www.starpulse.com has posted a list of the top 10 songs sung by women in the rock era. My list would be almost completely different. That doesn't prevent me from commenting on their list.
10 - Sinead O'Conner - "Nothing Compares to You" [sic]
Solid choice. O'Conner has an incredible voice. I prefer "Mandinka", but this song will be familiar to more casual listeners. This is a problem throughout the list - popular, well known choices are given more attention than arguably better or more important songs.
9 - Sheryl Crow - "Strong Enough"
I can't really comment. Not familiar with this one.
8 - Janis Joplin - "Bobby McGee" [sic]
"Me and Bobby McGee" is a fine song. Very nice. But "Piece of my Heart" pretty much defines a particular vocal style. I would have given that song the nod.
7 - Mazzy Starr - "Fade Into You"
Again, not one I know. Mazzy Starr is on my "listen to some time" list, but I haven't tried them out yet.
6 - Blondie - "Heart of Glass"
This is a difficult one. "Call Me" is more favored, but "Heart of Glass" probably more important. "Rapture" gets the nod for historical import.
5 - Heart - "Crazy on You"
Hello, "Barracuda"? At least they didn't pick "What About Love".
4 - Hole - "Doll Parts"
Full disclosure: I really dislike this song. Why not something by Babes in Toyland? Sleater-Kinney? Heavens to Betsy? Anything but "Doll Parts" ...
3 - Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"
Nice song. One of the best, I'm not so sure, but nice nevertheless.
2 - Fleetwood Mac - "Gold Dust Woman"
Bucks the trend. This time *I* pick the more well known song - "Rhiannon".
1 - Carole King - "Feel Like a Natural Woman"
If I was making a list of top female songwriters of the rock era, King wins first place. Heck, she could make a solid claim at #1 songwriter of either gender. But the actual recording? Well, King is a better writer than vocalist. She's not a bad vocalist, but #1?
I've tried to stick to comments about the list as it appeared. But no Ronnie Spector? The barbarians.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
June eMusic
Used up my 100 dls a little early ...
Girl in a Coma Both Before I'm Gone
Released on Joan Jett's Blackheart label. All-latina, fairly straightforward rock.
Go Betty Go Worst Enemy EP
All-latina pop punk.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sinner
Joan'a first domestic release of the 2000s.
Period Pains BBC Session EP
Punk. Punkish, at least.
Shitbirds Famous Recording Artists
Elinore Blake is the vocalist. AKA multilingual girl-pop icon April March. Pretty far from the French pop she is known for under that name, though.
Skinned Teen/Raooul Bazooka Smooth!/Jail-bait Core
Released on the west coast's Lookout! Records. Pretty much the pop-punk you'd expect from Lookout!.
The Be Good Tanyas Chinatown
The Be Good Tanyas Scattered Leaves EP
The Be Good Tanyas "Opal's Blues"
Trad. The album is their 2nd full-length, the EP the band's debut, the track from a movie soundtrack.
The Carter Family "No Depression in Heaven"
The sole male vocal I downloaded in June.
The Coathangers "Dreamboat"
60s flavored 'clean' garage.
The Detroit Cobras Mink Rat or Rabbit
Garage. Mostly covers of mostly obscure R&B.
Couple of interesting download patterns in June. I bookended the month with trad stuff, starting with TBGT and ending the month with the Carter Family. Almost accidentally I picked up releases from two different all-latina groups. 99% of what I picked up features female vocalists, with several of the groups being in fact entirely made up of that gender.
Girl in a Coma Both Before I'm Gone
Released on Joan Jett's Blackheart label. All-latina, fairly straightforward rock.
Go Betty Go Worst Enemy EP
All-latina pop punk.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sinner
Joan'a first domestic release of the 2000s.
Period Pains BBC Session EP
Punk. Punkish, at least.
Shitbirds Famous Recording Artists
Elinore Blake is the vocalist. AKA multilingual girl-pop icon April March. Pretty far from the French pop she is known for under that name, though.
Skinned Teen/Raooul Bazooka Smooth!/Jail-bait Core
Released on the west coast's Lookout! Records. Pretty much the pop-punk you'd expect from Lookout!.
The Be Good Tanyas Chinatown
The Be Good Tanyas Scattered Leaves EP
The Be Good Tanyas "Opal's Blues"
Trad. The album is their 2nd full-length, the EP the band's debut, the track from a movie soundtrack.
The Carter Family "No Depression in Heaven"
The sole male vocal I downloaded in June.
The Coathangers "Dreamboat"
60s flavored 'clean' garage.
The Detroit Cobras Mink Rat or Rabbit
Garage. Mostly covers of mostly obscure R&B.
Couple of interesting download patterns in June. I bookended the month with trad stuff, starting with TBGT and ending the month with the Carter Family. Almost accidentally I picked up releases from two different all-latina groups. 99% of what I picked up features female vocalists, with several of the groups being in fact entirely made up of that gender.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
5 most intriguing vocalists of the moment
If you've been reading this blog it should be fairly obvious that I pay alot of attention to vocals in songs. By 'vocals' I mean the actual performance of the lyrics, not just the content. I'm also a pretty big enthusiast of lists. So why not a list of vocalists? In reverse order here are the five most intriguing vocalists I've been listening to lately:
5 - Kate Jackson, The Long Blondes
On the Long Blondes latest release, Couples, Kate makes very able use of falsetto in some places. What really impresses me though is her ability to use the lower end of her vocal range. One example is "Giddy Stratospheres" from their previous album. She pulls off singing one portion of the bridge in a very low register while maintaining a fairly straightforward delivery. Very impressive. Her delivery in and of itself is interesting, being almost like a speaking voice, but not quite.
4 - Angela Gossow, Arch Enemy
Angela also has ... interesting ... delivery. She uses what are often called 'cookie monster' style vocals. Normally I don't go in for this easily parodied extreme metal style. When those sounds come out of a female throat, though, I find it a lot more interesting. When I first heard Arch Enemy I had never heard a woman pull this off. I've since heard others, but you always remember the first :).
3 - Frazey Ford, The Be Good Tanyas
Imagine a vocalist who ate an entire jar of peanut butter before singing. That is not Frazey. Frazey sounds like she is actually eating the peanut butter WHILE SINGING. A unique and very enjoyable style. Takes a little getting used to a delivery that has as much in common with mumbled rambling as more common vocal styles. But worth getting used to.
2 - Melora Creager, Rasputina
With Melora we go in a completely different direction. Her voice is crystal clear, with only the faintest vibratto on sustained notes. That warble is used to great effect. The Rasputina cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" is definitive, nearly dripping melancholy. The cellos of course account for some of this, but much of the credit for outdoing the original must go to the vocal performance.
1 - Ali Howard, Lucky Soul
Lucky Soul are one of my favorite bands at the moment. Ali Howard's vocals get much of the credit for this. They are velvety like honey, except this honey has begun to crystallize a bit so is a little gritty. Ali is far from Kim Carnes/Bonnie Tyler throaty vocals territory but you get a definate feeling she could play on that field. At the same time she hints at the stylings of a vocally talented 12 year old. In some respects reminisciant of an early 60s Ronnie Spector. The combination of sandpaper breathiness and little girl exubriance makes for a very intriguing result.
5 - Kate Jackson, The Long Blondes
On the Long Blondes latest release, Couples, Kate makes very able use of falsetto in some places. What really impresses me though is her ability to use the lower end of her vocal range. One example is "Giddy Stratospheres" from their previous album. She pulls off singing one portion of the bridge in a very low register while maintaining a fairly straightforward delivery. Very impressive. Her delivery in and of itself is interesting, being almost like a speaking voice, but not quite.
4 - Angela Gossow, Arch Enemy
Angela also has ... interesting ... delivery. She uses what are often called 'cookie monster' style vocals. Normally I don't go in for this easily parodied extreme metal style. When those sounds come out of a female throat, though, I find it a lot more interesting. When I first heard Arch Enemy I had never heard a woman pull this off. I've since heard others, but you always remember the first :).
3 - Frazey Ford, The Be Good Tanyas
Imagine a vocalist who ate an entire jar of peanut butter before singing. That is not Frazey. Frazey sounds like she is actually eating the peanut butter WHILE SINGING. A unique and very enjoyable style. Takes a little getting used to a delivery that has as much in common with mumbled rambling as more common vocal styles. But worth getting used to.
2 - Melora Creager, Rasputina
With Melora we go in a completely different direction. Her voice is crystal clear, with only the faintest vibratto on sustained notes. That warble is used to great effect. The Rasputina cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" is definitive, nearly dripping melancholy. The cellos of course account for some of this, but much of the credit for outdoing the original must go to the vocal performance.
1 - Ali Howard, Lucky Soul
Lucky Soul are one of my favorite bands at the moment. Ali Howard's vocals get much of the credit for this. They are velvety like honey, except this honey has begun to crystallize a bit so is a little gritty. Ali is far from Kim Carnes/Bonnie Tyler throaty vocals territory but you get a definate feeling she could play on that field. At the same time she hints at the stylings of a vocally talented 12 year old. In some respects reminisciant of an early 60s Ronnie Spector. The combination of sandpaper breathiness and little girl exubriance makes for a very intriguing result.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Catching up
Bo Diddley passed away recently. You can read about him at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley. Bo was in the uncomfortable position of being incredibly influential but often being treated as a mere footnote. What was interesting for me was that the word 'hambone' was never used in describing the 'Bo Diddley beat ' - which is widely acknowledged as a hambone variant. But apparently the public can't be trusted with that knowledge ...
One downside of listening to a variety of styles is that it can be easy to lose track of happenings in one area because a different area was being focused on. For example, I've been reading about riot grrrl lately - completely missing the overhaul in the Pipettes front line! Wasn't keeping up on indie pop. But it is true. Becki and Rose have both moved on to other projects. That means 2 of the 3 Pipettes vocalists have been replaced. Hope to hear material with the newbies (Anna and Ani) soon. In other Pipettes news, they recently did a show with REO Speedwagon. I feel unclean now ...
U2 should can their manager (Paul McGuinness). I mean, really, the guy is just embarassing. Pretty much monthly he natters on someplace about how the music recording industry is being hurt ... by everybody else. This time he targets ISPs (old hat, there), cellphone manufacturers, and telecoms in general.
eMusic makes recomendations based on past download history. How embarassing that my 'new releases' list included an album by ... Tiffany. I only previously downloaded one song by Tiffany! I swear!
On the subject of eMusic, material by the band Po' Girl is split between different spellings of the name - with or without the apostrophe. This annoys me much more than it should.
Still on the topic of eMusic, I have discovered they have some Joan Jett stuff I don't have yet. That is beyond cool, and something I just stumbled upon. Never would have thought to look.
One downside of listening to a variety of styles is that it can be easy to lose track of happenings in one area because a different area was being focused on. For example, I've been reading about riot grrrl lately - completely missing the overhaul in the Pipettes front line! Wasn't keeping up on indie pop. But it is true. Becki and Rose have both moved on to other projects. That means 2 of the 3 Pipettes vocalists have been replaced. Hope to hear material with the newbies (Anna and Ani) soon. In other Pipettes news, they recently did a show with REO Speedwagon. I feel unclean now ...
U2 should can their manager (Paul McGuinness). I mean, really, the guy is just embarassing. Pretty much monthly he natters on someplace about how the music recording industry is being hurt ... by everybody else. This time he targets ISPs (old hat, there), cellphone manufacturers, and telecoms in general.
eMusic makes recomendations based on past download history. How embarassing that my 'new releases' list included an album by ... Tiffany. I only previously downloaded one song by Tiffany! I swear!
On the subject of eMusic, material by the band Po' Girl is split between different spellings of the name - with or without the apostrophe. This annoys me much more than it should.
Still on the topic of eMusic, I have discovered they have some Joan Jett stuff I don't have yet. That is beyond cool, and something I just stumbled upon. Never would have thought to look.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
May eMusic
Just in case you aren't familiar with all the stuff I download I've put little descriptions on each.
Aje'h "Kids In America"
-This months cover project was the Kim Wilde classic.
Baby Guts Gasoline
-Twin Cities riot grrrls.
BP vs. Effcee "Kids In America"
-Cover project.
Harpies Deep EP
Harpies Lie Down Station EP
-Could just as well be considered singles. Doom metal, pretty much.
I Hate Sally Don't Worry Lady
-Metalcore. Probably not technical enough for the headbangers but too metal for the punks.
Kizooks! "Kids In America"
-Think Kids Bop. Cover project.
The Be Good Tanyas Blue Horse
-Trad.
The Indelicates American Demo
-British indie pop/rock. Not a demo despite the name.
The Long Blondes Couples
-British indie pop/rock, trending towards indie dance.
The Long Blondes "Fulwood Babylon"
-A B-side I didn't have yet.
Various Artists Backcomb 'N' Beat - Dream Babes Volume 3
Various Artists Let's Go: Joe Meeks Girls!
-British mostly early/mid 60s girl group.
Two highly anticipated releases downloaded in May - Couples and American Demo. I'm doing a better job of balancing my downloads to match my interests, so all around good month for emusic here!
Aje'h "Kids In America"
-This months cover project was the Kim Wilde classic.
Baby Guts Gasoline
-Twin Cities riot grrrls.
BP vs. Effcee "Kids In America"
-Cover project.
Harpies Deep EP
Harpies Lie Down Station EP
-Could just as well be considered singles. Doom metal, pretty much.
I Hate Sally Don't Worry Lady
-Metalcore. Probably not technical enough for the headbangers but too metal for the punks.
Kizooks! "Kids In America"
-Think Kids Bop. Cover project.
The Be Good Tanyas Blue Horse
-Trad.
The Indelicates American Demo
-British indie pop/rock. Not a demo despite the name.
The Long Blondes Couples
-British indie pop/rock, trending towards indie dance.
The Long Blondes "Fulwood Babylon"
-A B-side I didn't have yet.
Various Artists Backcomb 'N' Beat - Dream Babes Volume 3
Various Artists Let's Go: Joe Meeks Girls!
-British mostly early/mid 60s girl group.
Two highly anticipated releases downloaded in May - Couples and American Demo. I'm doing a better job of balancing my downloads to match my interests, so all around good month for emusic here!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
eMusic April 08
1/3 through May and I'm just getting around to posting a list of my April eMusic downloads.
All Girl Summer Fun Band All Girl Summer Fun Band
Bodies Of Water Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
Julie Ruin Julie Ruin
Lucky Soul "I Gots The Magic" "Give Me Love" "One Kiss Don't Make A Summer (Radio Edit)" "That Hollywood Glow"
Shebang "Kids In America"
Suffrajets Everything You Do EP
The Choir Practice The Choir Practice
The Dials Flex Time
The Eyeliners Confidential
The Gathering Mandylion
The Langley Schools Music Project "Good Vibrations" "God Only Knows" "Space Oddity"
The Muffs "Kids In America"
The New Pornographers "Failsafe"
Tiffany "Kids In America"
We Start Fires "Play You (12" Mix)"
All Girl Summer Fun Band All Girl Summer Fun Band
Bodies Of Water Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
Julie Ruin Julie Ruin
Lucky Soul "I Gots The Magic" "Give Me Love" "One Kiss Don't Make A Summer (Radio Edit)" "That Hollywood Glow"
Shebang "Kids In America"
Suffrajets Everything You Do EP
The Choir Practice The Choir Practice
The Dials Flex Time
The Eyeliners Confidential
The Gathering Mandylion
The Langley Schools Music Project "Good Vibrations" "God Only Knows" "Space Oddity"
The Muffs "Kids In America"
The New Pornographers "Failsafe"
Tiffany "Kids In America"
We Start Fires "Play You (12" Mix)"
Friday, May 2, 2008
Happy birthday Lesley Gore!
Today (May 2) is Lesley Gore's birthday. She is pretty much an icon in popular music and one of the handful of definitive "girl group" performers (which demonstrates that 'girl group' isn't just about groups of 'girls' - there's just one Lesley). I hardly need mention her biggest hit - "It's My Party". If you have had any exposure to contemporary pop you already are probably familiar with it already.
"It's My Party" is certainly a fine song, but not her most important. I give that honor to "You Don't Own Me". But that song deserves a post of its own.
Although almost a spokesmodel for early-mid 60s pop, Lesley's career is not limited to that decade. After a pair of releases as a singer-songwriter in the early 70s we didn't get new material until 2005's Ever Since.
I'd like to be emphatically positive in my comments about Ever Since but the best I can muster is "probably good if you enjoy this style". The material is almost torch-song lounge jazz. Not my cuppa. Nice to see an established performer who could easily play it safe explore something new, but this just isn't anything I'll be listening to often. Not bad, just (like I said) not my cup of tea. I'll be sticking to the double-CD Mercury anthology of Lesley's material recorded for that label (including her major hits). Apparently this set is out of print, which is a pity.
"It's My Party" is certainly a fine song, but not her most important. I give that honor to "You Don't Own Me". But that song deserves a post of its own.
Although almost a spokesmodel for early-mid 60s pop, Lesley's career is not limited to that decade. After a pair of releases as a singer-songwriter in the early 70s we didn't get new material until 2005's Ever Since.
I'd like to be emphatically positive in my comments about Ever Since but the best I can muster is "probably good if you enjoy this style". The material is almost torch-song lounge jazz. Not my cuppa. Nice to see an established performer who could easily play it safe explore something new, but this just isn't anything I'll be listening to often. Not bad, just (like I said) not my cup of tea. I'll be sticking to the double-CD Mercury anthology of Lesley's material recorded for that label (including her major hits). Apparently this set is out of print, which is a pity.
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