After an abortive attempt at indie success with Kaptainblack (Cardiff's answer to Pixies), popular success with Dirty Perfect (Cardiff's answer to Weezer), 30-year-old singer/songwriter Kris Williams reinvented himself as Eugene Francis Jnr. Mining US folk and country roots, Francis pays homage to traditional American music albeit with an electronic twist here and there. Though the sound of these hills may be more Wichita than Wales, Francis' instrumental mastery and poetic lyrics easily span the gap. Now performing with a live band to deliver his gloriously ragged sing-alongs fused with synth experimentation, this old talent has been reborn with a newfound maturity
Ok so here's the scenario five guys, two girls all in matching thunderbird style hats and jackets complete with the individuals Jnr initials on show, the lead singer and mastermind behind all this is Eugene Francis Junior sporting an apache style head dress and Captain America shield to boot !! Now you can forgive me for thinking gimmicky straight away but I was yet to hear the sound these life like Gerry Andersons were to produce.
The first track was good enough and it perfectly put you in the mood for things to come gentle guitar and harmonies overlapping layers of instruments and dash of electronics for good measure giving you a warm rising feeling. Next up was the new single Poor Me which was absolutely brilliant starting with some light keyboard then the plucking of some beautiful guitar , the sound slowly building up with vocals and the tinkering of bells then it's all off. This is the perfect track for the summer you can just imagine lots of happy festival goers bopping around barefoot with glasses of Pims grinning away.
The rest of the set continued like this with great crowd interaction including throwing out little egg shakers to all, who then in turn shook along in time with the band. Other stand out tracks were Kites and Hobo Occupation which was stomping with the main man EFJ himself doing a funky little two step between singing into two microphones. The night was full of smiles and happy faces finishing with a fantastic track possibly called Pollution, I'm not sure, but it went down a storm.
Hinting of the likes of early ambient Orb or Aphex Twin mixed with country folk and the lyrics of say someone as great as Dylan. EFJ has dubbed the sound as being 'Folktronica' I can't say I'm a fan of the word but it does sum them up perfectly.
Hopefully this band will be doing the festival circuits this year as I'd love to see them again and can't recommend them enough, fingers crossed Poor Me will be for this summer like Peter Bjorn and Johns ' Young Folks was for last, they definitely deserve it and I wish them every success.
Eugene Francis Jnr, a Welsh musical wizard and accomplished solo act in his own right, has taken to recruiting six thoroughly accomplished followers, plucked from the cream of the Welsh indie scene. Together they forge a collective supergroup akin to the Flaming Lips of Cymru. Space age, dream world, leftfield folktronica to stimulate, invigorate and carry you off on a computerised paper aeroplane of happiness.
Poor Me runs on an electronic keyboard bubble destined to force its way through the greater stratospheric consciousness and make the world wondrous in 2007 and beyond, with streets full of people whistling that gleeful jibber. Not wholly unlike Sufjan Stevens magical Chicago, this is perfect enchanting pop at its finest. Like Wayne Coyne calling his army of foam hands and human teddy bears to a love march down the yellow brick road.
Kites takes a more Devandra Banhart, Vetiver et al vibe. Hypnotic sitar like star guitars and lighter than air atmospherics. As uplifting as you might expect from the metaphor, will pick you up dust you down and paint a shining grin on your face. Understated beauty through and through.
A thoroughly excellent debut double A-side not to be ignored. It will surely capture the imagination of anyone who hears it. A perfect soundtrack to lying on a hill and watching the summer clouds roll by, Eugene Francis and his genius juniors will make your world that little bit more magical a place.
'Debut AA side from the Welshman, Poor Me and Kites are two delightful folk songs that showcase the exquisite songwriting style of this artist. Instrumentally understated and rich in melody, this is a promising introduction that should serve as a strong introduction to his talents'
"A Eugene Francis Jnr gig is witnessing something special it is an event!" Marsha Shandur, Xfm
Hoping to become the next new hot Welsh music export after 'The Stereophonics', Eugene francis is making music that i feel has kind of been slacking of late. Where is all the innovative yet dreamlike, cascading yet elevating, howling singing folktronica? Huh? Multilayered junk shop samples, clattering dusty drums and sweet surreal synths blanket Eugene Francis' empowered voice. A little Patrick Wolf, a little Manitoba - yup his early stuff before the Dick Manitoba lawsuit and the Caribou phoenix-from-the-flames escapade - Eugene Francis is an underground star with a cult following (previously championed by John Peel), ready to spread his tales of optimism and life loving to the masses. Stand up tall whilst being awat with the fairies.
DONT PITY EUGENE FRANCIS JNR: HIS DEBUT SINGLE IS ONE OF THE MOST EUPHORIC OF THE SUMMER
Troubadour is a word that tends to be loosely applied to any guitar-toting scruff who has ever slept rough on a park bench. But in the case of Eugene Francis Jnr is is a term that is certainly appropriate. Born in Wales and of both Apache Native American and Inuit descent, a nomadic youth saw him living in South Africa, San Francisco, Australia and the London, all before many people have finished their 1st year at university.
Brief stints in such forgotten outfits as Kaptainblack, Dirty Perfect and the Peel-endorsed Fantastic Super Foofs followed, but now Francis has taken his many life experiences, a wealth of musical ideas and what must presumably be more than a few Air Miles and invested them in a baroque solo project.
Out now, his double A-sided single, POOR ME/KITES, is a quiet, lo-fir revelation;an aurally rich combination of melodic brilliance; harmonies of childlike innocence and the kind of euphoric lyrics that might have been written to encourage a depressive to make the leap from merely existing to actually living. Like the glorious clamour of Canada's Broken Social Scene, these two tracks could be the soundtrack to the first day of the rest of your life. As Francis explains, an epiphany is what he aims for.
'It's an appeal for humanism, in the sense that maybe we are all foreigners here and we are waiting to go home,' he says of the single, making no apologies for his hippyish stance. 'But while we are here we may as well live in unison with one another and create a set of beliefs that apply to all of us as humans.'
When it comes to playing live, Francis often relies on what he calls the 'cream of Cardiff's music scene' to back him up. Comprised of the largely excellent slo-core outfit Vito as well as folk-minded acts Broken Leaf and Lindsey Leven. The Juniors are trusted onstage accomplices. But it's the single-minded Francis who leads creatively from the front.
'I think great music has to be inspired by something like that for people to respond to it,' he asserts. 'There's no denying how good an album like Definately Maybe is because Liam Gallagher was singing about the experiences of working-class lads in Manchester and what they want out of life. When people just gloat about what they have, it's not anything like as resonant for most people. That's partly why I'm so confident this will succeed.'
The time to test his theory will soon come: Francis is currently putting the finishing touches to his debut album, THE GOLDEN BEATLE. Due for release in winter, chances are that the amount of bling-based braggadocio to be heard on it will be minimal. And, given the fact he has plundered all his wordly experience to create it, it's understandable? Francis would want his music to last a little longer than the typical 18-month album cycle.
'A song is only good if it's about something that interests me,' he says. 'If you want a song to outlive you then it has to be something that people can relate to, otherwise it'll only ever be a party anthem that you'll listen to for a couple of months in the summer. After that, it's just a song of nostalgia. I want more that that for my music.'
If it continues to be as good as Poor Me, there is every chance he will get his wish.
"IT'S too darn hot" as Lady Ella would sing. All around Club Academy there is mascara running, sweat rings forming and once fashionable hair styles collapsing in the heat, with many people getting irritable, so it would seem opening act, Eugene Francis Jr, has his work well and truly cut out for him tonight.
Appearing onstage wearing a head-dress, a Captain America plastic shield (as you do) and with just a battered guitar for back up, the Welsh-born songwriter sets about showcasing stripped down, acoustic versions of tracks from his forthcoming solo debut, 'The Golden Beatle'.
When shorn of all manner of processed sounds Eugene's songs take on a different light - less Postal Service, more Nick Drake - with his dexterous finger picking impressive throughout, serving his impassioned voice nicely, and there is even a ripple of recognition that goes up for debut single, 'Poor Me'.
Whilst new to most he'll certainly not be forgotten in a hurry by the people in the audience that are paying attention.
This lofty singer / songwriter claims to be a 'cynically tortured' boho Welshman raised by an apache Indian and an Inuit Eskimo... So it should come as no surprise that he takes to the stage tonight complete with feathered head-dress and a plastic shield.
Bizarre outfits aside, Eugene Francis makes compellingly beautiful, harmonica-tinged ditties and these are finally able to shine once he ditches the props halfway through and starts to banter warmly with the crowd. Eccentric, yes, but loveably so.
It is worth stating at the outset that this particular gig not only sets a new benchmark in terms of innovation, ambition and creativity, but was also hailed by the music-lovin' 80-strong crowd present as one of the most memorable and breathtaking performances of the year.
To mark the single launch of Eugene Francis Jnr and The Juniors double A-side release Poor Me/Kites Cardiff Bay's hallowed Norwegian Church serves as the perfect venue, with the haunting acoustics of its wooden panelled interior, lofty balcony and fancy lighting rig.
Amongst a flamboyant array of day-glo cut-out fish, and bathed in a golden spotlight Lindsey Leven takes to the stage to perform magical acoustic lullabies that make you want to gather your petticoat and run to the hills. Set highlight Racing Snails showcases Leven's lyrical finger picking and her backing band's purring harmonics. Delivered by a voice so sweetly lilting the songs carry you away to hazy summer afternoons lost to watching the clouds roll by.
Following rapturous applause after Leven's performance it is announced that Jakokoyak will be performing "live from a church in Norway", and a bemused audience turns its attention to a projector where Jakokoyak is shown to be playing his ambient synth-led electronica on mock-Norwegian television. Elaborate, surreal and tongue-in-cheek - yet it hardly prepares us for Eugene's box of tricks.
With a Captain America shield at his elbow, and his junior electric acoustic under his arm, Eugene Francis Junior launches solo into his inimitable angst-ridden heart-driven folk. Gazing up at the balcony with eyes wide and wild the captivated audience is cast under his spell.
Two songs in, the enigmatic frontman is joined by The Juniors identically clad in matching tunics with their initials sewn onto the breasts. Now donning a spectacular Indian headdress Eugene Francis Jnr and The Juniors treat us to a set of soulful, emotive and confessional songs delivered in a style that swings between country, folk and catchy indie-pop.
Their vibrant music bursts at its technicoloured seams with honeyed harmonies and pedal steel guitar, and, for the icing on the cake, the band throw dozens of shakers into the crowd for ultimate audience participation in their rhythmic carnival of a finale Hobo Occupation.
As far as Cardiff's best kept secret is concerned? well, they won't be a secret for much longer!