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Where are the front men? (Rant)

I've been in a slump for a while trying to find new music. I use Qobuz and it does an abysmal job of suggesting music for me. So I browse their playlists.

Today I ran through their "Ones to Watch in 2025", mostly in the pop, rock, indie, Americana, R&B and soul categories. Probably listened to 50 or 60 songs....or parts of them.

I noticed across all the genres mentioned above that there was the absolute lack of male singers with good or interesting voices. This was for two reasons. The first is that the male singers I heard weren't interesting. The second is that of those 50-60 songs I'd say at least 75% had female lead singers.

I have nothing against female singers but amongst the ones I listened to most of them sounded identical. Its this sort of breathless, emo sounding,  slightly slurred, slightly little girl inflection often with a touch of L.A. or Detroit ghetto affectation. Song after song after song across all those genres. (Jazz seems to be spared from this blight).

I don't know who started this trend among female singers. Courtney Burnett (who I find entertaining at times) maybe? Hannah Reid of London Grammar (not as bad as most of these but still)? Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) further back? I don't mind a smattering of it but it seems like its all you can hear from female vocalists these days.

So where are the front men? Where are the guys with big voices, great range and dynamics? Charisma, swagger, stage presence? A thing of the past maybe?

n80
stuartk
2,966 posts
 

@n80 

I'm certainly not above making mistakes. I don't agree that "generally", female vocalists have lousy material, though, if by "generally" he meant most female vocalists.  

I liked B. Howard with A. Shakes, too . . . and Allison Russell when she was with Birds of Chicago and Maya Di Vitry when she was with Stray Birds and Lindsay Lou when she was with the Flatbellys. Is there a theme, here?  I just happened to prefer their work with the groups listed for stylistic reasons. 

Is Lake Street Dive "popular"?  Rachael price is, by any measure a terrific vocalist who started out as a Jazz singer. Their material is a bit too Pop for me, but very well done. 

Did anyone mention Marty Stuart ?  He certainly qualifies as an excellent front man, but (here we go again) not Rock. 

Anyway, I hope you've gotten a few useful suggestions from this thread. 

slaw's avatar
slaw
21,826 posts
 

Jeff Tweedy

Andrew Bird

Joey Burns

E (of Eels)

 

grislybutter
3,257 posts
 

I don’t know any male vocalist as affective, moving and addictive as my favorite female vocalists (Ok, one: Freddie Mercury, of course). And I think it’s fine and just natural, men are good at other things.

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
4,674 posts
 

"And I think it’s fine and just natural, men are good at other things..."

I don't even wanna know...

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
4,674 posts
 

So where are the front men? Where are the guys with big voices, great range and dynamics? Charisma, swagger, stage presence? A thing of the past maybe?

For that, I listen to the timelessly sexy Tom Jones.

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