Tartan Pop

What does the bright, soulful pop of Lulu's "To Sir With Love" have in common with the dance-wave atmospherics of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and the post-punk ooze of the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey"? Scotland. The U.K. country to the north is a hotbed of sonic activity, breeding everything from (who knew?) the '70s funk of "Cut the Cake" by the Average White Band, to the bluesy now sounds of KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Jig it on into Next Steps for more terrific Tartan Pop tunes.

Hey, we like bagpipes as much as the next person, but for us the sound of Scotland means the good-times pub-pop of "Flathead" by power trio the Fratellis, the Shamen's club-hit groundbreaker "Move Any Mountain" (smoothly remixed here by Derek Marin) or Nazareth's classic-rock nugget "Love Hurts." Retro-country comes courtesy of the Pearlfishers and "Wichita Lineman," and the sounds of the '80s live on in Bronski Beat's powerful "Smalltown Boy." Journey deeper into Scotland's Tartan Pop in Deep Cuts.

Our Highland fling continues with only the finest in overlooked and under-appreciated Tartan Pop treats. So, while Glasgow's the Pastels submit to a mellow Kid Loco remix of "The Viaduct," influential indie-pop combo the Vaselines warble their way through the sweet D.I.Y. strains of "Son of a Gun." Homegrown electronica-meister Looper gets bold and bleep-y with "Mondo '77," and Sean Connery (yes, James Bond himself) gives a got-to-hear-it-to-believe-it dramatic reading of "In My Life."

From the land of haggis, kilts, and peat-smoked whiskey, we bring you Tartan Pop Essentials, our definitive set of Scotland's finest musical exports packed into one long-playing download. We've combed the country, from the highlands to the bonnie braes, to bring you everything from the plaid-tastic tones of Big Country's galloping fist-pumper "In a Big Country," to skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's retro-folk standout "Rock Island Line," to Franz Ferdinand's thumping alt-rock command "Take Me Out." And there's no need to leave your living room to journey through the best Scotland has to offer – not when you've got the Cocteau Twins' shimmering wash of celestial sounds on "Heaven or Las Vegas," and the bittersweet alt-pop of Travis with their lilting big question "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?"