Female Artists

thothguard51 · Jan 5, 2013

I'm old school, very old...

Joni Mitchell,
Bonnie Raitt,
Carol King,
Stevie Nicks,

There is also a girl group from Ireland, they all play fiddles and sing. I can never remember their names, its Celtic something... I think. Love their music...

Vortex Theory · Jan 5, 2013

I listen to Imogen Heap a lot when I'm in a mellower mood, my favorite song of hers is "Canvas."

Lunascape is another favorite, "Yairo" is more upbeat but most of her other songs are softer, like "Love = Creepy."

Sneaker Pimps are more toward trip hop, but they have a lot of softer stuff too. "Six Underground" was one of their better-known songs, although these days it seems to have been mostly forgotten.

Portal bears mentioning as well; some of the members came from Cynic, one of the most groundbreaking experimental death metal/fusion bands ever. Portal's stuff is much softer though, mostly new age/fusion with a hint of progressive rock. Here's my favorite track, "Circle."

The Gathering is another death metal-turned-soft band with a female singer. Check out "Monsters" or "Alone."

BongoFury · Jan 10, 2013

One of my favorite female singer discoveries has been Lhasa de Sala, who died New Year's Day 2010. She was multilingual and recorded three albums. I recommend her first album, La Llorona, which is sung in Spanish. Her third album was sung entirely in English. The overall sound is folk-rock-ish but plenty of ethnic and jazz styling to make stand apart from that genre. I don't understand much French or Spanish but in music, the passion is what counts and she had it. Her music was constantly in my spotify listening last year.

And be sure to check out múm, an Icelandic band. Membership has shifted over the years and most are multi-instrumentalists. The vocals tend to favor the female side. Their music has been described as folktronica, experimental, dream pop, low-fi and all kinds of other stuff. No one song or album represents their sound. You just have to dive in and swim around.

RemaCaracappa · Mar 11, 2013

Vortex Theory said:
I listen to Imogen Heap a lot when I'm in a mellower mood, my favorite song of hers is "http://youtu.be/csrQgWBgfo8

I LOVE Imogen Heap!

A few other female artists I haven't seen mentioned here that I listen to frequently:

Vienna Teng
Heidi Berry
Jann Arden
Tanya Donnelly
Sophie B Hawkins
Lisa Loeb
Cathy Fisher (sometimes just referred to as Fisher)

Max Vaehling · Mar 12, 2013

I've only skimmed this thread, but I'm surprised I couldn't find any Aimee Mann mentions.

Some recent Bandcamp finds I can recommend in regards to the OP are Deep Sea Diver and The Shakespeares - gorgeous, dramatic indie pop with an edge. Kate Rogers isn't on Bandcamp, but you can stream most of her records on her site. She just released a new one.

I seem to have a thing for electronic, loungy pop sounds with female singers - This Girl, Mishal Moore and Yuuma come to mind.

Less somber, but just as fine: Metric (indie pop with a strong emphasis on pop), Coeur de Pirate (somewhat chanson-ish pop from Canada), and, of course, my favorite folk geek of the moment, Marian Call.

Zivvy · Mar 14, 2013

Most of what I would suggest has already been suggested... HOWEVER! You should check out Sleep Thief.

theaceofspades · May 3, 2013

Seconding the Emilie Autumn suggestion, along with the Lacuna Coil suggestion.

Quite a few symphonic metal bands have female vocalists as the "main" vocalist, though there's oftentimes a lot of male-voice death growling, but if anyone's interested: Epica, Within Temptation, Leaves' Eyes, Nightwish, Sirenia, Kamelot, and probably others that I'm forgetting...

The Birthday Massacre
Janelle Monae (she's got an amazing voice, IMO)
Loreena McKennitt
Yuki Kajiura's work (she's the composer, but her main vocalists are all women, and she writes really pretty harmonies, she's done mostly anime/game music- Kalafina; FictionJunction; FictionJunction YUUKA)
Android Lust (very...dark lyrics. and definitely not for everyone)
Universal Hall Pass
Inkkubus Sukkubus (has some male vocals, but predominantly female vocals, pagan rock)
Celtic Woman
Cherry Filter (Korean rock group, singer is a woman, haven't seen that many of their songs, but there are a few music videos on youtube)

Yeah I'm totally just tossing female artists at all of you and hoping that one of them will catch your fancy...some of them are more obscure than others

U2Girl · May 26, 2013

Eliza azilE said:
And when you're feeling adventurous, check out

KATE BUSH

Because this is a writing forum, I have to start with "Wuthering Heights" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs

"Sat in Your Lap" is my favorite, perhaps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4csr6pLZLg

Or "Running Up That Hill" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp43OdtAAkM

OMG YES KATE!!!!!!!! I would KILL to see her tour. Kill. (Which as any fan of hers knows, ain't happening)

U2Girl · May 26, 2013

These might be too mainstream for you, but what about Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge?

Also, Portishead's lead singer, Beth Gibbons? Orgasmic voice.

thebloodfiend · May 26, 2013

Just looking through this thread makes me realize I don't really listen to many female artists. And that there are hardly any mainstream indie rock/folk rock female artists.

U2Girl said:
These might be too mainstream for you, but what about Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge?

Also, Portishead's lead singer, Beth Gibbons? Orgasmic voice.

Portishead is quite good when you're in the mood. Also, the lead of Goldfrapp.

Mazzy Star.
Cat Power.
Ellie Goulding.

Sometimes.... Lily Allen.

Max Vaehling · May 27, 2013

Oh right, this thread. I did some extensive ~~procrastinating~~ music browsing the other day and came across some nice female singers:

Clairy Brown & the Banging Rackettes - I love the Pipettes, too, but sometimes I want something dirtier. Like this.

Rebekah Higgs - Uh, like a happier Cat Power? With a touch of Doo-Wop? (Found her browsing for Doo-Wop, which this isn't but it's great.)

Zombina and the Skeletones - Horror-themed, uh, surf punk?

Huh, I do seem to have a retro theme going today. Mostly because I don't have Bandcamp links for Adrienne Pierce (mainstreamy folk pop) or Mouth Music (which I've just found again on my streaming service of choice, gaelic electro pop from my world music days back in the nineties). Which I've both been streaming a lot recently.

kuwisdelu · May 27, 2013

kuwisdelu said:
The other female artists I listen to are mostly J-pop. I don't know if you'd be interested, but I like Utada Hikaru, Maaya Sakamoto, and May'n. They're all on iTunes.

I'll add to this supercell, EGOIST, Stereopony, exist†trace, and, of course, Kalafina.

crunchyblanket · Jun 23, 2013

Skunk Anansie's vocalist, Skin, is the best vocalist out there in my humble opinion. She's also a South London girl and is crazy awesome.

Garbage are fronted by Shirley Manson, who is my #1 girlcrush (along with Gillian Anderson)

Texas are from the same era, musically, although the music is a little more radio-friendly - which isn't a bad thing at all.

Sleeper are a 90's British indie band - I believe the singer, Louise Wener (hurr hurr) is a writer now.

Terra Naomi is nowhere near as well-known as she ought to be - she's got an amazing voice.

If you're into heavier stuff, you can't really go wrong with Otep.

Been a massive fan of Czech-German band Guano Apes for a long time - funk-rock with a hard edge.

Uhh...who else. Animal Alpha were a Norwegian band that unfortunately released only two albums. Slightly mental and very good.

Queen Adreena are sort of weird, trippy fairy-rock who pull the occasional awesome hard rock track out from nowhere.

I'll have a proper look at my ipod thing later on and find some more.

Chris1981 · Jun 23, 2013

Chris Pureka is one of my current favorites. (Wrecking Ball video)

eyeblink · Jun 24, 2013

Thea Gilmore - saw her live in London in 2006, at the end of the tour when she was eight months pregnant. (That was the tour that made up about half of her live album Recorded Delivery, including the gig I went to.)

Nanci Griffith - seen her live three times now.

Beth Orton can be a bit marmite (but I like marmite...). Her best of plus odds-and-ends album Pass in Time is a good place to start, though of all-original albums she hasn't surpassed her first, Trailer Park, in my opinion.

Jim Williams · Jul 15, 2013

Moya (Maire) Brennan

punkrockmilk · Aug 3, 2013

I was recently turned on to Joan Armatrading by a close friend. I'll need to listen to her catalog a little more extensively but "Willow" is hands down one of the best songs I've ever heard in my entire life. It completely knocked me out.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW4GRUi2dxo

Also a big fan of PJ Harvey, Adalita from Magic Dirt, Alison Mosshart from the Kills and the Dead Weather, Aimee Nash from the Morning After Girls and the Black Ryder, the Black Angels, and I could go on for days.

EDIT: Couldn't leave out Brody Dalle from the Distillers.

grape · Aug 26, 2013

This thread is up my alley. A lot of my favorite artists fit the description in the OP. I'll have to go back when I'm not at work and listen to some of the stuff in this thread later.

Here are some lesser known female artists that you might like:

Land of Talk is a great indie band lead by frontwoman Elizabeth Powell. She is the band's sole songwriter, lyricist, singer, and guitarist. Here's a great ballad from their 2008 album "Some Are Lakes."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m53--yTPQNk‎

I really like the last two albums by Bat For Lashes, the brainchild of singer/songwriter Natasha Kahn. She reminds me sometimes of Bjork, sometimes of Tori Amos, sometimes of PJ Harvey. But she has her own voice and songwriting style. Here's her single "Daniel" from 2009's "Two Suns."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZHah-c0hQ

Others off the top of my head:

Shannon Wright
Joanna Newsom
Forget Cassettes
New Pornographers (mixed vocals, but Neko Case is awesome)
Cat Power, I think someone mentioned above, but she's a fantastic singer and songwriter.

10047 · Sep 2, 2013

I don't really actively keep track of what's mainstream/indie/whatever, but...

Tasha Reid/Yoon Mirae
Kahimi Karie
Chouchou
Antihoney
Tiara Thomas

Those are ones I like off the top of my head.

Caitlin Black · Sep 10, 2013

crunchyblanket said:
If you're into heavier stuff, you can't really go wrong with Otep.

Actually, I just found out about Otep a week or two ago. (I'd heard the name before, but never heard their music.)

I really liked the singing on the tracks I heard. I'll have to go and buy some Otep CDs at some point. I love the female scream vocals, though there aren't all that many of them out there who do that.

robjvargas · Sep 10, 2013

Max Vaehling said:
I've only skimmed this thread, but I'm surprised I couldn't find any Aimee Mann mentions.

Fronted 'Til Tuesday. Yep. Patty Smythe, from Scandal. Annie Lennox, from The Eurythmics.

Laura Branigan. I'm not sure people would like Alannah Myles. There's something about her voice that's sultry and strong.

Oh, and Dionne Warwick.

onesecondglance · Sep 11, 2013

Cliff Face said:
I love the female scream vocals, though there aren't all that many of them out there who do that.

Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy springs to mind - Wages Of Sin is a great album.

nighttimer · Sep 15, 2013

crunchyblanket said:
Garbage are fronted by Shirley Manson, who is my #1 girlcrush (along with Gillian Anderson)

Shirley Manson can't be your #1 Crush! She's mine!

Though Shirley is kind of skinny, I don't mind sharing.

But if you're going to stick me on a desert island and say I can only listen to one female artist until I'm rescued, I'm going to request the Everything But the Girl discography because the vocals of Tracey Thorn will enable me to survive the ordeal.

Ken · Sep 15, 2013

crunchyblanket said:
Garbage

... pretty cool.

Emily Muyskens · Oct 12, 2013

The Civil Wars and Birdie - love em!

Female Artists

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Vortex Theory

BongoFury

RemaCaracappa

Wouldn't you like to know?

Max Vaehling

Zivvy

theaceofspades

U2Girl

I can sell you anything

U2Girl

I can sell you anything

thebloodfiend

Cory

Max Vaehling

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

crunchyblanket

the Juggernaut of Imperfection

Chris1981

Just Another Transman

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Jim Williams

make up reality

punkrockmilk

grape

10047

Caitlin Black

Wild one

robjvargas

onesecondglance

pretending to be awake

nighttimer

Am I Evil? Yes, I Am!

Ken

Emily Muyskens

Modern-Day Storyteller