[Relayer71]

Kate Bush is one of the most talented songwriters on the planet. She writes and produces all her work, plays piano/keyboards and has one of the most unique and expresses voices in pop/rock music. And her music is catergorized as such but it's experimental/progressive, especially her earlier works.

Start with her 1985 classic "Hounds Of Love" and then try the follow-up album "The Sensual World". After that go backwards to her earliest releases.

Someone mentioned Elizabeth Frazier before. She used to be the singer in the Cocteau Twins. She is probably THE most unique vocalist you'll ever encounter. Her voice has often been described as "otherworldly". "Heaven Or Las Vegas" and "Blue Bell Knoll" are good albums to start with.

 

[JT107]

Jennifer Warnes The Hunter great music, and bass you can feel in your teeth.

 

[Homeless]

[size=medium]Feist[/size]

I can not recommend her more...anyone looking for a good album in general, not just a female vocalist should pick up "Let it Die", you will not be disappointed

 

[la_marquise]

[size=xx-large]FEIST

ESTHERO[/size]

Actually Feist was what got me to become a fan of Broken Social Scene. She's got amazing expression, really good lyrics and sounds great on simple arrangements.

Esthero is another super talented Canadian artist. You will find her mostly in the electronica section, which is too bad as her songs are as catchy and well written as well as brazen and witty. If you've ever watched the TV series of Nikita, you may have heard her on "Skin against skin". Favorite song at this moment "OG Bitch". (Sorry mods, that really is the song name!)

 

[legcramp]

hmmm hard choice, but if I had to pick two, they would be


1) Brittany Spears

2) Ashlee Simpson

 

[seanohue]

Pat Benatar

 

[kencer]

Keren Ann
Kate Bush
Astrud Gilberto
Juliana Hatfield
Elizabeth Fraiser (cocteau Twins / Massive Attack - Mezzanine album)
BETH GIBBONS!!!!! (Portishead)
Suzzane Vega
Tanya Donelly
Lead vox for: Lacuna Coil, Nightwish and Within Temptation (dont remember their names)
Ella Fitzgerald
Jane Monheit
Sarah Brightman (check out that song with Andrea Bocelli)

someone mentioned loreena mckennit...nice..=)

 

[Dachink]

Sarah McLachlan
Aretha Franklin
Björk
Sarah Brightman

if you can open ur mind than I recommend these artists:

MISIA
Akino Arai
Ayaka Hirahara
Suh Young Eun
Core of Soul
Shiina Ringo
Lee Soo Young
UA
Mika Nakashima

 

[NiceCans]

Viktor Lazlo, jazzy/soft-rock vocals . . . very smooth, good voice, nice arraingements, relaxing and enjoyable.

 

[amir_j]

http://www.corinnebaileyrae.net/

 

[sbulack]

Leona Naess - maintaining hope in spite of some world-weariness setting in
Rachel Yamagata - smoky, world-weary jazz-influenced singer-songwriter pop
Kathleen Edwards - Alt Country - a real guy's girl - knows how to respond to life's BS without being worn down by it.
Dot Allison - Solid female vocals over really atmospheric background
Angelfish - featuring Shirley Manson before Garbage (SO much better, IMO)
Carla Werner - celestial pure vocals, very earthy sentiments - gorgeous
Alannah Myles - She ROCKS - surely you've heard "Black Velvet"
Jane Getter - totally down and groovin' fusion guitar from this gal ("Jane")
Hope Sandoval - drift along a curtain of sound to Hope's intimate whispers.
k d lang - esp. Ingenue - a pop diva with pure tone and sonic decay to die for
laika - featuring Margaret Fiedler's amazing vocals over gorgeous electronica
Wild Strawberries - featuring Roberta Carter Harrison's voice over very skillfully crafted electronica (by her husband, Ken Harrison)
Emiliana Torrini - disarmingly hopeful and candid vocals over beautifully formed electronica (Love in the Time of Science) or minimal instrumentals (Fisherman's Woman)
Diane French - some of the smokiest, most intimate, most transporting non-sappy, singer-songwriter alt folk I've ever heard with instrumentals and soundstage/imaging to die for.
Penelope Houston - (album "Tongue") smart, snappy, rockin', hopeful yet rollin'-with-the-punches commentary on adult life.
Katie Terrio - ("Radar Screen") - would ya' believe, a totally rockin' singer-songwriter offering very guy's-girl perspectives on young adult life - at once no-nonsense AND vulnerably open. I don't know how she pulls that off - but it's great.

 

[Mr Iriver]

The singer from the band "The Like"
Bjork

 

[steevc]

I've not seen Neneh Cherry mentioned here. Has guested on lots of stuff as well as doing her own thing.

What about Sam Brown (daughter of Joe Brown). I had to get hold of her version of Stop to erase a terrible recent cover from my mind.

We saw Mariza last year. Incredible Portuguese fado singer. My review here

I'm getting into Aimee Mann since seeing Magnolia.

My heart belongs to Bjork. Currently enjoying the Live Box set. Saw her a couple of years back in London. Best...show...ever

 

[vafan13]

KD Lang, Eva Cassidy, Sarah McLachlan. All three are quite amazing.

 

[b0rk]

Feist
Surjfan Stevens
Garbage
Pink
Annie
Goldfrapp
M.I.A
Robyn