Topic: Looking for female folk singers (Read 9735 times)

jimbunny · « **on:** 21 Oct 2007, 07:24 »

Yeah, okay, but specifically some with a bit of grit in their vocals. Preferably minimal accompaniment. Maybe country, but not overwhelmingly so (ie lap steel kept to a minimum, please). Think Cat Power, but not so much "indie rock" and more "barroom acoustic."

Kai · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 08:07 »

Joni Mitchell.
Nina Nastasia.

sparl · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 08:16 »

Vashti Bunyan, Neko Case, Mirah

celticgeek · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 08:21 »

Buffy Sainte-Marie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg0LOzCkxxE&mode=related&search=
Brid Dower http://www.briddower.com/
Elizabeth Cotton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMSYzFdloqY
Aideen O'Brien http://www.aideenobrien.com/

Ã¶de · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 09:08 »

Scout Niblett.[/b]

Not too folky but she is awesome.

analogthought · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 10:25 »

based on what you said you were looking for, I immediately thought of Karen Dalton.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y-BIKjypNsE

Josephine Foster is another great (newer) one....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ohJD1RITMFY

good luck.

Joseph · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 11:36 »

Julie Doiron.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTGog78pzp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo5FLoq4kFk

sombrasoubrette · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 11:37 »

Definitely going to second Neko Case here. Maaaybe the newer Norah Jones album?

Joseph · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 11:43 »

Oh, and Amy Millan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo7uLkY8jFc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKwAuGJ9w3Y

ruyi · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 12:00 »

emanuelle parrenin

Mnementh · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 16:28 »

Iris Dement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikZwgj89HI

Spinless · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 16:56 »

Holly Golightly!

IronOxide · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 17:43 »

Quote from: Kai on 21 Oct 2007, 08:07

Joni Mitchell.
Nina Nastasia.

This thread was won before the third post.

ViolentDove · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 19:41 »

Jolie Holland, get Escondida.

Seriously, do it.

Lines · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 19:54 »

Quote from: IronOxide on 21 Oct 2007, 17:43

Quote from: Kai on 21 Oct 2007, 08:07
Joni Mitchell.

This thread was won before the third post.

SeanBateman · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 20:07 »

Quote from: Daniel on 21 Oct 2007, 16:28

Iris Dement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikZwgj89HI

yes

She is amazing although on the country side.

Valrus · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 20:08 »

Dar Williams, first two albums (The Honesty Room and Mortal City) only.

tomselleck69 · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 20:33 »

Quote from: Ã¶de on 21 Oct 2007, 09:08

Scout Niblett.[/b]

Not too folky but she is awesome.

sighhh... beaten by an entire day.

seconding jolie holland too.

Inlander · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 Oct 2007, 21:40 »

Quote from: Dirk Hopeless on 21 Oct 2007, 20:07

She is amazing although on the country side.

Sure, but Jimbunny's going to have to learn to like country some time. That's just simple fact.

jimbunny · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 01:32 »

(hands over ears) Lai-lai-lai-Lai-lai-Lai-lai-Lai-lai
I can take country in doses, but once it becomes the whole thing...ehhhh.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys (keep them coming, if you would). I'm kinda only getting the dregs of the Internet right now, so I'll be saving most of the Youtube links for a rainy day when I'm back home (or at an internet cafe).

Joni Mitchell is awesome, it goes without saying, but from what I've heard (just Blue and a greatest hits album), she's a bit nicer than what I'm asking for here. (I know I should go pick up the rest of her albums, and it will happen someday.) Dar Williams? Nice in the extreme (her later albums have good songs, too; if you check out her live album, you can hear them without all the studio shit). Vashti Bunyan? Again, stunning, but not really this (can you imagine Vashti Bunyan playing bars? If so, can you tell me which bars you are going to?) I will also get more Neko Case (again, someday).

Right now, the list (in a somewhat backwards order) looks like:
Scout Niblett
Jolie Holland
Iris Dement
Nina Nastasia
Holly Golightly
emanuelle parrenin
Amy Millan
Julie Doiron
Karen Dalton
Josephine Foster
Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Brid Dower
Elizabeth Cotton
Aideen O'Brien
Mirah
Joan Baez
Holly Near
Tiny Vipers
Madeline

IronOxide · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 03:54 »

Where's Joni Mitchell in your list? You are missing perhaps the most important artist in this thread!

muteKi · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 07:10 »

NEEDS MOAR JOAN BAEZ

??

jimbunny · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 07:50 »

Quote from: IronOxide on 22 Oct 2007, 03:54

Where's Joni Mitchell in your list? You are missing perhaps the most important artist in this thread!

o.0

Joan Baez. On the list.

celticgeek · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 08:02 »

Holly Near

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm0gIma_LgA

Lise · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 11:00 »

I'm not sure if you can classify this as "folk", but I'd recommend Jesy Fortino of Tiny Vipers. She has a really delicate voice, but she sings with a lot of spirit and it's amazing what moods she can create with just minimal guitar accompaniment.

Unfortunately they don't have a real website yet, but Tiny Vipers has a Sub Pop page (http://www.subpop.com/releases/tiny_vipers/full_lengths/hands_across_the_void) and a Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/tinyvipersss). I'd recommend starting off with "On This Side."

carrotosaurus · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 11:04 »

Madeline

She is from Athens, GA.

Valrus · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 13:19 »

Quote from: jimbunny on 22 Oct 2007, 01:32

Dar Williams? Nice in the extreme (her later albums have good songs, too; if you check out her live album, you can hear them without all the studio shit).

Concur, but she does start to get much less folk-y in sound.

Kai · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 18:45 »

Quote from: jimbunny on 22 Oct 2007, 01:32

but from what I've heard (just Blue and a greatest hits album), she's a bit nicer than what I'm asking for here.

them's fightin' words

Joni Mitchell is music for all occasions

Clobbersaurus · « **Reply #28 on:** 22 Oct 2007, 21:23 »

your list ignored Vashti Bunyan, who was mentioned earlier. dont forget her! she's lovely!

And why no Joni? i dont really understand the whole "a little too good" for your list. *chimes with the rest*

jimbunny · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 00:58 »

No. "Nice" as in smooth. I'm looking for something rougher. The problem is that I have too much smooth. Lovely, yes. What I'm asking for in this thread, no. Think acoustic PJ Harvey. If there's a Joni sound like this, I haven't found it.

Just to make it clear, the list includes those artists I have not yet been sufficiently exposed to. Maybe they're not all what I'm looking for, but hopefully some are.

Read the whole post.
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Are you still reading? I'm about to insult your mother.
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Naw, I'm too nice.
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...quite unlike your mother. Hah!

Valrus · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 05:50 »

Oops, okay, so no Dar Williams. How about Martha Wainwright? Hopefully someone with a song called "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole" will fit the bill?

SeanBateman · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 12:31 »

I feel really bad for people who are afraid to embrace country music.

Mnementh · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 16:41 »

Miss Derringer might fit the bill. It's less folk and more country/rock: http://www.myspace.com/missderringer

I definitely agree with you there Keiffer. I suspect it's a matter of exposure for a lot of people, but it is an oddly polarizing genre, regardless.

Inlander · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 16:52 »

I'm just trying to figure out how somebody could want lap steel kept to a minimum.

carrotosaurus · « **Reply #34 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 20:07 »

Slide guitar is better than regular guitar.

celticgeek · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 21:09 »

Resonator guitar for the win.

(Dobro, for the real thing.)

jimbunny · « **Reply #36 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 21:30 »

Partly a generational semantics issue, partly the fact that lap steel - after a point - is a just phenomenally boring instrument.

cxcmb · « **Reply #37 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 21:48 »

alela diane, margo guryan, lavender diamond... maybe?

muteKi · « **Reply #38 on:** 23 Oct 2007, 22:51 »

Quote from: jimbunny on 22 Oct 2007, 07:50

Quote from: IronOxide on 22 Oct 2007, 03:54
Where's Joni Mitchell in your list? You are missing perhaps the most important artist in this thread!

o.0

Joan Baez. On the list.

Hmm. I seem to have missed that in my search. Darn.

Gryff · « **Reply #39 on:** 24 Oct 2007, 02:40 »

I could second Karen Dalton. She's pretty great.

IronOxide · « **Reply #40 on:** 24 Oct 2007, 03:59 »

Quote from: Inlander on 23 Oct 2007, 16:52

I'm just trying to figure out how somebody could want lap steel kept to a minimum.

Dude, pedal steel is much cooler than lap steel. kthxbai

Inlander · « **Reply #41 on:** 25 Oct 2007, 00:43 »

I can't believe nobody's suggested Lucinda Williams yet. Even if we're doing a "no country" rule.

Also, I'm starting a thread . . .

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Looking for female folk singers (Read 9735 times)

analogthought

sombrasoubrette

Mnementh

Spinless

SeanBateman

muteKi

SeanBateman

Mnementh

cxcmb

muteKi