Underwhelmed....

I have just read and listened to the artists on the BBC Sound Of 2012 list and can't remember a time when I have felt so fucking underwhelmed by a list of so called breakthrough artists. They are not all bad but if this is the best the BBC can find I'm away to listen to my Smiths box set again.

Michael Kiwanuka can certainly sing, with more than a hint of Bill Withers and John Martyn to his voice, but just doesn't convince me. Nice but no cigar. I can, however, understand his placing on the list but most of the others are just baffling. Excepting the mighty Spector. Now these cats are onto something. Hints of Roxy Music and Pulp entwined with the more obvious Strokes influence lend something of an 80's sheen to the Spector sound. Takes a bit of balls to name your band after possibly the greatest producer of all time, but Spector could prove to one of the best new bands this year.

My other tip for the tip pop pickers has to be Cold Specks. I was blown away by the voice of Al Spx when she performed on Later last year. Her "doom Soul" sound on Holland was something special and hopefully 2012 will be the year that the world catches onto the beautiful and disarming sounds from Toronto's finest.

Spector - Never Fade Away