Singer songwriter recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[Julia]

Hi there, just getting into male singer/songwriters and I'm looking for suggestions to beef up my collection. I am looking for more obscure recommendations, I already am familiar with biggies like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. Right now I am most into Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and Elliot Smith. Thanks in advance!

 

[GuruAskew]

As a fan of Buckley, Wainwright and Smith I recommend Glen Phillips, Michael Penn, Jon Brion, Damien Rice, Ben Folds, John Frusciante, Joseph Arthur and Ryan Adams.

 

[Citizen87645]

Nick Drake is not current but pretty amazing.

 

[Rob P S]

Peter Himmelman (Bob Dylan's son-in-law)
Darden Smith
Bruce Robison
David Gray
Freedy Johnston
Ryan Adams

 

[JayBru]

The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
John Hiatt
Joe Ely
Steve Earle
Randy Newman
Jimmy Webb

 

[Will_B]

Stuart Davis is a good indie with a diverse range of albums (following the usual progression of folk-ish to rock-ish). Try his current one "Bell" or if you want something harder, the silver-cover one known as "Self Titled" (but really it has no name, it's just the one with Stuart painted silver on it).

Click his name above for some free samples. Or here:
Sexy Messiah - legal mp3

Rock Stars and Models - legal mp3

Savoring Samsara - legal mp3

Swim - legal mp3


Besides his own albums he also does interviews on the Integral Naked website (a Ken Wilber related site emphasizing music). He's probably the only singer whose gig posters include an endorsement from Ken Wilber.

Highly recommended by me. Here's what he looks like when he's painted silver:



and when he's not:

 

[dpippel]

Damien Rice
Patrick Park
Mark Lanegan
Jack Johnson
Lyle Lovett

 

[FeisalK]

i second Jack Johnson. listen to some samples of his new album In Between Dreams at Amazon

what about older Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam) and James Taylor stuff.

 

[Allen Hirsch]

David Elias - sounds a little like early Dylan.

He has his own label; The Window and Crossing are both SACD hybrids. CDBaby carries the discs, if you're interested.

I'll also recommend Lyle Lovett and Jack Johnson.

 

[Marty M]

I highly recommend Jimmy Webb's Ten Easy Pieces. This is a fantastic CD. He does some interesting interpretations to his songs that were popularized by other artists.

One of the best songs on the CD is the song Galveston. He turns this song into a haunting ballad, which is the way it probably should have been done in the first place. When you listen to the lyrics you realize this is an anti-war song, not the happy-go-lucky song that Glen Campbell turned it into.

 

[Phil A]

Besides all the good suggestions above, there is Jesse Malin (jessemalin.com). He is great live. Ryan Adams produced his 1st album (he has a 2nd album and is working on his next) and plays and sings on it. Caitlin Cary was with Ryan Adams when they were part of Whiskeytown and how is on her own. There's others like Thad Cockrell, Tift Merritt (who was nominated for a Grammy last yr.), Patti Griffin and a host of others.

 

[Mike Slade]

Robert Earl Keen
Paul Thorn

 

[ScottCHI]

well, since they're being left out (i don't think i saw 'em). wanna hear some real songwriters? how about:

john prine
guy clark
ramblin' jack elliott

or how about neil young. imo one of the greatest songwriters ever, perhaps only second to dylan.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Van Morrison

 

[Pamela]

Josh Rouse

He's one of my absolute favorites!

 

[Clint B]

There's a guy called Matt Nathanson out of California who's very good. He has his own unique style, but if I had to describe his latest record, much of it sounds like a cross between John Mayer and Vertical Horizon before they went completely electric.

 

[Henry Gale]

Saw Loudon Wainwright III in Austin last night. He's always worth listening to.
John Prine tapes a TV show tomorrow night, I'll be there.
Robbie Fulks is scheduled for August 12th, I've missed his last two Austin appearances due to bad luck but I do intend to be at this one.

 

[Dave S.G.]

(Some females are included, but worth checking out, too)
Josh Ritter's _Hello Starling_, which came out in 2003, is still in my player regularly. Some of the smartest, least cloying stuff out there. ("Wings" and "Bone of Song" are two of the best songs I've heard in years). The disc also comes with a live EP.
I second John Prine -- particularly his live 1988 record and _The Missing Years_
Kate Wolf's _Live in Austin_ or _Weaver of Dreams_ are both excellent and worth checking out.
Emmylou Harris's _Wrecking Ball_ is a great concept album that's almost all covers ranging from Dylan and Neil Young to lesser-knowns like Dave Olney and Gillian Welch.
Greg Brown's great. I prefer _Poet Game_, but there are many.
Leonard Cohen's _Essential_ double disc has some duds, but it's the only way to hear the best of his early and late work simultaneously.
Steve Earle (I'd start with _I Feel Alright_ or _Train a-Comin'_).
Lucinda Williams's _Car Wheels on a Gravel Road_.
Townes Van Zandt's 2-fer _Late Great_.

Other, more middle-of-the-road choices would include Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka, Aimee Mann (particularly _Magnolia_), Beth Orton (especially _Central Reservation_) - think of Dido with less range, but better lyrics, Cat Stevens (_Footsteps in the Dark_ or _Very Best of_), David Bromberg, John Lennon's _Plastic Ono Band_ or _Imagine_...

 

[Philip Hamm]

Bruce Cockburn
Sam Phillips
Joe Jackson
Maria McKee
Marshall Crenshaw

 

[Pamela]

Not to hijack the thread, but Philip, what do you think of Maria Mckee's latest CD?