Comments on: Help me find other artists in the more mellow Nick Cave / Leonard Cohen / Murder by Death vein?

Question: Help me find other artists in the more mellow Nick Cave / Leonard Cohen / Murder by Death vein?

maldrin — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:58:50 -0800

Help me find other artists in the more mellow Nick Cave / Leonard Cohen / Murder by Death vein?

I'm a big fan of very specific bits of Nick Cave's offerings - predominantly his The Boatman's Call and Murder Ballads work. The songs on those albums touch me in a way I can't describe, both with the sparse beautiful music and the emotionally complex storytelling. I'm also a big fan of "Red Right Hand", "Come Into My Sleep", and "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side". I'm particularly fond of the use more classical instruments and not the regular trappings of rock music in most cases. Overall, songs like "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" and "Into My Arms" are the ones that really really move me - I mean, bits like "I think of you in motion and just how close you are getting / And how every little thing anticipates you. / All down my veins my heart-strings call / Are you the one that I've been waiting for?" just don't come around that often.

But I'm greedy...I want more. In looking for more of the same, I found I also like a fair bit of Leonard Cohen's works - especially "Everybody Knows", "I'm Your Man", and "Suzanne". I've recently discovered Murder by Death and I'm really enjoying their In Bocca al Lupo album. But I'm still chasing the dragon for another male singer/storyteller with a deep brooding voice that can take me where Nick Cave does - that sad, desperate, longing place where there is so much visual beauty and darkness in the storytelling.

Can the hive-mind help me locate other artists (or better ways to search for other artists) who will draw me into the world in each song, charm me with their lyrical content, impress me with soothing yet sad instrumentation, and break my heart with the emotion their songs contain? Also, as I continue to farm through Nick Cave's repertoire to stock up on all the goodness there is, are there any other key songs I should be sure not to miss based on my tastes outlined above?

By: interrobang

interrobang — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:09:14 -0800

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:10:46 -0800

Lou Reed

By: lil' ears

lil' ears — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:11:23 -0800

How about Nick Drake ?

By: rabbitsnake

rabbitsnake — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:15:26 -0800

You may like Calexico. Songs that come to mind are The Ballad of Cable Hogue, The Crystal Frontier, and Sunken Waltz. They drip atmosphere and and charm.

Also check out The Black Heart Procession. They have murder ballads written all over them.

By: jbickers

jbickers — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:20:28 -0800

another male singer/storyteller with a deep brooding voice that can take me where Nick Cave does - that sad, desperate, longing place where there is so much visual beauty and darkness in the storytelling

Johnny Cash

By: afx237vi

afx237vi — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:23:34 -0800

Will Oldham, aka Bonnie Prince Billy.

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:25:53 -0800

Dave Boddiger

By: lgyre

lgyre — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:28:52 -0800

morphine? not so much on the storytelling, but it's sad and bassy and has somewhat unusual instrumentation...

By: Dee Xtrovert

Dee Xtrovert — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:40:15 -0800

If you like that stuff, why not search out the artists who inspired them?

You'd probably go nuts for Fred Neil (anything with "The Dolphins" and "Eevrybody's Talkin'") or Tim Buckley (I'd recommend the Rhino double CD) or Karen Dalton (she only made two records; both are indispensible.) Nick Cave's covered Karen Dalton and spoken of his reverance for Fred Neil (both artists are dead - Fred Neil and Karen Dalton have a lot in common, and Dalton covered some Neil songs.)

Nick Cave appears on "The Harry Smith Project," on which many great artists in this vein cover songs which appeared on the compilation of tunes recorded in the 1920s / 1930s of "old weird America," as Greil Marcus called it. It's worth checking out, but the original is much better (pretty raw though.)

I'd also recommend Jean Ritchie, whose "Songs From Her Appalachian Family Tradition" feature a lot of great ominous murder ballad kind of songs.

By: pablocham

pablocham — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:43:15 -0800

Look into Scott Walker, Scott Walker, and Scott Walker. Also Smog (Bill Callahan) and the Silver Jews.

By: Karlos the Jackal

Karlos the Jackal — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:46:07 -0800

Iron & Wine

and

Simon & Garfunkel

and

The Pernice Brothers

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:48:34 -0800

William Elliot Whitmore has toured with Murder By Death and I think you'd approve.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:49:39 -0800

I did my Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen phase with a Jeff Buckley third leg, though his voice is a windchime, not a death knell. Also, the darker moments of Stephin Merritt, who is quite affable and perky much of the time, could work for you. He's got a deep, dry well of a voice. the Magnetic Fields' i is probably the best album for the dark Merritt, though there's a smattering of that over the rest of their releases, and check the Gothic Archies for a Merritt just about riffing on Nick Cave.

Definitely get Kicking Against the Pricks.

*puts on They Call Me The Wild Rose, goths the fuck out*

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:50:58 -0800

Also perhaps The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, though I don't know too much about them. My favorite song of theirs is "Buried Them In Water."

By: mikeyk

mikeyk — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:01:09 -0800

I love The National, mainly for the lead singer's deep, brooding, lost-in-thought voice. The songs vary between soft, mid-tempo to loud, slightly faster songs, but nowhere near Nick Cave's Birthday Party era. Check out "All the Wine", "Karen", or "City Middle" (all off their last album, Alligator - they have a new one coming out later this month).

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:04:28 -0800

Seconding Scott Walker (a big influence on Cave); Bonnie Prince Billy; Smog. I also like Drake, Cash, Tim Buckley, and Reed, though they don't seem quite as similar to Cave as the first three artists are. Maybe try the Mountain Goats, too.

By: sneakin

sneakin — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:30:37 -0800

I asked this question a couple weeks ago and got amazing responses.

By: dogwalker

dogwalker — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:34:02 -0800

Nick Cave does a version of "Knoxville Girl" that is unbelievable. It's a Murder Ballads-era B-side. If you haven't heard it, you could get the rarities compilation for that track alone and not be disappointed.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:47:18 -0800

Tim Hardin is a bit folkier, but still dark. Songs have been covered by Cat Power and Stina Nordenstam.

David Sylvian can be a bit busier, with his later stuff (I'd start with "Blemish") being more form-free vocals over improv backing.

Talk Talk's last two albums (plus the Mark Hollis solo album) are amazing vocal mish-mashes and not at all like their hit records. Dense in parts, jazzy in others, definitely up the alley you're describing.

By: nevercalm

nevercalm — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:48:29 -0800

Dude....nobody's mentioned TOM WAITS???

By: deern the headlice

deern the headlice — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:44:50 -0800

Tindersticks and Lambchop both have some (not all) slower, more haunting songs with sweet strings here and there, resonant vocals, and far-above-average lyrical content. Scott Walker has already been mentioned, but he was definitely a forebearer of the sound.

By: strangeleftydoublethink

strangeleftydoublethink — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:52:37 -0800

The Apartments. One of my all-time favorite bands that nobody has ever heard of. Even in the write up in AMG, they mention Leonard Cohen. The Apartments were just recently added to iTunes Music Store.

By: Scram

Scram — Thu, 03 May 2007 18:12:59 -0800

Richard Buckner, try The Hill to start.

By: Alabaster

Alabaster — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:42:46 -0800

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Tom Waits! Tom Waits Tom Waits Tom Waits!

By: Alabaster

Alabaster — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:43:33 -0800

Oops, somebody DID mention Tom Waits. My bad.

P.S. tom waits

By: maldrin

maldrin — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:52:25 -0800

WOW you people ROCK - I've got SO MUCH listening to do!

Regarding Cash, Lou Reed, and Nick Drake:

I've got some definite love for Cash - good call there. I REALLY made that connection with Murder by Death - they have a very Cash-ish sound.

Most of the stuff I've been exposed to by Lou Reed was more socio-political and sarcastic than it was introverted/emotional - but his voice is stellar - any pointers for what songs to really dive into would be great.

Nick Drake I've enjoyed ("Pink Moon" and a handful of others) but I hadn't thought to investigate more with regard to my Nick Cave quest - he seemed much more like a companion to Belle and Sebastian, Kings of Convenience, Simon and Garfunkel (mentioned above, as well) and Rufus Wainwright - a whole OTHER set of people I listen to.

sneakin - thanks for pointing to your post - I should have searched harder first, that's some great stuff there, too. - I saw Slaid Cleaves' "Broke Down" album mentioned there, which is already on my list!

This is a wonderful outpouring of generous musical share-ness.

thank you thank you thank you!!

By: ejaned8

ejaned8 — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:59:50 -0800

These don't satisfy the deep brooding voice, but they both have the melacholy storyteller vibe with piano or strings included.

Anthony & the Johnsons is included in my Nike Cave/Tom Waits rotation. Andrew Bird, Mysterious Production of Eggs, also does the storytelling with the folk/cello/whistle (his more recent album less so).

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:29:31 -0800

I think you'll like Devastations, who have a couple of albums out. Their first, called "Coal" is very Cave/Cohen.
While I'm not sure what songs they've got on that myspace page, it's REALLY worth checking out that first album

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:33:42 -0800

Damn - meant to add that this is from one review of "Coal" that specifically mentions NC&TBS:

"Opener SEX & MAYHEM quickly flags the Nick Cave influence, frontman Conrad Standish exhibiting a similar deep baritone croon and using it effectively against the mournful organs swirls and stark piano chords; backing singer Rachel Leslie adding some sweetness and light amidst all the pitch blackness"

By: nasreddin

nasreddin — Thu, 03 May 2007 21:59:05 -0800

You might like:

Gary Numan (esp. Tubeway Army)- it's slightly less mellow than you might like, but the storylines all revolve around isolation and technological despair. Try the songs "Jo the Waiter" and "My Love is a Liquid."

Phil Ochs - a Dylan-era folksinger who got incredibly jaded with the political scene. Try the songs "No More Songs," "The Party," "Jim Dean of Indiana."

Edith Piaf - a French cabaret singer; her songs are always brooding and depressing, but her voice is just so expressive and beautiful.

Some of Van Morrison's early albums (esp.Astral Weeks) would be your kind of thing, I think.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:02:05 -0800

The Handsome Family

By: occidental

occidental — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:06:55 -0800

Maybe some of Mark Lannegan's solo work.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Fri, 04 May 2007 00:18:17 -0800

Low

By: hototogisu

hototogisu — Fri, 04 May 2007 00:26:12 -0800

Marissa Nadler

By: desuetude

desuetude — Fri, 04 May 2007 06:09:47 -0800

All of the other band of all of the Bad Seeds: Dirty Three, Mick Harvey, and Hugo Race.

Also, Howe Gelb in all of his many projects -- Giant Sand, Arizona Amp & Alternator, and the albumns under his own name. Very different from Mr. Cave, but somehow a very American complement.

Also seconding Andrew Bird and Handsome Family.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Fri, 04 May 2007 06:09:56 -0800

I'll second Scott Walker but in his early Walker Brothers faze. I'll also second

Lambchop (try Is a Woman),
Smog (try A River Ain't Too Much Love or Dongs of Sevotion or Supper or Knock Knock Knock)
Leonard Cohen's Ten Recent Songs
The Handsome Family (particularly Twilight or In the Air)
Iron and Wine
Bonnie Prince Billy (try Master and Everyone, Superwolf, or The Letting Go)

and I'll add

Chet Baker's Let's Get Lost (the album of standards, not the soundtrack)
Monroe Mustang (a band, not a person)
Devendra Banhart's Cripple Crow
Eleni Mandell's Miracle of Five
Angels of Light's Everything is Good Here...
Damien Jurado's Ghost of David

By: twistedonion

twistedonion — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:11:05 -0800

These have all been mentioned I think but you really need to check them out. I've been a big Nick cave fan since the Birthday Party but I've got into the slower stuff myself recently:

The handsome Family (saw them last week, what a great couple with fantastic songs!)

Iron and Wine

Lambchop

Tindersticks

the Magnetic Fields

Andrew Bird

Conway Savage from the Bad Seeds

Tom Waits, Tom Waits, Tom Waits!

Richard Hawley

Jim White

Dirty Three

Two Dollar Guitar

The The

Not as chilled but I reckon you would love 16 horsepower

By: twistedonion

twistedonion — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:12:36 -0800

Oh, and give Arab Strap a go (or Malcolm Middletons new stuff) if you want depressingly beautiful songwriting.

By: maldrin

maldrin — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:44:40 -0800

Thanks thanks thanks for all of this - I'm having a wonderful time finding new artists - these answers are really spot-on for the most part!

A note for those of you out there who happen to be following this thread - something else I REALLY enjoy is the Ken Nordine / DJ Food track "Ageing Young Rebel." If you haven't heard it, check it out. If you have and know of other Ken Nordine work that is equally dark, please let me know. I've heard a good bit of his stuff that was fun and ironic and erudite, but not dark.

Also, no one mentioned Barry Adamson, but since he is associated with Cave and has some pretty beautiful, dark pieces (some with Cave singing on them, such as "The Sweetest Embrace"), I should throw him out there for people looking for the same thing I am. His "Jazz Devil" is pretty entertaining (albiet a little too proud of itself) and goes well with Nordine's "Ageing Young Rebel." He mostly seems to have bombastic, energetic tracks that are not-at-all soft beautiful jewels of darkness and desire, but the few he does have are pretty nice.

By: nasreddin

nasreddin — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:32:49 -0800

He mostly seems to have bombastic, energetic tracks that are not-at-all soft beautiful jewels of darkness and desire, but the few he does have are pretty nice.

Whoa! Clearly you haven't listened to Moss Side Story, his soundtrack to a fake film noir. Beautiful, atmospheric, dark, just what you're looking for. No lyrics, just tape splices.

Also note that he used to be the bassist for the post-punk band Magazine, whose album Real Life you'll likely find very congenial.

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:37:10 -0800

Some more that I thought of subsequent to my last post, but which have since been posted by other people:

Giant Sand: (get Chore of Enchantment; beautiful album)
Jim White: vocally quite different, musically probably closer to Cave's rockier stuff rather than his ballads, but lyrically he's very much in the same story-telling tradition as Cave. His lyrics are great, and quite dark.

And also seconding Lambchop and the Magnetic Fields. And agreeing with whoever said Walker Brothers more than Scott Walker.

Maybe Jacque Brel as well?

By: ejaned8

ejaned8 — Sun, 06 May 2007 13:30:20 -0800

You might want to check out the Anti label (Tom Waits). Nick Cave is part of Grinderman. Just saw this today or else would have mentioned it earlier. (From Pitchfork: Grinderman is a new project featuring Nick Cave and three fellow Bad Seeds: violinist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn Casey, and drummer Jim Sclavunos.).

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 02:36:09 -0800

Don't go expecting mellow from Grinderman.

By: rikhei

rikhei — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:34:23 -0800

My apologies for such a late response to this question - I was cleaning out old bookmarks and came across this question. I wanted to recommend Pandora, which is essentially a music recommendation engine. You enter a song or artist you enjoy, and it will play songs it thinks you'll also enjoy. I've found a few new artists this way. I'm not sure how many new artists you'd discover since the comments here are so extensive, but it might be of use!