Female Singer/Songwriter Thread

[Dominic]

here's a one-hit wonder female singer songwriter I love:


Anna Nalick

Her Breathe (2AM) is an absoultely gorgeous song I can replay over and over and not grow tired of.

Here's the video:

Breathe

Her lyrics are a bit "20-something girl-writing-deep-poetry" but they're sung so beautifully it works.

Makes me wonder why we never heard from her again!

[Dominic]

Azure Ray

This is an American Dream Pop duo that I absolutely love. They're music is ethereal, slow and sleepy and very dream-like...with gorgeous harmonies mixed with either acoustic guitar or synthesizers...

Here's some videos:

The Drinks We Had Last Night

We Are Mice


this one is probably their most well know song:

New Resolution

Great song but an awful video...

[katyseagull]

I am so in love with her voice and songwriting talent (sorry if the image hotlink doesn't work):

Chrissy Hynde of the Pretenders combines the ability to wrench your soul with the swaggering braggadocio of a young street tough.

her songwriting is intensely emotional, personal and uncompromising

Crap, I just wrote a long response in reply to this post (twice now) and lost all of it . lol. blah.


Anyway, I love your description of Chrissie Hynde Origami. As far as vocals go I have to say that I love this girl's unique voice and when I listen to her it really is gut wrenching. Like Joni Mitchell she can make me cry. She's responsible for co-writing one of my favorite songs "I'll Stand By You." Beautiful vocals and I like her lyrics a lot.



Chrissie Hynde singing "I'll Stand By You"



Here's a quote from Billy Steinberg who cowrote the song,

Steinberg: "'I'll Stand By You,' like the other hits that Tom and I wrote, started out as a lyric that I had in a notebook. I had the title and the chorus lyric. Chrissie is a very, very strong songwriter in her own right. She's very ruthless, ....
..
I remember she would just take a pen and she would cross out any lines I had written that she didn't like, and usually the lines that she didn't like would be ones that were too tender or too poetic. She would toughen up stuff I'd written. On 'I'll Stand By You' she added lines and changed lines."

'I'll Stand By You' felt a little generic. I know that Chrissie felt that way too to some extent. I don't think she really entirely embraced it to begin with, but she certainly does now because when she plays it live, it's one of the songs that gets the strongest response. It's done really well for her and for us."




Anyay I really love the emotion in this song and think the lyrics they came up with are actually quite powerful even if they are simple. (And the opening line is one of my favorites.)


Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Dont be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
cause Ive seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You dont know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less

Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you

[wdogg40]

She's responsible for co-writing one of my favorite songs "I'll Stand By You." Beautiful vocals and I like her lyrics a lot.



Chrissie Hynde singing "I'll Stand By You"



Here's a quote from Billy Steinberg who cowrote the song,

Steinberg: "'I'll Stand By You,' like the other hits that Tom and I wrote, started out as a lyric that I had in a notebook. I had the title and the chorus lyric. Chrissie is a very, very strong songwriter in her own right. She's very ruthless, ....
..
I remember she would just take a pen and she would cross out any lines I had written that she didn't like, and usually the lines that she didn't like would be ones that were too tender or too poetic. She would toughen up stuff I'd written. On 'I'll Stand By You' she added lines and changed lines."

'I'll Stand By You' felt a little generic. I know that Chrissie felt that way too to some extent. I don't think she really entirely embraced it to begin with, but she certainly does now because when she plays it live, it's one of the songs that gets the strongest response. It's done really well for her and for us."




Anyay I really love the emotion in this song and think the lyrics they came up with are actually quite powerful even if they are simple. (And the opening line is one of my favorites.)


Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Dont be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
cause Ive seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You dont know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less

Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you

[/quote]

Funny thing about this song: I was listening to it with 4 best friends when I got a DUI. Great song.

[Dominic]

Kristin Hirsch

This is a gal who once led 90's female icons Throwing Muses, became a solo artist, and now leads the hardcore punk trio, 50 Foot Wave.

Hersh's music is known for its chords, sonic treatments, and a vocal style ranging from softly melodic singing to impassioned screaming.

Throwing Muses was started with Hirsch's step-sister, Tanya Donnelly (later of Belly) in 1981 and helped launch a "women in alternative rock" movement. Their songs (mostly written by Hirsch) often touched on mental illness and often led to questions about the writer's own sanity!

Throwing Muses on wikipedia

music video - Throwing Muses - Bright Yellow Gun

As much as I love Throwing Muses, it's Hirsh's solo work that captivates me.

Here's a song from Hips & Makers that features Michael Stipe on backing vocals:

Your Ghost

[daveT]

I was going to do Azure Ray! I am happy other's pay attention to them. Wdogg, I am working on a Tori Amos right now.

[Rick Nebiolo]

here's a one-hit wonder

Anna Nalick's Wreck of the Day is a strong CD from track 1 to 11.

~ Rick

PS It there a CD selling site that generally provides better sample cuts than Amazon?

[Dominic]

Anna Nalick's Wreck of the Day is a strong CD from track 1 to 11.

~ Rick

PS It there a CD selling site that generally provides better sample cuts than Amazon?

You know, it's odd: I LOVE Breathe and yet I never bothered to seek out the album it came from! Guess I'll have to remedy that.

[Dominic]

I just spent an hour on Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies before it hit me that she may not have written most of the Junkies' songs. And she didn't (but her brother Michael did).

Dibs on Maria McKee for later in the week.

~ Rick

I don't think anyone will mind if you post your stuff on Margo....and i'll let you do Maria McKee...but it'd better be good!

[daveT]

Tori Amos.

Born as Myra Ellen Amos on August 22, 1963, she changed her name after a friend told her that she looked like a Tori. In 1968, she won a scholarship to the Peabody Institute of Musica and was kicked out because she did not like to read music. It would be tragic to see such talent do to waste, and waste it did not. First arriving to Los Angeles, she paid the bills by acting until she landed her first recording contract.

Her music is diverse, deep, intellectual and emotional. Her piano work is at times fast or soft, always tip-toeing around the influences that made her who she is, and at times directly confronting in covers of songs such as "Living on a Prayer," and at other times mocking, as in her cover of "Tell me why I like Sundays," twisting it to "Tell my why I hate Mondays."

Most of her songs talk about difficulties of being who she is and about the world around her. To really get a sense of the woman, it is mandatory to pick up her live albums. At times she may sound majestic, and at other times she may sound sarcastic, but there is never a doubt that she is confident in herself and convinced by the words she sings.

wiki

home page

myspace

Discography:

American Doll Posse: A two disk cd and a solid effort. Very few of the songs are stand-alone good, though it mixes well with other music of it's kind. Tori Amos attempts to combine all of her personalities into one album.

A Piano (box set):

The Bee Keeper: An over-all softer album.

Tales of a Librarian: Very strong album. Just about every song has a solid punch and beauty. Includes her hit "corn-flake girl.

Scarlets walk:

Strange little Girls: A solid rocking album with some soft ones for good measure.

To Venus and Back:

From the Choirgirl Hotel: My favorite album. It is more dancy and heavy than anything else she has done.

Boys for Pele: A simple album that doesn't show as much musical texture as her later albums.

Under the Pink:

Little Earthquakes: Assuming the covert title, it is about love and love not. A heavy fast paced album including "crucify."

I am so attracted to her..... If I ever am in a relationship, it will require a caveat.

[daveT]

MoZella

For a girl so young, MoZella has a textured history. I met her for a radio interview four years ago. Before that date, she had just returned to Los Angeles from Europe. She rushed back after receiving a call from A&R from a boutique music firm. Before that time, she was touring Europe, playing side gigs in festivals and well.... Struggling in Ireland. She grew up struggling in Detroit, moved to Los Angeles, worked as a waitress, still struggling while staying in her car. Her works are based on these struggles, or rather the joy she expects to have while not struggling. Now signed to Maverick Records, she continues on her life journey to prosperity. A true fighter until the end, after talking to her, I was left with little doubt that she will never settle for second best.

She has one Album called "I will." Perhaps it is nothing truly stunning or original, but it is a nice compliment to any library focusing on Jazz.



home page

myspace : with some sample songs.

[wdogg40]

I saw a Tori Amos concert a couple of years ago in Omaha and it was excellent. She had a piano on each side of her and straddled a bench while going back and forth playing them. I have never been so transformed and mesmerized by a concert before.

It was beautiful, powerful, sexy, passionate, and dirty all at the same time. I would encourage anyone who hasnt seen her perform, do yourself a favor. Even if you havent heard any of her songs you will probably enjoy the concert. It's funny I went with my g/f who is now my wife and she still gives me crap about how transfixed I was at the concert.

She is beyond talented, I didnt even start listening to her until Scarletts Walk came out a few years ago then went back and listened to anything I could find of hers.

[daveT]

Wdogg. I wish you did Tori now. What albums do you think are the most accessible to those who are not familiar with her work?

[wdogg40]

MoZella

For a girl so young, MoZella has a textured history. I met her for a radio interview four years ago. Before that date, she had just returned to Los Angeles from Europe. She rushed back after receiving a call from A&R from a boutique music firm. Before that time, she was touring Europe, playing side gigs in festivals and well.... Struggling in Ireland. She grew up struggling in Detroit, moved to Los Angeles, worked as a waitress, still struggling while staying in her car. Her works are based on these struggles, or rather the joy she expects to have while not struggling. Now signed to Maverick Records, she continues on her life journey to prosperity. A true fighter until the end, after talking to her, I was left with little doubt that she will never settle for second best.

She has one Album called "I will." Perhaps it is nothing truly stunning or original, but it is a nice compliment to any library focusing on Jazz.

I checked out her myspace page and was listening and thought to myself that it reminded me of Macy Gray then I read some reviews and thats one of the people they compare her to. It's a pretty good sound.

[Kimbell175113]

Born as Myra Ellen Amos on August 22, 1963, she changed her name after a friend told her that she looked like a Tori.

Awesome. I've been meaning to get around to Tori Amos for a while. I think I'm just a bit too young and I missed her the first time around, because everyone I know loves her. The "I Don't Like Mondays" song was on a West Wing episode and I thought it was great.

This thread is going well, guys. Dibs on Nellie McKay.