Absolutely PHENOMENAL compilation of "Irish groove, punk-funk and electro" compiled with both serious scholarship and a whiff of mischief by John Byrne, Colm K, Jeremy Murphy and Olan. Perfectly presented double-LP with printed inner sleeves featuring copious liner notes and photos, it eschews the overweening tastefulness of so many recent post-punk comps and grinningly reminds us that independent music of the '70s and '80s wasn't all about the raincoat brigade - obscurity is not a barrier to entry here (although no one featured enjoyed what you'd call enduring fame), and some of the best stuff on here is jaunty and spangly as fuck - take Those Nervous Animals, who come over like Duran Duran or ABC wannabes thwarted by, well, themselves (they do everything right, but still it sounds utterly, utterly wrong). It's outsider music by default, not by design. I dunno, it's a strange kick, Quare Groove, but we can't get enough of it. Nuns playing ping pong? EXACTLY.
