I expected to see two names on here I haven't seen yet -
I'm amazed no one mentioned
Patty Griffin yet - she's an EXCEPTIONAL singer-songwriter
If you want testimony from other female singer-songwriters, it comes in the form of covering tunes - and she's had a lot of folks covering her stuff
Wikipedia lists Linda Ronstadt ("Falling Down"), the Dixie Chicks ("Truth No. 2," "Top of the World," "Let Him Fly"), Bette Midler ("Moses"), Mary-Chapin Carpenter ("Dear Old Friend"), Jessica Simpson ("Let Him Fly"), Martina McBride ("Goodbye"), Melissa Ferrick and Missy Higgins ("Moses"), Emmylou Harris ("One Big Love"), Bethany Joy Galeotti ("Blue Sky"), The Wreckers ("One More Girl"), Joan Osborne ("What You Are"), Solomon Burke ("Up to the Mountain"), and Miranda Lambert ("Getting Ready"). Kelly Clarkson performed "Up to the Mountain" with Jeff Beck on the Idol Gives Back episode of American Idol, - and I guess Kelly preformed it here in Minneapolis last week.
I'd say Patty has about 2 or 3 of the top 25 most played on my IPod - mostly from her first acoustic album where it was just her/guitar. Her cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Stolen Car" is one I used to listen to on repeat during my darker Jameson days - I'll refund the .99 cents of anyone who buys it on Itunes and isn't fully satisfied. The song itself makes you almost feel like a fugitive when you listen in the dark.
- the myspace link has some good retrospective work - but you can also check
Youtube stuff here
Patty has some great lyrics and is a phenom. singer - her first album was a stripped down demo - one voice/one guitar, that would blow your mind. She sorta got shuffled around a bit the first couple albums but now she's on Dave Matthews' label.
Recommendations - Living With Ghosts, Children Running Thru, and 1000 Kisses - (for starters)
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And of course,
Gillian Welch
- severe Americana that makes you feel you're back in the 1920's - I have a version of her doing Pancho and Lefty that I've also left on repeat about 50 times - Gillian has some great imagery in her lyrics and one song in particular - a 12 minute epic called "I Dream A Highway" contains some of my favorite lines of all time at about 50 bpm
Oh I dream a highway back to you love
A winding ribbon with a band of gold
A silver vision come arrest my soul
I dream a highway back to you.
Which lover are you, Jack of Diamonds?
Now you be Emmylou and I'll be Gram
I send a letter, don't know who I am
I dream a highway back to you.
I'm an indisguisable shade of twilight
Any second now I'm gonna turn myself on
In the blue display of the cool cathode ray
I dream a highway back to you.
I wish you knew me, Jack of Diamonds
Fire-riding, wheeling when I lead em up
Drank whiskey with my water, sugar in my tea
My sails in rags with the staggers and the jags
I dream a highway back to you.
Gillian's also been covered by a host of songwriters - and you can see more of her
at the Youtube, of course
Recommendations: - Time the Revelator and Soul Journey.
RB