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A "Unique" Voice...

A bunch of the artists I enjoy most have what may be considered as a very unconventional vocal quality. Now everyone is "unique' as are their fingerprints, to be shure, but the artists I'm thinking about are real standouts in that they are unmistakeably...well....odd perhaps. An aquired taste as their voice could easily grate on many. Maybe I should give some examples and that would be a better way to get what I mean accross:

Tom Waits comes first to mind. The little girl voice of Joanna Newsom. Those two I enjoy very much. One I just can't stand to listen to myself, Diamanda Gallas - Hey If I wanted to hear screaming like that I can just 'forget' to do the dishes a few nights in a row! Oh, yeah, Sean reminded me recently of the most bizarre, Klaus Nomi, whose mezzo soprano voice sounded more like a woman than a man. Actually Klaus was difficult to categorize himself. But actually, his voice was quite lovely as far as conventions go. So he wouldn't really qualify.

I guess what I'm saying is that these are not conventionally 'pretty' voices, yet they are engaging to many nonetheless, and certainly gifted artists, as far as those I've mentioned goes.

I'll leave it at that...any others come to mind?
jax2
ozfly
887 posts
 
The first who came to mind is Mary Fahl -- was with the October Project and is now solo. Very low, unusual but haunting voice. Her "Other Side of Time" album is wonderful! It always finds it's way to the rotation, especially by my wife.

More well known is Kate Bush (maybe it's more how she uses her voice than the nature of her voice). Would Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker or Janis Joplin fit the category? They all have unusual but very distinctive voices.
oak244's avatar
oak244
54 posts
 
I agree with the above post. Mary Fahl has a very haunting wonderful voice. A man to consider is Damien Rice. I think both are a bit unusual but excellent!
jkaway
93 posts
 
In the jazz realm, Bob Dorough and Blossom Dearie.And yes, it IS time that Slappy should be awardrd the title of A'gon Poet Laureate ( a big responibility).
jax2 OP
3,031 posts
 
Synthfreek- way cool! Klaus was a favorite of mine back then. Looks like an interesting movie:

The Trailer Synthfreek mentioned

Official Movie Website

Thanks for the heads-up!

Marco
timf
237 posts
 
Nancy Griffith. Joan Armatrading. Richard Thompson. Elvis Costello. PJ Harvey. Edie Brickell. Marianne Faithful(oozes experience albeit not unique experience). Gillian Welch. Macy Gray.Ani Difranco. Lauri anderson. Many unique voices- and many more, but these in particular stand outside classification to my way of thinking. UniQue talents that have arrived inspite of not being fit into the usual genre molds or having the usual Qualifications.
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