Lady crooners wanted
March 19, 2019 9:22 AM Subscribe
looking for lady crooner singers... Examples within.
So I love music with alternative crooner singers, think Morrissey, The Dears, Grizzly Bears, The Killers etc.
Then I realized that these are all dude singers. The only woman crooner I could think of is Florence from Florence and the Machine. Lady Gaga can sing but she’s only crooning when doing show tunes. Beyoncé is not a crooner. I hope I’m describing it clearly. So, metafilter, hit me with your lady crooner and expand my music repertoire. My ears thank you in advance!
So I love music with alternative crooner singers, think Morrissey, The Dears, Grizzly Bears, The Killers etc.
Then I realized that these are all dude singers. The only woman crooner I could think of is Florence from Florence and the Machine. Lady Gaga can sing but she’s only crooning when doing show tunes. Beyoncé is not a crooner. I hope I’m describing it clearly. So, metafilter, hit me with your lady crooner and expand my music repertoire. My ears thank you in advance!
I especially love If Love is a Red Dress on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, which I think fits what you're looking for.
posted by lyssabee at 9:25 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by lyssabee at 9:25 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I haven’t followed her career in ages, but k d lang’s early albums Shadowland and Ingenue feature some great crooning. She later did an album with Tony Bennett.
posted by Orlop at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by Orlop at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
Best answer: Shemekia Copeland might work for you?
posted by praemunire at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Neko Case.
Feist
Beth Gibbons from Portishead (her whole solo album Out of Season is perfect for this: see the single Tom the Model in particular)
posted by rollick at 9:39 AM on March 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Feist
Beth Gibbons from Portishead (her whole solo album Out of Season is perfect for this: see the single Tom the Model in particular)
posted by rollick at 9:39 AM on March 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: kd Lang! The OG lady crooner! Can’t believe I forgot my girl kd
These are all great examples, and I’m also really into uptempo + alternative sound crooning
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:40 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
These are all great examples, and I’m also really into uptempo + alternative sound crooning
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:40 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Some of these might be too folky for you, but generally indie-ish/alternative-ish female crooners I love include:
Laura Marling
Neko Case
Phoebe Bridgers
Sharon Van Etten
Kathleen Edwards
Laura Veirs
Aimee Mann
Feist
St. Vincent
Bjork (sometimes croony, sometimes more experimental or orchestral)
Gillian Welch (more on the folky Americana side)
Tori Amos
Ani DiFranco
Joni Mitchell
Sinead O'Connor
PJ Harvey (sometimes, sometimes she is more rocky)
Liz Phair (same)
Thao & Mirah
Eva Cassidy
Patty Griffin
Annie Lennox
Seconding k.d. lang; she is a fabulous crooner. Cat Power is a great suggestion also!
posted by aka burlap at 9:42 AM on March 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
Laura Marling
Neko Case
Phoebe Bridgers
Sharon Van Etten
Kathleen Edwards
Laura Veirs
Aimee Mann
Feist
St. Vincent
Bjork (sometimes croony, sometimes more experimental or orchestral)
Gillian Welch (more on the folky Americana side)
Tori Amos
Ani DiFranco
Joni Mitchell
Sinead O'Connor
PJ Harvey (sometimes, sometimes she is more rocky)
Liz Phair (same)
Thao & Mirah
Eva Cassidy
Patty Griffin
Annie Lennox
Seconding k.d. lang; she is a fabulous crooner. Cat Power is a great suggestion also!
posted by aka burlap at 9:42 AM on March 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Jessica Pratt's latest work is very much in this direction.
posted by bendybendy at 9:48 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by bendybendy at 9:48 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oops, thought of more!
Laura Gibson
Chairlift
Sylvan Esso (sometimes, sometimes more electronica-ish)
Rilo Kiley
Courtney Barnett
Sara Bareilles (kinda more pop/r&b sometimes)
Fiona Apple
Lucinda Williams (more country/folk often)
Sade
Jenny Lewis
Amy Winehouse
Best Coast
Grimes
Chairlift
Tegan and Sara
She & Him (duo)
Civil Wars (duo)
Birdy
Ingrid Michaelson
Lavender Diamond
....ok, I'd better stop...
posted by aka burlap at 9:51 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Laura Gibson
Chairlift
Sylvan Esso (sometimes, sometimes more electronica-ish)
Rilo Kiley
Courtney Barnett
Sara Bareilles (kinda more pop/r&b sometimes)
Fiona Apple
Lucinda Williams (more country/folk often)
Sade
Jenny Lewis
Amy Winehouse
Best Coast
Grimes
Chairlift
Tegan and Sara
She & Him (duo)
Civil Wars (duo)
Birdy
Ingrid Michaelson
Lavender Diamond
....ok, I'd better stop...
posted by aka burlap at 9:51 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Y la Bamba
Unloved
Cowboy Junkies
Mary Margaret O’Hara
Lhasa de Sela
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:03 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Unloved
Cowboy Junkies
Mary Margaret O’Hara
Lhasa de Sela
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:03 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Nth-ing:
k.d. lang (of course)
Eva Cassidy
Madeleine Peyroux (just saw her in concert a couple of weeks ago, actually)
Amy Winehouse
Lhasa de Sela
Also:
Diana Krall
Jane Monheit
Adele
Rhiannon Giddens
posted by briank at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
k.d. lang (of course)
Eva Cassidy
Madeleine Peyroux (just saw her in concert a couple of weeks ago, actually)
Amy Winehouse
Lhasa de Sela
Also:
Diana Krall
Jane Monheit
Adele
Rhiannon Giddens
posted by briank at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Norah Jones
Holly Cole, or the Holly Cole Trio
posted by Ftsqg at 10:15 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Holly Cole, or the Holly Cole Trio
posted by Ftsqg at 10:15 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Beth Orton; Charlotte Cardin; Suzie Ungerleider; Emily Haines.
And not exactly what you asked for, but have you ever heard Karen Carpenter with a very stripped-down backing?
posted by maudlin at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
And not exactly what you asked for, but have you ever heard Karen Carpenter with a very stripped-down backing?
posted by maudlin at 10:18 AM on March 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Oh, early Whitney Houston. "Saving All My Love For You" is a torch song if ever there was one.
posted by praemunire at 11:01 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 11:01 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Queen Latifah (Queen Latifah!) and Trav'lin' Light. Obviously, a departure from her hip-hop work, but it's great.
posted by ubiquity at 11:05 AM on March 19, 2019
posted by ubiquity at 11:05 AM on March 19, 2019
Anne Murray's 1993 album "Croonin.' Today's new wave of pop singers could take a few notes from one of the last great altos, Ms. Anne Murray! She trades in her country roots for a more contemporary take on these staple standards.
posted by Carol Anne at 11:22 AM on March 19, 2019
posted by Carol Anne at 11:22 AM on March 19, 2019
Joni can croon! Not all her work is croonin', tho. Here's one: Blue Motel Room
posted by wemayfreeze at 11:51 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by wemayfreeze at 11:51 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I think Brittany Howard in Alabama Shakes may be a crooner. Low tempo, up tempo.
posted by lookoutbelow at 11:52 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lookoutbelow at 11:52 AM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Run Deep by Deva Mahal might fit the bill.
posted by ellieBOA at 12:41 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ellieBOA at 12:41 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nthing Neko Case, queen of the crooners!
Patti Smith
Shannon Shaw
Annie Lennox
Siouxsie Sioux
Odetta
Chrissie Hynde
posted by quatsch at 12:55 PM on March 19, 2019
Patti Smith
Shannon Shaw
Annie Lennox
Siouxsie Sioux
Odetta
Chrissie Hynde
posted by quatsch at 12:55 PM on March 19, 2019
Imelda May. You should really hear "Meet you at the Moon." I also really like Caitlin Rose.
posted by mareliz at 12:56 PM on March 19, 2019
posted by mareliz at 12:56 PM on March 19, 2019
... No one's suggested Billie Holiday yet. Maybe it's too diminishing to describe her as a 'crooner'? Yet she is and oh! how she does, and sublimely.
posted by HandfulOfDust at 4:11 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by HandfulOfDust at 4:11 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you don't mind jumping genres a bit, Blossom Dearie?
posted by huimangm at 4:22 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by huimangm at 4:22 PM on March 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Nancy Wilson (The jazz singer, not the one from Heart.)
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
posted by fuse theorem at 5:29 PM on March 19, 2019
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
posted by fuse theorem at 5:29 PM on March 19, 2019
I feel like LP and Lana Del Rey do this occasionally.
posted by Selena777 at 10:22 PM on March 19, 2019
posted by Selena777 at 10:22 PM on March 19, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:24 AM on March 19, 2019 [3 favorites]