Spec me some female singers

[SiriusB]

I became lazy, haha.

Seriously though, I do like the more eccentric singers, but I'm just looking for something relaxing and not too challenging, background music if you will, something that won't distract me whilst I have my mind on other things.

As always thanks for the suggestions, I frequently check your last.fm page anway for new music.

Nightwish [before Tarja left]. Intro from John Two-Hawks there too!

Any of the gorgeous ladies from Celtic Woman

Ok maybe not Angela Gossow!

 

[Lysander]

 

[SiriusB]

 

[Merlin5]

Radio 2 drivel.

Clearly you don't know much about music. Lots of radio 2 drivel has better singers and songs than can be heard on radio 1.

 

[Lysander]

Clearly you don't know much about music.

No. I don't.

 

["andy"]

I'm aware of what the OP's taste is, we visit each others' Last FM pages quite regularly. I gave him a list of specialist music forums which would be more suited to his needs rather than the unadventurous and banal whims of those in a computing forum who can recommend little else than Radio 2 drivel. Yes, I responded to his OP but only because it was him. Sorry if my highly useful and accurate information irritated you.

your missing the point , if he wanted to ask a music forum im sure that he would. but he didn't , he was asking OCUK . maybe because he wanted your personal opinion and no one elses or maybe it was because he actually thinks there are a lot of people here with similar tastes to him. just because YOU dont like something doesn't mean that its 'bad'

what is bad and what is good ? its all personal opinion with music/art/film

So what are YOUR favourites?

you keep bringing up that he likes metal which yes is good info to know but thats not what was asked for either

I'm specifically looking for the more relaxing type, singers

I don't really care about the music behind it that much

everyone else seemed to manage it fine and without slagging off each others opinions. but you just had to be different didn't you

i dont even know why i bothered with this actually but i really dislike the slagging off of other peoples tastes and opinons , especially when it is different opinions that have been asked for.

 

[G-MAN2004]

I love her voice.

Edit: nostalgia

 

[Lysander]

The Sundays were excellent though Harriet's voice does tend to grate for me on the first album in places. It's far more developed on the later ones.

For someone with a highly unusual voice, try Cranes. Alison is a very acquired taste though.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Clearly you don't know much about music. Lots of radio 2 drivel has better singers and songs than can be heard on radio 1.

Sounds like standard elitist muso cobblers whereby anything with more than 5 people interested in it is much too mainstream and therefore, by some insane logical leap, rubbish.

1. Muso

A muso is a person who is obsessed with music.

Their record collection will contain music and artists nobody else has heard of, and if they believe that an artist is becoming popular they will deny they ever listened to them and quickly dispose of any evidence.

If they come around to your house they will make a beeline for your music collection and then criticise everything in it just to make sure you know they are cool.

As a sideline they will take up the acoustic guitar and then force you to listen to their "revolutionary" take on what music could be like. It will undoubtedly be dreadful and unlistenable.

 

[i-bert]

The Sundays were excellent though Harriet's voice does tend to grate for me on the first album in places. It's far more developed on the later ones.

For someone with a highly unusual voice, try Cranes. Alison is a very acquired taste though.

WOW

He's know the first names of these singers.

You must really know your stuff.

These will be a little too mainstream for you Pancakes.

 

[titaniumx3]

Big fan of The Sundays and Cranes.

As I said, I'm mostly interested in the actual vocals, don't mind what the lyrics or music is all that much. Some of the artists I've been listening to have pretty mediocre and boring instrumentals, with somewhat cringeworthy lyrics but I still like the vocals.

What I don't like is style over substance, or people who rely on their image more than actual singing talent. Also don't like heavily processed vocals, they must sound natural.

I'm still looking for a female vocalist along lines of the girl who sang on the first three maudlin of the well albums. She only sang on selected tracks and only for short sections, but thought she was brilliant regardless of how amazing the music was.

 

[Lysander]

Big fan of The Sundays and Cranes.

As I said, I'm mostly interested in the actual vocals, don't mind what the lyrics or music is all that much. Some of the artists I've been listening to have pretty mediocre and boring instrumentals, with somewhat cringeworthy lyrics but I still like the vocals.

What I don't like is style over substance, or people who rely on their image more than actual singing talent. Also don't like heavily processed vocals, they must sound natural.

I'm still looking for a female vocalist along lines of the girl who sang on the first three maudlin of the well albums. She only sang on selected tracks and only for short sections, but thought she was brilliant regardless of how amazing the music was.

So what you're looking for are female vocalists with that 'special' timbre. People who sound different, fresh, and above all, highly talented? I still hold that this is the wrong place to ask [note all the "you think you know about music blah blah" comments directed at me, which you wouldn't actually get in a music forum]. I think Julie London was one of the most recent vocalists who did that for me, I'm really in love with singers who sound sultry, almost sexy - without putting it on. I would also put Anneke in that category.

Have you tried Catafalque? Amazing female vocals. I know you weren't looking for metal but have a listen. Great album, this.

Ruby from Witchbreed? She has her own style - great singer but more powerful than sultry.

Let me know if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.

 

[Vonhelmet]

[note all the "you think you know about music blah blah" comments directed at me, which you wouldn't actually get in a music forum]

You might if you turned up telling all the residents that they didn't know jack about music.

 

[Lysander]

I'm still looking for a female vocalist along lines of the girl who sang on the first three maudlin of the well albums.

Hmm have you tried Mira?

 

[Plebo]

Bat for Lashes

 

[i-bert]

Bat for Lashes

All the songs from that set are pretty awesome.

I love the drumming on Pearls Dreams though.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Beth Gibbons has possibly the finnest female voice I have ever heard.

+1

Was going to put this in if the thread did not have it listed already, for great justice!

Also Lisa Gerrard.

 

[titaniumx3]

Let me know if I'm barking up the wrong tree here.

I've heard Witchbreed before and very much like the vocals, though not sure about the other band.

Problem with a lot of these female fronted metal bands is that the vocals seem too recessed (if that makes any sense), and almost always overpowered by the instrumentals, making it nearly impossible to listen to the 'timbre' and texture of the vocals; the finer details of the voice are completely lost. When I said I'm interested primarily in the technical aspect of the vocals, I was being completely serious. This is why I like Norah Jones, because her music seems to be mixed in such a way that you can hear huge amounts of detail in her voice, especially with a decent pair of headphones that can do midrange properly - may sound odd to some people, but I find it incredibly relaxing. Other female artists that have such attributes in their music are Alison Krauss, Sarah Mclachlan, Tori Amos, Beth Gibbons, Paula Cole, Heather Nova, Cat Power, etc. I don't give a toss about the instrumentals and lyrics, but the vocals sound amazing. That said, if the instrumentals are also good, then all the better (e.g. The Gathering).

Put simply, I want music with talented female singers, where the vocals are upfront and the main focus of the music.

Finally, since I'm replying to you Lysander, I quite like the vocals of the singer of Vas (which I found from your last.fm page). Very beautiful and amazingly well mixed (vocals have incredible detail). Fact that I enjoyed it despite not understanding a single word, speaks volumes.

 

[titaniumx3]

Thanks for Mira and Bat for Lashes will be checking them out.

 

[Lysander]

I've heard Witchbreed before and very much like the vocals, though not sure about the other band.

Problem with a lot of these female fronted metal bands is that the vocals seem too recessed (if that makes any sense), and almost always overpowered by the instrumentals, making it nearly impossible to listen to the 'timbre' and texture of the vocals; the finer details of the voice are completely lost. When I said I'm interested primarily in the technical aspect of the vocals, I was being completely serious. This is why I like Norah Jones, because her music seems to be mixed in such a way that you can hear huge amounts of detail in her voice, especially with a decent pair of headphones that can do midrange properly - may sound odd to some people, but I find it incredibly relaxing. Other female artists that have such attributes in their music are Alison Krauss, Sarah Mclachlan, Tori Amos, Beth Gibbons, Paula Cole, Heather Nova, Cat Power, etc. I don't give a toss about the instrumentals and lyrics, but the vocals sound amazing. That said, if the instrumentals are also good, then all the better (e.g. The Gathering).

Put simply, I want music with talented female singers, where the vocals are upfront and the main focus of the music.

Finally, since I'm replying to you Lysander, I quite like the vocals of the singer of Vas (which I found from your last.fm page). Very beautiful and amazingly well mixed (vocals have incredible detail). Fact that I enjoyed it despite not understanding a single word, speaks volumes.

Azam Ali, yes, she is absolutely stunning.

If you liked her work with Vas, check out her other band Niyaz, especially the Nine Heavens album.

I really like your point about listening to the texture of the the unprocessed voice. If you don't want vocals which have been squashed to buggery and back, you might be looking at jazz, some of the softer stuff. Try Bea Wain and lots of the pre 50s material. Bea Wain was amazing and very underrated and unknown.