The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

Various Artistes: Top Gear — The Ultimate Driving Experience

By Phil Savva

Going on the assumption that a lot of people listen to CDs in their car this double-CD collection is released in conjunction with the popular TV series Top Gear and the top tunes that are a must for driving.

CD1therefore tends to concentrate more on the ‘rockier/indie’ side of things with some of the best tracks to have been released recently and some old faves.

Bodyrockers’ I Like The Way, Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict A riot, Oasis’ Little By Little, Snow Patrol’s Run and Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out are all featured but from a personal preference I go for the oldie tracks. Cardigans’ My Favourite Game, New Radicals’ Get What You Give and U2’s timeless Beautiful Day to name but three.

CD2 crosses over momentarily into the dance music genre with Rob D’s Clubbed To Death, The Orb’s Little Fluffy Clouds and Sebastien Tellier’s La Ritornelle but then finds its feet again with the likes of Lamb (Angelica), Charlatans (If I Fall) and Doves (Snowden).

A welcome addition to your in-car entertainment.

Various Artistes: Club Anthems: Classics

By Phil Savva

It’s the time of the year for compilations and here’s another collection — this time focusing on club and dance music.

As with all compilation albums it features old and new, good and bad, sad and mad but with 60 tracks available it is bound to feature some of the most infectious dancefloor tunes of the past 15 years.

At the risk of showing my age my tendencies lean towards the oldie but goldie tracks but that doesn’t mean that I dislike the more recent releases.

CD1 focuses on the newer tracks with the likes of Boogie Pimps’ Somebody To Love, Eric Prydz’s Call On Me, Uniting Nations’ Out Of Touch, Shapeshifters’ Lola’s Theme and Armand Van Helden’s My My My.

CD2 takes a small step back in time with the likes of Ian Van Dahl (Castles In The Sky), DJ Sammy (I’m In Heaven), Paul Van Dyk (For An Angel) and Fragma (Toca’s Miracle) while CD3 nestles firmly in the ’90s with Livin’ Joy’s Don’t Stop Movin’, Inner City’s Good Life, Snap!’s Rhythm Is A Dancer, Black Box’s Ride On Time and Rozalla’s Everybody’s Free.

It’s another one of those collections that will appeal to the clubbers in the main but there’s enough there for a broader appeal.

Various Artistes: School Disco Presents No.1s

By Phil Savva

Another trip down memory lane here with a triple CD collection of some of the biggest rock, pop and dance tunes ever to have been released.

Originating from the hugely-popular School Disco gang — whose fancy dress club nights are now legendary — this compilation features some of their all time faves among the naughty schoolgirls and boys.

Cheesy? Yep, there are some of those. Funky? Yep there are some of those. Feel good? Yep there are some of those too! There are even some that’ll make you cringe at the memory of them.

In fact there’s pretty much something for everyone and you’ll probably be amazed how you’d forgotten so many songs and how good some of them were.

So here’s a chance to marvel — or be transfixed in horror according to your tastes — once again by the likes of Donna Summer (I Feel Love), Four Seasons (December ’63), Culture Club (Kharma Chameleon), Dexy’s Midnight Runners (Come On Eileen), Bluebells (Young At Heart) and Mungo Jerry (In The Summertime).

So forget all the problems of being an adult and regress back to those heady days when all you had to worry about was spots!

Various Artistes: Get Your Party Started

Finally this trip down Compilation Alley ends with another nostalgia double-CD collection aimed at the party season.

This is a real across-the-board selection ranging from Queen (We Will Rock You) to R Kelly (Ignition).

Somewhere in between are a compilation of 43 tracks that are guaranteed to get everyone from young cousin Timmy to old granny Rita up at some stage of the evening.

CD1 features Wham! (Wake Me Up), Tina Turner (The Best), Diana Ross (Chain Reaction) The Nolans (I’m In The Mood For Dancing), The Weather Girls (It’s Raining Men) and Kylie (Can’t Get You Out Of My Head).

CD2 lists Pink (Get The Party Started), Atomic Kitten (Ladies Night), Britney (Oops I Did It Again) and Chas and Dave! (Rabbit). Nuff said.