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August 5, 2013 9:03 PM Subscribe
I recently discovered 'Not Fair' by Lily Allen and really liked it. I'm not especially musically oriented so I can't identify what is what makes it so fun to listen (besides the lyrics) but I want more. Any suggestions for similar songs?
Dolly Parton? really Spotify?
Yes, Not Fair is mostly an old timey country song.
I really think if you plumbed that vein you'd find a lot to like.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 9:28 PM on August 5, 2013
Yes, Not Fair is mostly an old timey country song.
I really think if you plumbed that vein you'd find a lot to like.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 9:28 PM on August 5, 2013
I suspect Spotify, Pandora, Last.fm, etc. can make vastly better suggestions than I can, but the first thing that comes to mind for me are the synthetic harmonies, touch of country twang, etc. in the Xtreme Cardio remake of "Blown Away." See also the original version. On preview, Miss Frenchie's Fuck'Em Boyo (Peaches vs. The Clash) is probably as close as a lot of those Spotify matches, if only because it's sort of bouncy and has an off-color theme.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 9:29 PM on August 5, 2013
posted by Monsieur Caution at 9:29 PM on August 5, 2013
Kirsty MacColl
posted by ottereroticist at 10:07 PM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ottereroticist at 10:07 PM on August 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
You'll almost definitely like Kate Nash if you like Lily Allen. You might like "Foundations."
posted by c'mon sea legs at 10:30 PM on August 5, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by c'mon sea legs at 10:30 PM on August 5, 2013 [4 favorites]
KT Tunstall - Black Horse and The Cherry Tree
posted by xqwzts at 2:56 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by xqwzts at 2:56 AM on August 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
'Not Fair' is an interesting one because you've got sassy lyrics overlaid on a country vibe, in the same way that 'Smile' was sassy and honest overlaid on old skool reggae. So your answers can trend 'sassy and honest' or more 'country' but not many artists fill both boxes.
I'd definitely include Amy Macdonald - especially her earlier stuff - as an artist in a similar vein. Paloma Faith is markedly different in style but similar in that she's sassy, British and female and absolutely worth a listen.
You might like KT Tunstall if you like 'Not Fair' - she's not as poppy as Lily Allen, but she has a country vibe. Also, again, less poppy, but you might also like Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis and Chairlift (who provided the song for the ipod ad music way back when).
And as a leftfield option: Benjamin Schoos and Laetitia Sadler: Je Ne Vous Que Vous because the pace is and old skool feel is similar in some ways to 'Not Fair' (although in this case it references 60's/70's French music).
Totally leftfield: try revisiting some old Doris Day or Nancy Sinatra.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:08 AM on August 6, 2013
I'd definitely include Amy Macdonald - especially her earlier stuff - as an artist in a similar vein. Paloma Faith is markedly different in style but similar in that she's sassy, British and female and absolutely worth a listen.
You might like KT Tunstall if you like 'Not Fair' - she's not as poppy as Lily Allen, but she has a country vibe. Also, again, less poppy, but you might also like Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis and Chairlift (who provided the song for the ipod ad music way back when).
And as a leftfield option: Benjamin Schoos and Laetitia Sadler: Je Ne Vous Que Vous because the pace is and old skool feel is similar in some ways to 'Not Fair' (although in this case it references 60's/70's French music).
Totally leftfield: try revisiting some old Doris Day or Nancy Sinatra.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:08 AM on August 6, 2013
OK, "sassy and honest" mixed with country made me think Amy Rigby. ("Give the Drummer Some", "Balls," and "Cynically Yours" specifically (can't find the last one on youtube unfortunately).
Maybe also Jill Sobule? "When My Ship Comes In". I'm thinking both the albums Happy Town and Pink Pearl may fit what you're going for.
And some Holly Golightly may fit the bill. "She Said" has that vibe, but some of other stuff is a lot slower and more bluesy.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 7:46 AM on August 6, 2013
Maybe also Jill Sobule? "When My Ship Comes In". I'm thinking both the albums Happy Town and Pink Pearl may fit what you're going for.
And some Holly Golightly may fit the bill. "She Said" has that vibe, but some of other stuff is a lot slower and more bluesy.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 7:46 AM on August 6, 2013
If none of these suggestions quite nail it, it may be because Not Fair has a unique sound based on a sample from an early 70s sampler/organ called the Optigan, which looped recordings of music on scratchy optical disks. The Optigan sound is a not insubstantial part of the magic of Not Fair.
Lily Allen's song He Wasn't There also uses the Optigan.
Another modern band that uses the Optigan (and its cousin, the Talentmaker) to craft songs is Optiganally Yours. Examples of them using the Optigan in a similar fashion can be found here and here.
posted by eschatfische at 8:27 AM on August 6, 2013
Lily Allen's song He Wasn't There also uses the Optigan.
Another modern band that uses the Optigan (and its cousin, the Talentmaker) to craft songs is Optiganally Yours. Examples of them using the Optigan in a similar fashion can be found here and here.
posted by eschatfische at 8:27 AM on August 6, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
I just checked out the "related artists" in Spotify and this is what I got (or at least that I think are similar):
Amy Macdonald (a little more Celtic sounding)
Eliza Doolittle (a tad more chill)
Johnossi (much chiller, male vocalist)
Cee Lo Green
MIKA (peppy, a bit too much pop)
La Roux (a little more processed -- doesn't do it for me)
Paloma Faith (60's vibe or something?)
Stromae (French, but not all French)
Dolly Parton? really Spotify?
posted by DoubleLune at 9:19 PM on August 5, 2013