3. Panic Shack – The Ick
4. Sinead O Brien – Like Culture
5. CIEL – Baby Don’t You Know
6. Brix Smith – Fast Net
7. Queen Cult – Better Believe It*
8. Momma – Motorbike
9. Dream Wife – Leech
10. Los Bitchos – Las Panteras
11. Peaness – How I’m Feeling
12. Girl Ray – Everybody's Saying That?
13. ARXX Ft. Pillow Queens – Call Me Crazy
14. King Hannah – All Being Fine*
15. KID 2 – The Loud Noise Of Your Spine*
16. Anna B Savage – The Ghost*

* These Tracks Are Exclusive To The CD

Wig Out! Freak Out!’, the latest compilation from Two-Piers, dives into the world of Freakbeat, Psych and Mod from 1964-1969. Pulling the cream of tracks from the UK & United States Freakbeat and Garage scenes of the time. Featuring tracks from The Sonics, The Kinks, The Action, Chocolate Watch Band, The Haunted, The Standells, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Shadows of Knight, The Yardbirds, The Seeds and more ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ is packed full of Freakbeat and Mod classics as well as rare sought after nuggets.

Talking about ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!' Two-Piers compiler Mark McQuillan says "The album was inspired by my many happy DJ nights promoting my club night ‘Club Pod’ down in Brighton in the 1990s and my love of all things Sixties Freakbeat. I wanted to put as many great tracks as I could on one compilation to hopefully bring across the feeling of sheer joy from spinning these awesome tracks in a club and seeing the place go off. This compilation isn’t supposed to be a rare crate diggers album, but rather a gateway to give listeners a flavour of the scene and allow them to go off and discover new and brilliant hidden gems within the Freakbeat and Mod Psychedelia genre, and if ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ does that job done!"

Aimed squarely at the Alternative & 60s Club Dancefloors ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ Kicks off with the fuzz guitars of The Sonics ’Shot Down’, The Standells epic ‘Dirty Water’, and lesser known gem '1-2-5’ by The Haunted, before taking you down a road of pure riotous Freakbeat joy with tracks by the likes of The Birds ‘You’re on My Mind', The Wimple Winch 'Save My Soul' and The Remains ‘Don’t Look Back’. Add the epic Freakbreat grooves of The Eyes ‘You’re Too Much’ and The Open Mind ‘Magic Potion’ an chuck in some brilliant covers by The Kinks, with their take on ‘Louie Louie, Paul Reeve & The Raiders sublime version of ‘I’m Not Your Stepping Stone, Girl group The Starlets garage cover of ‘You Don’t Love Me’, ‘Gloria’ reworked by The Shadows of Knight, and The Action covering ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ and making the track their own, and your feet can’t help but move. The compilation contains lesser known gems such as The Satans ‘Makin’ Deals’, Count Five ‘Double Decker Bus’, The Poets ‘Wooden Spoon’ and The Pirates ‘Cuttin’ Out’. It also takes a turn into Mod Psychedelic territory with the Hammond led grooves of The Quik ‘Berts Apple Crumble’, The Spencer Davis Group ‘I’m A Man’ and the glorious ‘Indian Rope Man’ by Julie Drsicoll, Brian Auger and The Trinity, before ending on the instrumental blues psych rock of Davie Allan & The Arrows ‘Blues Theme’ - a journey through the very best of Freakbeat and Mod Psychedelia at the peak of its powers 1964-1969.

Two-Piers the label has brought to you such wonderful compilations as the Pop Psychédélique, Garage Psychédélique and Lounge Psychédélique compilation series introducing the listener to the worlds of French Psychedelic Pop, Garage Psych, and Lounge & Exotica Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, Waves of Distortion (The Best of Shoegaze 1990-2022) and Music for The Stars (Celestial Music 1960-1979).

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One look at that tracklist and you know you're in for a treat. Weird psychedelic mod grooves, fuzzy guitars and syncopated swagger, soaring airy numbers and scuzzy garage-adjacent stomp. As always, presented beautifully and perfectly compiled by Two-Piers.

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Sonics - Shot Down
A2. The Standells - Dirty Water
A3. The Haunted - 1-2-5
A4. The Birds - You’re On My Mind
A5. Paul Revere & The Raiders - I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
A6. The Shadows Of Knight - Shake
A7. The Starlets - You Don’t Love Me
A8. The Wimple Winch - Save My Soul
B1. The Action - Land Of 1000 Dances
B2. Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable
B3. The Eyes - You’re Too Much
B4. The Remains - Don’t Look Back
B5. The Kinks - Louie Louie
B6. Rita Chaos & The Quests - Hanky Panky
B7. The Argyles - Farmer John
B8. The Poets - Wooden Spoon
C1. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Shifting Sands
C2. ? & The Mysterians - Up Side
C3. The Third Bardo - I’m Five Years Ahead Of My Time
C4. The Shadows Of Knight - Gloria **
C5. The Chocolate Watch Band - Let’s Talk About Girls
C6. The Open Mind - Magic Potion **
C7. Count Five - Double-Decker Bus
C8. The Satans - Makin’ Deals
D1. The Quik - Berts Apple Crumble
D2. The Spencer Davis Group - I’m A Man
D3. Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - Indian Rope Man
D4. The Hi-Fis - Tread Softly For The Sleepers
D5. The Yardbirds - Stroll On
D6. The Pirates - Cuttin’ Out
D7. The Seeds - Pushin’ Too Hard
D8. Davie Allan & The Arrows - Blues Theme

** Exclusive Tracks For Vinyl

The Boo Radleys reveal a vinyl reissue to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their nineties genre-hopping masterpiece “Giant Steps”.

NME’s 1993 Album Of The Year, named in the Top 20 of Pitchfork’s The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time and lauded as one of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, The Boo Radleys’ classic album, Giant Steps is reissued, on special remastered vinyl almost 30 years to the day since its original release. The band’s genre-ambiguous and widely-acclaimed masterpiece will become available to fans old and new.

Only the second of their five albums to be released on the legendary Creation Records, at a time when label mates including Slowdive, Teenage Fanclub and Ride were also casting long shadows across the indie landscape, pre-the Oasis hurricane making landfall at the label, Giant Steps broke into the canon of great, experimental rock albums soon after its release. It’s first single, Lazarus, issued as a standalone release in November 1992, its blend of brass and guitar-squall and acutely introspective lyrics, gave a hint of what was to come and remains lodged in the band’s most-loved and best-known songs. For the 2023 reissue, Lazarus’ 12” version appears on the all-formats track listing for the first time.

Recorded at London’s Protocol Studios, where Carr and Brown took on self-production duties with support from engineer, Andy Wilkinson, The Boo Radleys set about responding to their shared sense of dissatisfaction with their 1992 album, Everything’s Alright Forever. Free to do as they please, they set about making a record of complete artistic freedom, bringing in reggae (Upon 9th And Fairchild), dance (Rodney King) and irresistible, warped indie pop (Barney And Me) influences into the studio and, without limitation, weaved them into the satisfyingly complex fabric of Giant Steps. Snapshot incidentals, intermissions and between-radio-station static intro/outros added to the sense of unrestrained exploration.

Writing about the album, drummer, Cieka reflected on Giant Steps, stating: “Creation loved it, people's reactions seemed really positive. I do listen to it from time to time and still find great moments I’d forgotten about. I think it stands up pretty well today. I'm always left feeling happy to have been a part of the record.”

"Wow, now THIS is what music can be!" – The Quietus on Giant Steps.
“It deserved the accolades and praise heaped on its shoulders.” – The Line of Best Fit.
“A masterwork...” – Pitchfork.

TRACK LISTING

A1 I Hang Suspended
A2 Upon 9th & Fairchild
A3 Wish I Was Skinny
A4 Leaves And Sand
B1 Butterfly McQueen
B2 Rodney King (Song For Lenny Bruce)
B3 Thinking Of Ways
B4 Barney (…and Me)
C1 Spun Around
C2 If You Want It, Take It
C3 Best Lose The Fear
C4 Take The Time Around
C5 Lazurus
D1 One Is For
D2 Run My Way Runway
D3 I’ve Lost The Reason
D4 The White Noise Revisited

CD BONUS TRACKS
18 Lazarus (Saint Etienne Remix)
19 Rodney King (Saint Etienne Remix)
20 Peachy Keen

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ takes you on a journey into the world of Lounge, Exotica and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, from its early days in the 1950s and 1960s to the current crop of artists championing the Lounge & Exotica sounds today. Compiled by Spencer Hickman & Mark McQuillan for Two-Piers

‘Lounge Psychédélique (The Best of Lounge & Exotica 1954-2022)’ is the third instalment in the Psychédélique Compilation series on Two-Piers, following the critically acclaimed ‘Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)’ and ‘Garage Psychédélique (The Best of Garage Psych and Pzyk Rock 1965-2019)’.

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ brings together the sounds of Easy Listening, Soundtrack Instrumentals, Exotica, Jazz, Psychedelic, and Space Age sounds all under the umbrella of Lounge Music. The compilation includes legends of the Lounge and Exotica scene, such as Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Mel Tormé, Herb Alpert, and Les Baxter, alongside legendary composers Hugo Montenegro, Lalo Schifrin, Michael Giacchino. Add some Lounge Jazz from Cal Tjader and the Latin Bossa Nova of Quincy Jones. Then throw in some beautiful oddities from Leonard Nimoy, Pizzicato Five and Mort Garson. Next, mix in some Lounge-Mod moments from Dave Pike and Jack Trombey, KPM library classics from Alan Hawkshaw and Keith Mansfield, and finish with some brilliant modern-day exponents of the Exotica sound Los Bitchos, Ixtaheule and the Percussive Funk Moog party sounds of The Bongolian. The result is a fun and crazy ride through the world of Lounge Music which will bring a smile to your face and a spring to your step. So raise a cocktail glass to ‘Lounge Psychédélique (The Best of Lounge & Exotica 1954-2022) – a sheer joy from start to finish!

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ isn’t meant to be a ‘crate diggers’ album or a compilation of obscure, hard-to-find tracks to outdo your mates. Instead, it is intended to celebrate the Lounge scene and, hopefully, the perfect introduction to this fantastic and beautiful music for any newcomers out there. So let your journey into Lounge and Exotica begin here….

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Delving into the world of Lounge, Exotica and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, these cuts are the creme de la creme of the scene. Featuring legends like Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Mort Garson, Alan Hawkshaw, Leonard Nimoy, Pizzicato Five, and Keith Mansfield, there’s plenty of delights to raise a cocktail glass to!

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklist:
A1. Leonard Nimoy – Music To Watch Space Girls By
A2. Martin Denny – The Enchanted Isle
A3. Yma Sumac – Gopher
A4. The Bongolian – B-Boy Toga Party
A5. Los Bitchos – The Link Is About To Die
A6. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)
A7. Michael Giacchino & Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra – Sidereal Day: 3 (Instrumental)
B1. Mel Tormé – Sunshine Superman
B2. Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – Mais Que Nada
B3. Lalo Schifrin – Lalo’s Bossa Nova
B4. Quincy Jones – Black Orpheus (Manha De Carnaval)
B5. Les Baxter & 101 Strings Orchestra – Tropicando
B6. Pizzicato Five - ǚ

Two-Piers, the label that brought you ‘Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)’, ‘Garage Psychédélique (The Best of Garage Psych and Pzyk Rock 1965-2019)’ and ‘Music for the Stars (Celestial Music 1960-1979)’ bring you ‘Waves of Distortion (The Best of Shoegaze 1990-2022), a magical journey through the history of the Shoegaze scene from its inception to the current exponents on the scene championing the sound. A perfect introduction to all that is glorious and great about ‘Shoegaze’, and if it takes the listener down a rabbit warren to discover more then job done

‘Waves of Distortion’ brings in some of the OG (original ’gazer) classics – Ride’s peerless ‘Vapour Trail’, Lush’s ‘Sweetness and Light’ from 1990 and Chapterhouse’s ‘Pearl’ from 1991. They are all incredible and timeless tunes. Then there are some others that were never really a part of that other great music press construct, The Scene That Celebrates Itself, in the case of The Telescopes and their fantastic 1991 single ‘Flying’, and Spirea X’s ‘Chlorine Dream’ from the same year – both are indicative of the post-rave psychedelia that coloured everything at the time and fit perfectly within the Shoegaze scene at the time.

Once we get to 1992, there’s a bit of a gap in the chronology as shoegaze was all too hastily dismissed in the country that birthed it, ignored in favour of grunge and then Britpop, the feedback fading away along with the bands that made it. But something amazing happened. when the s-word was used elsewhere in the world, rather than having negative connotations, it was merely a descriptive term. So, the flame was kept burning in the most unlikely places, waiting for everyone else to catch up once again. It’s no surprise, then, that there are bands on this compilation from America (Ringo Deathstarr, Beach House), Australia (Lowtide, Flyying Colours), Sweden (Echo Ladies) and everywhere in between.

Since the turn of the century, successive generations have returned to the sound, taking it to new and exciting places. Thanks to the internet and streaming and listening to music without context the echo got louder and louder. The original scene may have morphed into a myriad of things, from acoustic Americana to ambient techno and post-rock (as evidenced by Mogwai, who appear here with ‘Kids Will Be Skeletons’), but it was only a matter of time before things came full circle. However it was Slowdive’s reunion six years later that finally made people sit up and take notice. There were scores to settle, too. The backlash Slowdive had faced the first time around went beyond mere music criticism into outright hatred. Their return and self-titled album from 2017 somehow managed to be their best yet and one of the finest examples of the genre to date. It brought in yet another generation of fans – the likes of bdrmm and Horsegirl, both included here, weren’t even born when Slowdive first existed, they were discovering them anew.

So, it’s fitting that this compilation begins with ‘Slowdive’s opener, ‘Slomo’. Neil Halstead and Christian Savill’s chiming guitars seemingly awakening from a 22-year slumber as the song gradually comes into focus. This was more than just a rebirth; it was a reaffirmation that this hard to define genre is here to stay.

And that is why we are here now, all these years later, listening to a compilation that joins the dots between all of this stuff, from the beginning to the present day. The beautiful noise that has soundtracked the past 30 years and will continue to do so for many more. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: This comp looks like it's raided my iPod classic circa 2017, full to the brim of absolute shoegaze classics and hidden gems. With cuts from shoegaze forefathers Slowdive and Ride, to more contemporary additions from the likes of DIIV and bdrmm, this is a must have for shoegaze veterans and newcomers alike! Mega, MEGA stuff!!!

TRACK LISTING

2LP Vinyl:
A1) Slowdive – Slomo
A2) Chapterhouse – Pearl
A3) Ride – Vapour Trail
A4) Blind Mr Jones – Henna And Swayed
A5) The Telescopes – Flying
B1) Lush – Sweetness And Light
B2) Spirea X – Chlorine Dream
B3) Kitchens Of Distinction – The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule
B4) Pale Saints – Sight Of You
B5) Lowtide – Alibi
B6) Ringo Deathstarr – Kaleidoscope
C1) Horsegirl – Billy
C2) Air Formation – Daylight Storms
C3) DIIV – Taker
C4) Bdrmm – A Reason To Celebrate
C5) Flyying Colours – Long Holiday
C6) Echo Ladies – Overrated – Robin Guthrie Version
D1) Beach House – Lazuli
D2) Mogwai – Kids Will Be Skeletons
D3) Fleeting Joys – Go And Come Back
D4) Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat
D5) Galaxie 500 – Ceremony

2CD:
CD1
1) Slowdive – Slomo
2) Chapterhouse – Pearl
3) Ride – Vapour Trail
4) Blind Mr Jones – Henna And Swayed
5) The Telescopes – Flying
6) Lush – Sweetness And Light
7) Spirea X – Chlorine Dream
8) Kitchens Of Distinction – The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule
9) Pale Saints – Sight Of You
10) A.R.Kane – Lollita **
11) Airiel – In Your Room **
12) Lowtide – Alibi
CD2
1) Ringo Deathstarr – Kaleidoscope
2) Horsegirl – Billy
3) Air Formation – Daylight Storms
4) DIIV – Taker
5) Bdrmm – A Reason To Celebrate
6) Flyying Colours – Long Holiday
7) Echo Ladies – Overrated – Robin Guthrie Version
8) The Daysleepers – Flood In Heaven **
9) Astrobite – Crasher **
10) Beach House – Lazuli
11) Mogwai – Kids Will Be Skeletons
12) Fleeting Joys – Go And Come Back
13) Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat
14) Galaxie 500 – Ceremony

** Exclusive Tracks To CD Format

Two-Piers, the label that brought you ‘Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)’ bring you the second instalment in the series ‘Garage Psychédélique (The Best of Garage Psych and Pzyk Rock 1965-2019)’. A thrill a minute dive into the crazy awesome world of Garage Psychedelic Rock.

From the Psych sound explosion onto the Underground club scene in the US and UK in the mid 1960s, its discovery by a wider audience via the exceptional Nuggets and Pebbles compilation series in the 1970-1980s. Through its mainstream revival with the Garage sound of the late 1990- early 2000s, to the current crop of exceptional bands flying the Garage Psych flag today, ‘Garage Psychédélique’ takes you on a journey and gives you a little taste of some of the finest music from the scene and the bands that blazed a trail for others to follow…..Sit back and enjoy the ride!

From the opening bars of The Sonics ‘Have love Will Travel’ through the Psych workout that is Count Five’s ‘Psychotic Reaction’ to the joys of 60s Beat Psych groups from the US such as The Paragons, The Preachers, The Strangeloves, The Squires, and the eccentric stylings of The Monks. The album careers along at a blistering pace of Garage Psych brilliance, jammed packed full of Underground floor fillers a plenty.

US legendary underground acts such as The Electric Prunes, The Chocolate Watch Band and MC5 all deliver classic tracks for the cause, and singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson even makes a foray into the psych rock sound with ‘Jump into the Fire’.

In recent years such bands as Thee Oh Sees, Moon Duo and Allah-Las from the US have taken the Garage Psych influence and 60s sound and made it their own. A whole crop of bands such as White Hills, Gnod and Goat from the scene have evolved the music into a heavier ‘Pyzk Rock’ feel with a darker and heavier vibe, but crucially still with the joyous undertones that the scene brings to its devotees.

The Garage Psych sound has influenced groups from around the globe with bands like Liverpool’s The Stairs ‘Weed Bus’, Scotland’s finest The Poets with ‘That’s the Way It’s Gotta Be’, The Bogeymen, a largely undiscovered 90s Psych Hammond band from France with ‘Electrocution’. Hailing from Sweden Goat bring us ‘Gathering of Ancient Tribes’ and The Hives their dancefloor anthem ‘Main Offender’. From Perth, Australia Pond’s Psych leanings on ‘Fantastic Explosion of Time’ are clear to see. Finally, Kevin Parker’s band Tame Impala were very influenced by the whole garage psych sound in their early band incarnation, as perfectly showcased here on the epic wig out that is ‘Half Full Glass of Wine’ that closes the album.

This isn’t meant to be a ‘crate diggers’ album or a compilation of ‘obscure hard to find tracks’ to out-do your mates. It is quite simply a celebration of the Garage Psychédélique scene and a chance to revel in its brilliance and dance around your kitchen. If it means you go down a rabbit warren of discovery to unearth more gems and brilliant bands from the Garage Psych scene then job done! 

TRACK LISTING

2LP Vinyl Tracklist:
A1) The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel
A2) Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
A3) The Paragons - Abba
A4) Kim Fowley - The Trip
A5) The Preachers - Who Do You Love **
A6) The Strangeloves - Night Time
A7) The Monks - Oh, How To Do Now
A8) The Bogeymen - Electrocution
B1) Harry Nilsson - Jump Into The Fire (Single Version)
B2) The Eyes - When The Night Falls
B3) 13th Floor Elevators - Reverberation (Doubt)
B4) The Poets - That’s The Way It’s Gotta Be
B5) The Squires - Going All The Way
B6) The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
B7) The Chocolate Watch Band - I’m Not Like Everybody Else
B8) MC5 - Gotta Keep Movin’
C1) The Stairs - Weed Bus
C2) The Hives - Main Offender
C3) Pond - Fantastic Explosion Of Time
C4) Novella - Somethings Must Change
C5) Thee Oh Sees - Web
C6) Allah-Las - Catamaran
D1) Moon Duo - Eye 2 Eye
D2) White Hills, Gnod - Run-a-Round **
D3) Goat - Gathering Of Ancient Tribes
D4) Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine
(** Exclusive To Vinyl)

CD Tracklist:
1) The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel
2) Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
3) The Paragons - Abba
4) Kim Fowler - The Trip
5) The Strangeloves - Night Time
6) The Monks - Oh, How We Do Now
7) The Bogeymen - Electrocution
8) Harry Nilsson - Jump Into The Fire (Single Version)
9) The Eyes - When The Night Falls
10) 13th Floor Elevators - Reverberation (Doubt)
11) The Poets - That’s The Way It’s Gotta Be
12) The Squires - Going All The Way
13) The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
14) The Chocolate Watch Band - I’m Not Like Everybody Else
15) MC5 - Gotta Keep Movin’
16) The Stairs - Weed Bus
17) The Hives - Main Offender
18) Pond - Fantastic Explosion Of Time
19) Novella - Somethings Must Change
20) Thee Oh Sees - Web
21) Allah-Las - Catamaran
22) Moon Duo - Eye 2 Eye
23) Goat - Gathering Of Ancient Tribes
24) Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine

Hallo my British chums and welcome to another edition of the Piccadilly Records Compilation Of The Year. 2021’s top of the pops takes us on a cheeky trip through the Chunnel to the land of du pain, du vin, du Boursin for a sprawling set of yé-yé, 60s psych pop and contemporary grooves from a who’s who of France’s chic elite. Compiled with affection and expertise by Mark McQuillan for Brighton’s Two Piers, Pop Psychédélique fully embodies the sultry, sexy and surreal sound of French music.

Born out of a love affair with jazz and an infatuation with the British Invasion, French pop music quickly cut its own niche in the musical landscape of the sixties. Typified by hip-shaking rhythms, fuzzbox guitars and spoke-sung vocals, yé-yé was referential but never reverential, a point proven when Jacqueline Taieb shreds pop culture on “7 AM”. Elsewhere lost love and lost toothbrushes are given equal weight as the profound and profane are dispatched with the shrugging indifference of a Pastis-soaked Gainsbourg (who’s predictably all over this collection, both as artist or songwriter).

This signature style has come to define French music, and echoes through the ages thanks to L’Epee, the Limiñanas, Air and Stereolab, four globe-conquering acts who are a testament to the enduring appeal of the Gallic sound. Indeed a handful of older cuts here have also found streaming fame with a new generation via soundtrack appearances on the likes of Killing Eve and Queen’s Gambit, with producers eager to exploit these shorthands for cool.

The set sails into the sunset via Fatboy Slim’s remix of Pierre Henry and Michel Colombier’s “Psyche Rock” and the final jigsaw piece falls into place. Not only does this collection pay homage to France, but also McQuillan’s native Brighton, where the Big Beat pioneers championed records like Jean-Jacques Perrey’s “E.V.A.” while reshaping Britain’s club culture. C’est magnifique!

TRACK LISTING

A1 Contact - Brigitte Bardot
A2 Tut Tut Tut Tut - Gillian Hills
A3 Laisse Tomber Les Filles - France Gall
A4 7AM - Jacqueline Taieb
A5 I’m Gonna Haunt You - Fabienne DelSol
A6 Si Tu Reviens Chez Moi - Les 5 Gentlemen
B1 Roller Girl - Comedie Musicale ‘Anna’ - Anna Karina
B2 Migas 2000 - The Liminanas
B3 Dreams - L’Epee
B4 Les Cornichons - Nino Ferrer
B5 Harley Davidson - Brigitte Bardot
B6 Poupee De Cire Poupée De Son - France Gall
C1 Une Filles C’est Fait Pour Faire L’amour - Charlotte Leslie
C2 La Fille A La Moto - Dani
C3 Tu Fais Partie Du Passe - Zouzou
C4 Requiem Pour Un C… - BOF “Le Pacha” - Serge Gainsbourg
C5 E.V.A - Jean-Jacques Perrey
D1 Cybele’s Reverie - Stereolab
D2 Don’t Be Light - Air
D3 Psyche Rock (Malpaso Mix By Fatboy Slim) - Pierre Henry