Karima Francis - Wherever I Go

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Here's a very late, but better than never discovery, Blackpool songstress Karima Francis (there must be an unwritten law that says singer/songwriters in Blackpool must possess exceptional balls of hair), who arrives on my horizon some three years after her debut album 'The Author', with the lead single to her second album 'The Remedy' (due later this year), the jaw-dropping 'Wherever I Go'.

Now I could start a long dwindling look into her past, but I'd rather look forward right now, so I'll start with my start, "Wherever I Go". What hit me first (and then again in the middle of the track, and then at the end) is her voice, wow her voice. It's sublime, rich, powerful and impassioned, Karima adds an extraordinary amount of weight to her heart-aching lyrics with seeming effortless ease, deftly backed by mellow guitar plucks and twinkling keys "Wherever I Go" is one of those spine tingling tracks that should, if there is any justice, define a career. That 'bloody hell, this is good' thought hits you the moment it starts, stays with you throughout the track and makes you want to hear it again the second it ends, that's the sign of something world class.

After an initial ten seconds that reminds me a little too much of "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Forgiven" turns into another insight into her incredible talents, her range belies common sense, genteel backing is all that's needed for Karima's captivating soulful croon to devastate your emotions. I've no idea how it's taken until April 2012 for Karima Francis to reach my attention, now she has, one thing is for certain, she won't be leaving it anytime soon.

Luckily for me (and you), if you live in the UK anyway, an extensive tour has been announced for April / May including stops at The Great Escape and London's Hoxton Hall on May 17th - full dates - see you there.

PINS - New Music "Introducing"

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Are Manchester four-piece PINS about to be swept away in a blog frenzy? Probably. Is that frenzy justified? Probably. Am I happy to add to that frenzy? Definitely...

I've been following the group on facebook / twitter for a while now, after what seems like an eternity (probably a couple of months) of hype building, a teasing intro video on their website and some great live show reviews (sadly the only London date I've been aware of clashed with Veronica Falls / Novella so I had to miss it), today finally saw the release of PINS debut single "Eleventh Hour" (available on download and a soon to sell out limited cassette via the band themselves).

The reason why I'm happy to wax lyrical about them off one three minute track is simple, it's a fucking great track that doesn't disappoint any of my sky high expectations. Right from the initial impact of dark, powerful hard-hitting drums and layered guitars whirring ferociously it stirs up something in you, the droning riff hypnotises and doesn't let go, the brooding vocals similarly coerce you, part sugary and part commanding, the video is similarly wonderful, the perfect backdrop for the girls blend of 90's influenced noise-pop and 60's psychedelia. PINS are here to be your new favourite band, they're certainly on my short-list already.


PINS - ELEVENTH HOUR from WE ARE PINS on Vimeo.

Cold Specks #3 - Blank Maps

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On my Cold Specks post a couple of weeks back I  said we were being made to wait to hear new single "Blank Maps", well Mute have finally let the cat out the bag and it confirms what many of us already knew, Cold Specks is a real class act. "Blank Maps" is due May 14th, the week before her debut full-length 'I Predict A Graceful Expulsion'.

As this is a follow-up post I'll veer clear of my usual waffling praise, instead just expect you to go week at the knees with the deep, emotive feeling Cold Specks effortlessly manages to create, her raw, captivating voice and the exceptional craft of her instrumentation, divinely beautiful...

Garbage - Blood For Poppies

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If you've followed this blog for a while you'll probably notice I tend to stick with newer bands, there are better and more popular blogs than this to publicise 'well known' acts, especially those that are joining the ever increasing number of bands that are reforming or coming out of hiatus but sometimes excitement gets the better of me, one exception to that rule of thumb last year was Pulp, I love Pulp, I posted about them everytime I could get away with it, I've seen them six time since the reform (including last weeks show at the Royal Albert Hall sans Senior but with My Lighthouse), 2012's excitement is most likely to be Garbage, who've been teaching us with news, previews and show news for a while now but finally premièred their comeback single this week, the quite wonderful "Blood For Poppies"...

Yes (without the obvious exception of the gorgeous Shirley Manson - last seen by me in the massively underrated Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Garbage might look like a bunch of geography supply teachers but they certainly still know how to rock, "Blood For Poppies" has the bands hallmarks right through it, big, crushing guitar riffs with a slick electronic edge, an explosion of grunge, pop and dance, it might have been some seven years since we last heard from Garbage but the singles dirty, stomping beat, Shirley's trademark processed vocals and soaring choruses still reach the heights with my ears.

"Blood For Poppies" is due to be released as a single on Record Store Day (April 21st) with the album 'Not Your Kind Of People' due to follow May 14th, can't wait. Garbage have announced a short UK tour in July included a date at Brixton Academy on July 1st - tickets.

MayMay - New Music "Introducing"

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Here we have something quite spectacularly beautiful,  MayMay is Laurel Simmons from Arizona who recorded her debut, self-titled EP as long ago as the winter of 2008 in Portland, why it's taken until 2012 to be released I'm not too sure, but let's not worry about that, now it has seen the light of day (via Japanese label Flau) I'll just enjoy it instead... The EP simply put is five minimal, spacious tracks that will make your heartstrings flutter, Laurel's voice is soft, pure and angelic, accompanied throughout by sparse and fragile melodies built around gently plucked guitar, elegant strings and downbeat percussion 'May May' really is a thing of beauty.

Take a listen to "Born A Fable" below and you'll soon see the reason for my superlatives, I can't make my mind up if the overriding feeling I'm getting is wistful melancholia, soothing warmth or sleepy daydreams, probably because it's bits of all three, sad and reflective but always emotive and gorgeous, "Born A Fable" twinkling glockenspiel is both the prettiest of things and melancholic at the same time. "All is Still" is lovely and drowsy, transporting you to a blissful place between dreaming and awake while perhaps my favourite is "May Month", a simple, understated acoustic guitar ballad, where Laurel's haunting vocals are achingly beautiful.

If your Japanese isn't too, it's probably easier to order via Norman Records.

The Blanche Hudson Weekend - (Just Like) Susan George

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Here's another band that I certainly should have covered before, Leeds six piece The Blanche Hudson Weekend have been providing blissful fuzz-pop melodies for my ears since I first discovered them on 2010's 'Hate Is A Loaded Gun EP', which was in fact their third EP and they now return with the lead single for an yet untitled second album (last year's 'You Always Loved Violence' is available for just £5.00 delivered here), "(Just Like) Susan George"

Continuing in a similar vein to the impeccable "Let Me Go", (Just Like) Susan George is a quite exceptional blast of guitar-based prettiness, based around repetitive buzz saw guitars and fast paced, pounding drums the track is guaranteed to blow the cobwebs away, a delightful blend of sugar coated 60's girl group pop and storming garage-rock, it's so infectious that you'll find yourself pressing repeat before you know it.

The single is available to pre-order now via Odd Box Records here, released on April 30th.