How The Other Half Sings

Driving around with my friends can often lead to interesting musical discussions, as all of us take music rather personally overall. These discussions often turn heated when I’m controlling the tunes in the car, as my “weird” tastes in music come to the forefront. For example, when I declared to one of my buddies without hesitation that I would take Tool over Led Zeppelin any day, I got more than my share of the stink-eye. Another occasion, similarly involving Zeppelin and the same friend, saw me ostracized for my decision to choose a 10,000 Maniacs song on the radio over a Zep song on another station. This got me thinking about a sentiment that many of my friends have made clear when riding in the car with me: they don’t like female singers.

Now I don’t really think it’s anything personal, really. It’s just that. . .well, they don’t like them I guess. As most of my friends swear by classic rock, I tried to play the Janis Joplin and Heart cards, but still didn’t get much of a response in my favor. My attempts to chip away at their musically-mysogynistic attitudes ever since have been repelled, and at this point I’m pretty much ready to resign myself (or rather my friends) to fate.

You see, this argument weighs heavy with me because. . .well, I tend to like most female singers. I don’t really know why it is, but when I hear a female voice singing for whatever reason my ears perk up, and I listen to them in a different way than I would a guy. Like I said, it’s not that I swear by the glory of all female vocalists from “Ma” Rainey to K.T. Tunstall (who both kinda rub me the wrong way actually, Tunstall especially), but a feminine voice can oftentimes provide a new outlook with which to perceive a song. Plus, a lot of them sing beautifully! So, here I’ve decided to list a few of my personal favorite female singers and/or groups with female vocalists, in the hopes that many of you who wish to can escape the isolated realm my friends occupy. So then. . .

Kate Bush: With an extremely eccentric approach to music and a killer range, Bush is definitely my pick for the best female vocalist of all time. The sheer variety in her music allows for her to showcase that voice of hers in all kinds of crazy ways. Her unique brand of ever-changing tunes have influenced artists from John Lydon of Sex Pistols fame to bands of today like Placebo and Radiohead.

TCP Recommends: Hounds Of Love

Tori Amos: A master at piano, Amos oftentimes provides nothing to accompany that piano except her own voice, and that is what gives her music it’s particular flavor. Amos’ voice can levitate in the air just as easily as it can fall back down to earth, and her range allows her to explore in her musical style in ways similar to Bush.

TCP Recommends: From The Choirgirl Hotel

The Sundays: This British group from the early 90s is spearheaded by the dreamy voice of Harriet Wheeler. Wheeler’s vocal style, which is extremely high in pitch and thick with a British accent, perfectly accentuates the style of the band in its atmospheric and ambient nature. A very light and flowing sound is produced, with Wheeler’s voice often stealing the show though with its ability to create mood through both lyrical and vocal stylings.

TCP Recommends: Reading, Writing, And Arithmetic

boa: Not be confused with the Korean pop singer, this British rock group gained most of its fame in Japan. Starting as a funk band, boa has since broadened their spectrum, incorporating a variety of rock elements into their songs. Jasmine Rodger’s voice is a perfect backdrop to the sound of the band as a whole, as she has the ability to manipulate her voice to match the driving pace of the music itself. This allows the band to drift from harder jams to softer, more soothing melodies seamlessly and without it seeming forced.

TCP Recommends: Twilight

Belly: Combining the best of early-90s rock with a more folk mentality, Belly create their own brand of rock. The music of the band has a very authentic, stripped down feel, and Tanya Donelly has a voice that “bares-it-all” in similar ways

TCP Recommends: Star

Bjork: Everybody likes Bjork. I don’t really know much by her, but everybody likes Bjork. So I guess you should like Bjork to. So go do it.

TCP Recommends: Debut (it’s the only one I have. Incidentally, she has an album with Mike Patton featured on it that I’ve been meaning to check out.

There are others of course. Plenty of them, in fact. This is pretty much just a cross-section of my all-time favorites and what I’ve been into lately. That’s it for now, and, please, bring on the “You’d take Tool over Zeppelin?!” comments. I welcome them.

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