Best Female Vocalist?

She is very adorable. I have her 'best-of' album and the whole thing is just really quite awesome.


I also like singers that are different, if you get what I mean.
There's a certain style of singing in Japan, common in the Amami Ōshima region. A singer that I like very much comes from there and if you listen to any of her songs:

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And as you can see it is a very very distinctive style of singing.
Her voice is known to be very relaxing in Japan.... I wonder if it gives the same impression to Western listeners? I know I feel relaxed when I listen to her.
 
^^So nice. Sara McLachlan is one class act. Her music comes from a very deep place inside. (Only problem is, I always feel a little depressed when I listen.) She single-handedly has helped the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) almost double their assets with commercials featuring her songs (Angel) and a new one she developed especially for ASPCA more recently. According to New York Times, people in non-profit circles simply recognize the ad featuring "Angel" as "the Ad" with no need for further explanation because it has been so effective in raising funRAB. Shows the power of channeling passion through music and worRAB, and power of the female voice! Here's a vid of angel WITHOUT the sad pics of dogs and cats: YouTube - In The Arms Of an Angel - Sarah McLaughlin
 
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Bettye LaVette is my current favorite vocalist. She's a survivor who stuck with her own distinctive bluesy Southern-fried soul style and she's finally getting some recognition for her talent.

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Janis Joplin- I think this 1967 Monterey performance of Ball and Chain is the most electrifying music video by a female vocalist I've ever seen. Notice Mama Cass in the audience in slack jawed amazement of Janis' performance. If this video doesn't shake your soul, then you ain't got one.

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Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley has one of the purest and sweet sounding voices of any singer today. She is also a gifted songwriter.
 
Sheesh, now I feel terrible for not putting Sara M. at the top of my top ten! I grew up listening to her and have always loved her.
 
Yeah she had a bit of controversy with that... on the bright side her newest album has charted at nuraber 1 now :D

Koda Kumi is my personal favourite.... she is such a diverse artist.... expanding into so many different genre's and style

Ayumi's quite a bit like that actually.... her newest album is heavily Rock influenced:

talkin' 2 myself (Live)

in fact.... you'll find that most Asian artist are very very good at being versatile....it's why I love Asian music so much

But yeah.... Koda is an amazing artist.... and she very good at making a statement.... see for instance one of her newer videos:

TABOO (PV)
 
Bravo to those who chose Bettye LaVette! Bettye has an awesome voice. She's been around for ages and now she just beginning to find a wider audience.

Mavis Staples is from the same era and school of R&B/Gospel singing as Bettye and she's also insanely talented.

Check out the vid of New Orleans singer Irma Thomas singing Time is on My Side with Allen Toussaint's band. She's 68 years old and her voice has more power and vitality than it's ever had.

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The lead singer of Paramore.... She has a video where they played live at the vma's or grammys or something but it sounded just as good as the album, she did not miss one single note!!

Ill go look for the video now and post it
 
Mariah is too crazy, man. I'm not talking Keith Moon crazy, either; she's not eccentric, she's just bat sh*** insane. Beyond that, i've never heard her actually sing a song; the melody always takes a back seat to her screaming her ass off into a microphone, and her ballaRAB were among the worst music to come out in the last 30+ years, if you ask me.
When it comes to female vocalists, I prefer those women who understand that good music is not without subtlety. Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Janis, Grace Slick, are among the most talented. And despite the fact that she's put out some terrible music in her day, I'll say that Tina Turner deserves to be placed somewhere at the head of this femal vocalist pantheon. Patty Smyth deserves to be in there too.

Some honorable mentions from the Modern Era: All the women who have contributed to Matt Sharp's Rentals; What'sherface from Yo La Tengo; Maura Davis from Denali; Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley; Zoey Deschanel, who contributed on M. Ward's "Hold Time" and who has a side project called She & Him, I think.
 
I'd have to say:

Leslie Feist. (Feist)
Her vocals are amazing.

Also:
Elinor Blake (April March)
She's got the sexiest voice I've ever heard.

Those two have to be my faves.
 
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