Two Piers 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: The Boo Radleys released Giant Steps (The Boo Radleys album), their third full length, in 1993. To mark its 30th anniversary it gets this special reissue on limited coloured vinyl double LP with a bonus 10". The leftfield indie outfit drew on pop, noise, orchestral and reggae to cook up its sounds and managed to be more musically ambitious than they had in the past, titling the album after a John Coltrane album of the same name and paving the way for thhe huge Britpop success via feelgood anthem 'Wake Up Boo!' that would follow.

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: Despite the style's influence and enduring legacy, shoegaze has not been celebrated with a raft of compilations and retrospectives. Waves of Distortion attempts to set the record straight via two discs of classic (and occasionally overlooked) shoegaze gems recorded and released at different points between 1990 and 2022. It offers a neat overview of the sound and some its greatest practitioners, flitting between the glistening, reverb-laden dream pop of Slowdive, the bowl cut-sporting loved-up swagger of Ride, the densely layered country-shoegaze haziness of Telescope, the jaunty jangly-ness of AR Kane and Spirea X, the psychedelic heaviness of Ringo Deathstarr, the tactile bliss of Beach House and the slow-burn, post-rock majesty of Mogwai.

Review: Waves of Distortion (The Best of Shoegaze 1990-2022) is a superbly curated trip through the genre from the good folks at Two_piers, who have served up similarly excellent collections focussed on everything from French psychedelic pop to garage psych. This serves as both a fine intro and a great retrospective for existing fans that will take you down a rabbit hole and leave you wanting more. Some of the scene's original pioneers feature and there are many a timeless tune here that help to document the subtle evolution of the genre throughout the decades.

Review: Come to My World, released by Two-Piers, is a fantastic look through the rich and often misunderstood history of Indie Pop. This compilation delves into the genre's evolution from its grassroots beginnings in the 1980s to the vibrant scene that thrives today. Indie Pop has always been more than just music; it's a subculture where fans cherish 7" B-sides, fanzines, and handmade record sleeves, forming a tight-knit community that values DIY ethics and underground charm. The compilation begins with groundbreaking acts like Talulah Gosh, The Flatmates, and Primal Scream, all of whom laid the foundation on labels such as Sarah Records and Creation. It then explores the influential C86 era, featuring more commercially successful bands like The Primitives and The Soup Dragons, before diving into the 1990s with the unsung brilliance of Heavenly and the burgeoning Scottish scene with BMX Bandits and The Vaselines. As the genre entered the 2000s, US bands like Dum Dum Girls and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart carried the torch, while across the Atlantic, groups like Joanna Gruesome and Veronica Falls kept the spirit alive. The compilation closes with the future of indie pop with rising stars like The Goon Sax and Ribbon Stage, proving that the genre's legacy remains vibrant. Pressed on a limited 'sunburst marvel' marbled & crystal green vinyl 2xLP, Come to My World is both a tribute to Indie Pop's past and a celebration of its enduring influence. It's an invitation to explore and embrace a world that has always thrived just beneath the mainstream's surface.

Review: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. The Hit Parade. Primal Scream. The Springfields. Two Piers has bitten off perhaps more than any label, let alone singular compilation, could ever hope to chew with the rather challenging idea of compressing almost 40 years of indie pop history into an album. Albeit an expansive one. Nevertheless, Come To My World does a fantastic job directing a colourful montage of sounds that have defined and rethought the charts during the past few decades, pioneering bands that have contributed to the rich tapestry of sonic art that soundtracked births, deaths, marriages, falling in love, falling out of love, drunken nights in sticky-floored clubs, and solitary journeys home on rain-soaked streets - whether listening to a Walkman, Discman, MiniDisc player or digital music device.

Review: Of all the terms here, the one used at the time was most frequently new rave and it would be an unthinkable scene without the Klaxons, so it's great to see them make the tracklist, alongside top tier like-minded acts. Bloc Party are one of the best indie bands to remix ever and the version of their best song 'Banquet' is a banger. Elsewhere, LCD Soundsystem's most catchy number 'Tribulations' is a dead cert in terms of getting people off their seats. One of the hyped bands of the era who deserve recognition are We Have Band and it's a shrewd move to include them. Electroclash heroes Fischerspooner had signed to Minsitry of Sound for L2 million around the time 'Emerge' came out and were easily one of the hottest dance acts around, and make for another cracking addition to this seriously high quality retrospective.

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: 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.