Music by women

[AliceWhirled]

I've decided to seek out female artists to listen to. The music industry is so male dominated, with women often only tolerated if they act out male fantasy, so I'm going to seek out the women's voice.

The final push was hearing the Beyonce is the first woman to headline the main stage at Glastonbury ever. That's 'right on' Glastonbury. And that is ever.

So if anyone would like to join me, and share recommendations, please do. Really please do as my recommendations thus far will be pitiful.

If you want something classical Louise Ferrenc, Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann are all (now dead) female composers. Rachel Portman and Debbie Wiseman are current composers that do film scores (if that's your bag). Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. There are actually quite a few female composers if you google - although you wouldn't credit it for all the coverage they get.

Oh god.

Portishead!

Yes please Bertie

KDLang
Annie Lennox
Laurie Anderson - v weird, but in a good way

I was just trying to remember Portishead.

For female fronted, also Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Be Your Own Pet.

x ray spex & poly Styrene (RIP)

kimya Dawson

And there are loads of female opera singers, choral singers and musicians e.g. Jacqueline Du Pres, Sarah Chang, Kathleen Ferrier, Maria Callas

Babes in Toyland, L7, Daisy Chainsaw, Voodoo Queens and Huggy Bear as we're going back.

Alannis Morrisette
Carole King

(My, my list does not make any kind of 'sense' at all...)

And yy to Portishead and Goldfrapp.

Aimee Mann
Beth Orton
Beth Gibbons of Portishead has an amazing, haunting voice that I love.

Sandy Denny - nowhere near as famous as she ought to be. If she'd been a man, of course...

Messed that up...

Sandy Denny - nowhere near as famous as she ought to be. If she'd been a man, of course...

The Unthanks

Gillian Welch

Emmylou Harris

Ella Fitzgerald - her spoken voice compared to her singing voice always kills me!

Peggy Lee -an existential classic bound to cheer anyone up

Joan Baez, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Brenda Holloway, Martha and The Vandellas, Barbara Randolph, The Supremes/Diana Ross and the Supremes, Mary Wells, Kiki Dee, Janis Joplin, Marianne Faithfull, Carole King, Nina Simone, Billie Holliday (sp?), Etta James, Suzi Quatro,

Erykah Badu, Enya, , Sade (because DP has a crush on her), Tori Amos, Annie Lennox, PJ Harvey, Imogen Heap, Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, Sharlene Spiteri (Texas), Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morisette, Alannah Myles,

Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux, Poly Styrene, Juliette Lewis, Courteney Love, Skin (Skunk Anansie)

Dunno how feminist they all are, but they're people I have respect for highlights lack of Madonna and Spice Girls

Nina Simone
Etta James
Ella Fitzgerald
Billie Holiday
Blondie
Kate Bush
Dolly Parton
Dusty Springfield
Barbara Striessand
Doris Day
Joan Baez
Janis Joplin
Joni Mitchell
Carole King
Tracy Chapman
Tori Amos
Pink
L7
Hole
Beth Orton
Evanescence
KD Lang
Michelle Shocked
Beth Orton

will think on..

Anyone know Susan Werner?

Don't play this if there is a religious person in earshot, unless you want to annoy them:

And nobody has mentioned Mary Chapin Carpenter. She's very good.

Arethra and Diana Ross...

Mavis are you me?????

:o just perusing part of cd collection!!!

Cat Power

her music is often very emotionally raw, she sings about love, hate, being broken hearted, rehab, wanting to die, being drunk she has a fantastic bluesy voice. her music cover blues, folk, indie, rock. look her up on youtube. she has done lots of brilliant covers, her version of the house of the rising sun and sea of love are both fantastic

Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins)
Toni Halliday (Curve)
Lisa Gerrard (solo and as part of Dead Can Dance)
Alison Goldfrapp
Skye Edwards (Morcheeba)
Horse McDonald
Alice Russell
Jane Siberry
Skin (Skunk Anansie)

here are a few cat power songs, house of the rising sun, sea of love and love and communication

Anyone mentioned Fever Ray?

Also (apologies if some of these have already been done)

the Bird and The Bee
Jenny Lewis/Watson Twins
The Unthanks
Moloko
Karine Polwart
I know someone's already mentioned Rozi Plain upthread but she is great
Charlotte Gainsbourg (new album Irm is fab)
Cocteau Twins
Dusty Springfield
Gillian Welch
Imogen Heap
Joanna Newsom
Kirsty MacColl
The Sundays (can't hear Harriet Wheeler's voice without being transported back to the 6th form - ditto The Popguns!)
Rosie Vela - only bought out one album I think, called Zazu - hard to find but well worth tracking down
The XX
6 Day Riot
Camera Obscura

Ummm, think that's it for the mo!

All on a countryish theme:
The Be Good Tanyas
Iris DeMent
Gillian Welch
Laura Cantrell

folksy/singer song writer:
Kathryn Williams
Mary Black
Alela Diane

Has no one mentioned Amanda Palmer/Dresden Dolls?