favorite Singer

Rhiannon wrote:

Bluebottle wrote:What I tend to do with artists I really like is to either search out great obscure songs that most people aren't aware or spend some time finding the best versions of songs which often are not so available recordings.

Hi Bluebottle,
that's what I also like to do. I often prefer demos or live version to the polished released ones.

While running the risk of joining the ranks of the Hipsters, I would certainly agree for some artists.

The Strokes are very good, I think, but they always keep their vocals so quiet relative to the other instruments, even so I like Julian Casablancas' little demo version for You Only Live Once. It is so much mellower than his usual work:


Call It Fate, Call It Karma off of Comedown Machine is so weird for them, but shows them branching out further from their beginnings, less growly:


Speaking of less growly, I love Cage the Elephant, especially tracks like:


I think they're kind of hit and miss when it comes to live shows, but one group that I've seen a lot now and that actually sound better live than in the studio, are Airborne Toxic Event. They're from Los Angeles:


Edit: Holy wow is he sweating in that one. Also the camera keeps showing Anna doing her weird-face.
Here is one wear the bass guitarist is playing a bass! Plus a quartet in the background, cause why not! And a choir!


For technical excellence, and I know none of these so far have been all that exemplary in terms of soloist abilities, so I'm going to just mention Matthew Bellamy from Muse.
I saw them play in San Francisco (actually Oakland, but more people recognize SF), a couple years back and the performance was stupidly flawless. I mean, they are RIDICULOUSLY good live. Case in point, some over-the-top falsetto craziness:


Or in a mellow ballad style:


I aboslutely adore their more atmospheric pieces:

Acoustic, so more voice focus:
Orgasmic>>>>  


Ok, last one, one of my favourite [Brain-issues. Insert word for when two artists contribute together on a single piece here] between Regina Spector and The Strokes:

He's gone.   

Funny, though I recognize the name Matthew Bellamy I wasn't really familiar with Muse. What an amazing package. I loved "unintended".

Regina Spector has this voice which seems to have this whole ironic perspective wrapped into the tone quality. Funny how so much personality can come out in just the sound of a voice. She reminds me a bit of Lorene Scarafia:



Good picks, Forest!

It's about time I made a contribution to this thread If I were stranded on an island and were given one choice, I'd choose to take Warren Zevon's discography with me (though many of you will know that by now ). Zevon had a voice that requires getting used to, but his songwriting beats even Dylan and all the others in my opinion. His play with words is a delight to anyone who takes joy in eloquent language.

One of the songs that got me into his music 7-8 years ago



One of his finest, I think, and there's a reference to a more famous singer in there for the attentive listener:



Another great one, although to me they're all favourites



One of very few covers he did which he included in an album, but worth posting as it's a very nice version of Steve Winwood's "Back in the highlife":



One from his last album, the album he decided to record after he learned he was going to die. Ironically, he had been singing about death and dying early all his life, and when he got the diagnosis he said "Well, I'm too old to die young, and too young to die now" - which was part of the lyrics from one of his early songs. Sadly, I don't think he meant it when he wrote the song, but he probably meant it when he said it then



Another beautiful one:



Sadly, he got sick after all, though it was no surprise (taking into account the life he led). All in all, he was (and still is) a woefully under-rated and under-appreciated artist.