Various Artists - The Electric Coffee House (60's us, garage psych folk gems, Psychic Circle release)

Up until the Beatles struck, America led the way in pop music. Suddenly the tables had turned and 'The British Invasion bands' took control. American kids invigorated by this no-nonsense, self-written approach, formed bands in every town.

This is what gave rise to the garage band phenomenon. Snotty youths modelling themselves on The Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks et al produced the primitive anthems now so beloved by collectors across the globe. Yet, there was another thread that came from a distinctly different angle. This was the 'folk rock' movement, heralded by The Byrds and The Beau Brummels.

Basically it was born from the collision of the American coffee house scene withjiritish pop. The Byrds had been the first to successfully combine traditional folk with the (angle of The Searchers twelve string sound, and before long there was a plethora of similarly minded musos swapping their acoustics for Rickenbackers and growing Brian Jones hairdos.

This compilation comprises 20 tracks by bands who were taking this path into the mid sixties haze. Some of it is pop, some of it is bluesy, some of it is primitive, but all of it has that underlying folk feel. Before long Dylan would plug into the mains and Jefferson Airplane would transform their folk roots into fully-fledged psychedelia.

But for now, we hope you'll enjoy this journey through an intriguing and often overlooked field of '60s music. I guess if it needs a label it's 'garage folk', but let's forget about compartmentalisation, and just tune in to a time when it all seemed new and exciting down at 'The Electric Coffee House'.
by Nick Saloman

Artists - Tracks
1. Tiffany System - Wayward One - 1:57
2. The Energy Package - See That I Come Home - 2:19
3. Tommy Jay - Springtime's Coming - 2:17
4. Finders Keepers - Raggedy Ann - 3:03
5. Rick Jarrard - High Coin - 3:03
6. Clefs Of Lavender Hill - First Tell Me Why - 2:18
7. The Guilloteens - I Don't Believe - 2:36
8. The Sound Of The Seventh Son - I'll Be on My Way - 2:47
9. Jeremiah - Goin' Lovin' with You - 1:52
10.The Iguanas - This Is What I Was Made For - 2:19
11.Vinnie Basile - Gypsy Girl - 1:59
12.The Yankee Dollar - Reflections of a Shattered Mind - 2:39
13.Starbuck - Let Your Hair Hang Long - 2:46
14.The Hi-Five - You'll Never Know What's in My Heart - 2:21
15.The Chessmen - Running Wild - 2:03
16.Peck's Bad Boys - Silver Dawn - 2:17
17.The Stream Of Consciousness - Till You're Through - 2:15
18.Keith Murphy An The Daze - Slightly Reminiscent of Her - 2:17
19.The Scandal - There's Reasons Why - 2:25
20.The Gants - I Wonder - 2:13

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