14 Valentines, Day 13

[secretsolitaire]

Today's topic at 14valentines is arts and entertainment.

My post for today is dedicated to my favorite female singer/songwriters.

Comments

[justinlovesart]

I didn't know quite a few of these. Dar Williams's song is great and so is the video. I will look for more of her songs.

And you're right, Vienna Teng has the voice of an angel.

[secretsolitaire]

Oh cool, I'm glad some of them were new to you! Dar Williams is wonderful -- my favorite album of hers is The Beauty of the Rain, which is about 37 minutes of perfection. :-)

I saw Vienna Teng live a few summers ago...amazing stuff. I have a couple of her albums: Dreaming Through the Noise and Warm Strangers. Haven't decided which I prefer, but they're both good.

[flamencanyc]

Wow, there are so many...

Sticking to just the singer/songwriters, thinking roughly earlier to more recent:

Joni Mitchell
Janis Joplin
Grace Slick
Patti Smith
Carole King
Carly Simon
Kate Bush
Stevie Nicks
Joan Armatrading
Suzanne Vega
Tracy Chapman
Annie Lennox
Alison Moyet
Melissa Etheridge
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls)
Bird York
P!nk

and I also like
Alanis Morissette
Sheryl Crow
k.d. lang
et al. but with a bit less devotion

and even though they're primarily singers without much of the songwriter component, I can't not mention some of my other favorite female singers:

Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Etta James
Sarah Vaughn
Barbra Streisand
Dusty Springfield
Pat Benatar

Ooh, that was fun!

[secretsolitaire]

Ooh, great list, thanks! I've heard of most but not all of these ladies -- Bird York and Alison Moyet are new names to me. I will have to look them up.

[flamencanyc]

Alison Moyet was the lead singer of Yaz (a.k.a. Yazoo in Europe) who also had a solo career.

Bird York is also known as Kathleen York in her acting career. You might have seen her as Sen. Andrea Wyatt in The West Wing, among other roles. She hasn't put out a lot as a singer/songwriter yet, but I love what's there. Her song "Wicked Little High" is one of my favorites. [Reminds me a lot of B/J too. ;) ]

Both worth checking out.

[secretsolitaire]

Cool, thanks for the info!

[serendipityxxi]

Vienna!!! I don't find a lot of people who've even heard of Vienna Teng so it's nice to see her being pimped out here. Harbour is definitely one of my favourites but I've got to say nothing beats Drought or My Medea for fantastic lyrics IMO :)

Favourite female musician, favourite musician in general for me would have to be Sarah McLachlan for her melodies, for her piano playing, for her humility, for her grace, but above all else for her lyrics. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Fear, Hold On, Home, Full of Grace, and most especially Angel are just plain poetry to me. I'd carry on but I'm saving it up for an essay for next year's 14 Valentines cause I thought of it too late *L* :)

Aside from Sarah who I'm sure you've heard of, I'd also recommend Missy Higgins "Sugarcane", Natalie Merchant "My Skin", A Fine Frenzy "Almost Lover" and Bree Sharp "Walk Away" :)

[secretsolitaire]

I don't remember how I first heard about Vienna Teng, but I'm pretty sure it was from someone on my flist. Then I got a chance to see her live a few summers ago and was blown away.

Sarah McLachlan is amazing -- she probably belongs on my own list above but it was getting long as it was. :-P

Thank you for the suggestions! I've never heard of A Fine Frenzy or Bree Sharp, so I'll have to look them up.