Various Artists - Now That's What We Call Music Vol 1

Taking a leaf from the Rough Trade book, the Fantastic Plastic label marks its 100th release with this compilation of highlights from the centenary. Fantastic Plastic began life as a small-town Irish record shop and has grown into a strong yet typically 'indie' label. At first it appears that art-pop will be the enduring theme, with tracks from such quirk-laden dandies as Ikara Colt, Guillemots and The Victorian English Gentlemen's Club. But there's a healthy variety here, from the Tyneside post-punk of Futureheads (their rarely-heard debut single) and Kubichek to the sweet lilt of The Immediate's Big Sad Eyes or the brasher rock of The Beatings' Bad Feeling. Scotland is represented by the now-defunct Astrid and album closer Local Man Ruins Everything, a collaboration between Gaelic poet Kevin MacNeill and Willie Campbell. If you're tired of the corporate consolidation of music, give this a spin and have your faith restored. [Nick Mitchell]