Levellers / The Fratellis

Levellers - Letters From The Underground Review

The lads have finally tried to duplicate the fantastic "Levelling The Land" album and have succeeded. The passion, speed, fiddles, everything is there - even down to "Behold The Pale Rider" replacing "Another Mans Cause". Plus the production is so much better on this record compared to the last one which had good tracks but sounded not so clever.

After the excellent "The Cholera Well" opening, I was struck dumb by the awful second track "Death Loves Youth" and feared the worst. Fortunately with maybe one exception the rest of the album gets stronger and stronger, keeping up a great pace. Simon is back doing main vocals on two tracks including the final one "Fight Or Flight" My faves at the moment would be "Accidental Anarchist", "Duty" and "Heart Of The Country"

In conclusion, it's the best offering for some time in my opinion and now feel it might be time for the Brighton boys to call it a day. It's obvious that Mark's voice is not as good as it once was and to finish with such a great, strong-sounding record would be a fitting studio end for them.

They've got enough live material now to go on forever!

The Fratellis - Here We Stand Review

Once in a while you buy an album and get very unexpectedly blown away.

This one has done just that for me.

I was never a fan of the band and thought "Chelsea Dagger" was crap to be honest. I bought this on the strength of hearing "A Heady Tale" and have to hold my hands up and say what a great record this is.

Tracks like "Acid Jazz Singer", "Mistress Mable" and "Look Out Sunshine" are favourites, but the whole album is very strong and there is only one track that I tend to skip - out of twelve that's pretty good!

The album is a rocky, foot-stomping good sound - fair play, I think it's great!

Cheltenham Town 2 Swindon Town 0

My first visit to Whaddon Road in absolutely ages and it was a really exciting game of football, almost spoiled by one of the most disgraceful refereeing performances I've seen for a while. Uriah Rennie eat yer heart out - you have a successor.

Step forward Mr Phil Crossley from Kent. What an incompetant twat!

Swindon looked a really decent footballing side in the first half, especially Anthony McNamee, and probably should have been ahead by half time. Their football was a very high quality with the added bonus of getting every decision from the ref! Cheltenham looked disjointed and a bit lacking in belief to be honest.

Barry Hayles was playing a sound game up front but when Paul Connor came on things really changed and they both played a part in Ben Gill's great goal. Gill celebrated his first league goal and was booked - a few minutes later after a challenge only barely worthy of stopping play, he was off. Mr Crossley only stopped short of having a shot for Swindon.

With 10 men though, Town actally got stronger and Jennison Myrie-Williams scored after a lovely cross by Alex Russell. Shane Higgs played his part too and made some fine stops including a stunner in the first half. It was a real end to end second half though and a really enjoyable freebie afternoon - almost 5000 were there to see our boys get a welcome 3 points!

With 10 minutes left the Swindon fans gave up on their team and left in droves, safe in the knowledge it wouldn't take long to get back to the five magic roundabouts.