Thursday, December 3, 2009

no amount of coffe, no amount of crying, no amount of whiskey, no amount of wine (T&S Series #8)

I'm listening to a lot of female vocals lately, so heres a mix of eight of my favourites.

Kristin Chenowith and Idina Menzel were part of the original cast of Wicked on Broadway. They are phenomenal. Defying Gravity is phenomenal. There is no other singer I can think of who puts as much power behind a song as Idina Menzel (and I'm sorry, but the Glee version can never measure up).

I met Dala at Summerfolk a couple of years ago, and immediately loved them. This song, Marilyn Monroe, is one of my favourites (the other having appeared on another mix).

Tegan and Sara. Where to start. I cannot say enough good things about them. I doubt I could say anything bad. Not only are they some of my favourite female vocalists, but some of my favourite vocalists in general. They are definitely in my top 10. I chose My Number because I think it shows off their vocal ranges well, and kind of encompasses all of the things they do in their music. Their new album is amazing, you should most definitely listen to it, but its good to remember the old stuff. This is off their second album, and oldie but goodie.

k.d. lang is just a good 'ol Canadian classic. Plus its nice to hear a female voice that isn't soprano every once and a while.

The Weepies' singer Deb Talan has a charming voice. Very soothing, very controlled, very nice.

I felt like all kinds of female vocals should be included, so voila, Judy Garland it is! Irving Berlin is such a talented composer and lyricist, and with Garland, they represent an era of music that was all quality.

Regina Spektor has a piercingly beautiful voice. Her music is simply composed with piano for accompaniment shows it off well. In Samson you get to hear almost her full range (based on other songs I suspect she can go lower, but this is as high as it gets).

The Song of Purple Summer is the final scene in Spring Awakening. Lauren Pritched is the vocalist featured. What amazes me about this show is that almost all of the kids who originated the roles in it were hand picked. Duncan Sheik knew exactly what sound he wanted to produce in this show, and so each person was picked to contribute to that sound. Lauren Pritchard as Ilse plays something of a haunting role to me, and her voice conveys that very very well.

These women are eclectic, yes, but unbelievably talented in my opinion. Just listen to what they can do with their voices.

1 comment:

  1. Absolutely agreed about Idina and Kristin... Glee gave it a fair shot, but really.. Who were they kidding?

    For a change of pace, or a twist on an old favorite, you should check out Philos' version of Defying Gravity... Male vocal, and all of a sudden it's a rock song? Worth a listen...

    http://www.philosrocks.com/gravity/

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