Interactive Poll #Fri 13 Female Singer-Songwriters

3rd round of feedback

Nevermind: Nice of you to join and participate! I know Annette Peacock from her participation on the Bill Bruford album Feels Good to Me, but not as a solo artist (other than maybe a vague memory of radio back then). She has a beautiful voice, but this song is a bit too much easy-listening - it doesn't really captivate me. Rickie Lee Jones is more well known and I like her very much. This song, the drum/bass/piano flow give it a nice groove and her voice conveys some melancholic optimism. Very nice! Mafalda Veiga is a bit too much straightforward pop-rock for me, nice but forgettable. Rickie Lee Jones is my preferred one here.

BrufordFreak: Jane Siberry brings us, after an uptempo jazzy start, a rather easy going song but with many subtleties in the playing: a subtle interplay between piano and acoustic guitar in the beginning, an accordeon adding an extra flavor and a solid (changing) rythm section give a lot of musicality to this song before they lash out into some flamenco-like (?) jazz - very nice! I probably know Nina Hagen's music too well to make it a contender here, but I always loved her music and theatricality... She's always been a very special artist and this is a fantastic song. Tracey Thorn has a great voice too, and interesting lyrics, but this song moves me a bit less. Julia Holter: now this is new territory. Mixing a contemporary music ensemble feel with some pop leanings and electronics into a dreamy captivating poetic song. I don't know how to label this other than just very beautiful and very original. Like to explore more of her music! And with Shen Teh we have another great song. Nice build up, first between double-bass and piano, then with the drums going to a climax, fantastic voice. Thanks for putting these up!

mathman0806 wrote: Playlist for what I can play on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zzvl_w6Fx4rWIGzssuGWGQP_ze7P62s video removed for space

First listen where I left off, a couple of new ones and some additions to Nevermind:

Drew:  Hope you make it back in time to choose a final nomination, Drew (voting begins on Friday).  Good to see you back!  Jane Siberry “Are We Dancing Now? (Map of the World Part III” Begins with some very sporty piano and then some super-smooth, soaring, whispery vocals.  Definitely her own kind of artist, I’m certain she’s always recognizable, just from this one cut.  Some slidy concertina flows in, then some more piano, smoothing out after a brief interlude.  This song really captures new romance, the endorphins both smoothly flowing and then in bursts of energy, which sometimes border on chaotic and fading out at the end.  Nina Hagen “Naturtrane” Beautiful 12-string strumming starts this one, Nina has quite the operatic-type delivery.  You quite feel her indignation at the end of an affair, although she only mentions it as “acquaintance,” in the English translation I found.  Strings and drums back her as she soars above and about, then a tasteful electric guitar lead, as she wavers from lofty to earthy in her lament.  Tracey Thorn “Too Happy”  Plucked electric guitar leads into a self- and relationship-examination piece.  Everyone has been through these moments sometime or another.  From my perspective, it seems as though she is trying much harder than the object of her affection to keep the relationship.  Wonder if they stayed together?  Julia Holter “Words I Heard” Live in studio setting here, piano and strings.  I love this kind of a piece, melancholy, soft horns play along from time to time, this has a very “city” feeling to me, thoughtful and sophisticated.  Climax of the piece, with shimmery harmonies, making me think of church bells, somehow, then back down to the general feel to conclude. Shen Teh (Lara Reidel) “The Blue Café”  Begins with piano chords, a reminiscence song, of when a lover said goodbye.  The keys are joined with some cello (?) sliding underneath her confessional tone of voice, as she paints the portrait of the time, not specific words she can recall, but the tone, the feeling of the moment.  Drums and crashing cymbals kick in as she sings more forcefully, accepting the outcome she really doesn’t want.

Samuel: Not a problem for me bringing in Fiona Apple with “Sullen Girl,” as I’d indicated to Nevermind, as long as it’s not a smash hit piece, I’m OK with it.  I do remember Fiona Apple quite well, one of my friends even planted an apple tree in her yard and named it “Fiona.”  😊  Anyway, to the song: Begins with echo-y piano and her pretty, pretty voice singing of the damage a bad relationship can do.  Really nice imagery with the deep blue, waves and an empty shell left behind, bereft of it’s treasure.  The music swells as though it, too, is under the waves.  Solid, moody piece.

Nevermind:  Annette Peacock “Survival,” (I knew you put the first one up as sentimental for your father, and a good track it is).  Here is a spoken piece with some killer percussion, I might add.  A deep look at planetary peril and what is and isn’t being done about it, science and nature, innocence and world-weariness, the profound and the profane.  The piece is couched with that aforementioned percussion, snapping bass and electric piano.  This kind of reminds me of Jim Morrison’s “An American Prayer,” recording.  This piece is from 1979, yet here we still are, fighting this same battle.  Sigh.  Fitting end, she sings a few lines of “Silent Night.”  Tracy Chapman “Broken” There was a reason she was so successful, because she is so good at this.  Just hearing the lone guitar with her gorgeous voice gave me chills, hearing this again after a long time.   A perfect vignette of a normal, difficult life, told with compassion and honesty.

Nevermind wrote: @suitkees Now, you're right about my first Peacock's choice - mind you, that was just the bone, this is the real meat:

triptych wrote: Funny how no-one stated Aimee Mann.

Don't know why that wouls be funny. Aimee is great. She has been mentioned before in a previous interactive poll. You can nominate one of her songs. A lesser known one would be good.

I was thinking of an Aimee Mann song but probably won't do it. Sorry, lots of work to do last and this week, could listen to a few songs but less than half up to now. Thanks for the playlist George, that'll definitely help!

Hard not to put up videos of well known singers who have done great tracks..., but I have a couple I have heard over time that are nice....

A few more first listens: 

Lewian wrote: Not much time to listen and write, as mentioned before...