Record Label: Silverdoor Records

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First off, buy this album! It’s only £8 – less than the price of 3 pints – it’s supported by the Strummerville Foundation, and all proceeds will be donated to Jail Guitar Doors, Billy Bragg’s organization which funds instruments and musical tutorials for prisoners. If you’re a Daily Mail reader and think that sounds like a wet lefty waste of cash, then, fuck you. Also, note that the re-offending rate of those involved is 10-15% rather than the 60% of the general prison populace. But mostly, fuck you. You get 31 tracks for yer dosh – a bargain in anyone’s language – and they’re a hugely varied bunch in style. Highlights are Billy himself’s live cut of ‘I Keep Faith’, and the sludgy glamour of Raven Beats Crow’s ‘Puncture Kit P;  and if Shock Defeat’s ‘As A Vegan I Was So Tired’ doesn’t win any awards for its sonics, it takes title of the year at a canter.  The real revelation however, is the 2 JGD graduates featured – Jonny Neesom’s swagger reminds you why you’re so disappointed Plan B’s turned into such a gonk;  and Leon Walker’s plaintive ‘Borrow Me A Fiver’ is battered and  beautiful;  he sounds like a rural sunset as directed by Shane Meadows.  Second off, BUY THIS ALBUM! (repeat to fade….)

The speculation is finally over!! Following the announcement of most of the 2010 Crawl Roundhouse line up in mid-March, bloggers and tweeters alike have been having an unsuccessful stab at guessing the remaining special guests left to be announced for the penultimate Saturday night closing sets. The Crawl can now proudly reveal that PENDULUM will be unveiling their new album live show Saturday 1st May at the Roundhouse. Joining them will be current airplay heavy weight PLAN B.

In conjunction with the main event scheduled to take place on the first May Bank holiday weekend of the year, the MTV Roundhouse stage at the Crawl will host nine major artists at the 3,000 capacity venue to be filmed by MTV for broadcast across their channels in late May. There will be two shows per day on both Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd May and supplementary tickets guaranteeing entry to each will be available to Crawl day or weekend pass holders. Supplements for the Roundhouse shows are on sale now, priced at £6.50 each. These supplements must be accompanied by a Gaymers Camden Crawl weekend or one day pass, all of which may be purchased from www.seetickets.com/camdencrawl.
Saturday 1st May: 
PENDULUM + PLAN B (show #2 – 8:30 pm)
CALVIN HARRIS + SUGABABES + PROFESSOR GREEN  (show #1 – 4:30 pm)

Sunday 2nd May: 
WE ARE SCIENTISTS + STORNOWAY (show #2 – 8:30 pm)
LOSTPROPHETS + THE BLACKOUT (show #1 – 5:00 pm)

Record Label: Island Records

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Our Rating:

Re-issue of a single originally released in the UK last November to support their LP’s US release, if the mention of the word ‘Fratellis’ still sends a cold shiver down your spine, then this won’t do much to warm you back up. Jon Lawler’s other band, comprising himself and Glasgow chanteuse Lou Hickey, are a different animal to everyone’s favourite Chas N Dave copyists, with dueling male/female vocals and the musical emphasis on big band arrangements and horn sections. The normal, lazy thoughts of Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra, however are redundant; instead, think more of comparing between Smokey Robinson, and Plan B’s re-branding as a chunky Amy Winehouse; the similarities exist in only that CVC comprise a man, and a lady, who sing. Hickey’s voice is strong enough, however Lawler’s is weak, and unfortunately flat; meaning that however husky the horn arrangement is, the track carries all the noir-ish menace of a cocker spaniel. If you managed to avoid this first time round, say a prayer of thanks to whatever deity you follow for protecting you from bad records, and don’t seek it out now.