Okay, Call me lazy, or populist or whatever you want, but I have become a big fan of three female artists that iTunes has been sort of pushing down our collective throats.
1.
Mindy Smith - Allison Kraus sound, with a little less of the "baby voice". All but three of the songs are great and there's a very cool cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in which DP sings back-up. The two sound amazing togther. Lyrically a bit simplistic, but it's her soul that gives her music teeth.
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2
Sara Bareilles - Probably my favorite of the three - Bareilles is a serious force of talent. Amazing lyircs and piano abilities. Great summer album with a lot of "must turn up" kind of catchy tunes and a few real heartbreakers. She can't possibly be old enough to be this mature. Great stuff.
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3.
Colbie Caillat - Clean and polished, in the good and bad sense of those words. It's immediaely likable, but perhaps a little shallow. But she's young. I hope that her "cuteness" doesn't make her into a darling of "the bubble gum" or godforbid, booty-shaker portion of the industry. Nelly Furtado was another pretty little thing with a great first album, and look what happened to her.
SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2So, anyway, I've decided this is my style. I love some folk-rock, (Indigo Girls and Ani Difranco), but I've discovered I'm pretty much a sucker for singer-songwriters who can find a hook and whose lyrics are at least clever.
I have been really into acoustic white guy music lately, but Sam Cooke has been my counter balance.
1. Mindy Smith - Allison Kraus sound, with a little less of the "baby voice". All but three of the songs are great and there's a very cool cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in which DP sings back-up. The two sound amazing togther. Lyrically a bit simplistic, but it's her soul that gives her music teeth. SAMPLE 1
2 Sara Bareilles - Probably my favorite of the three - Bareilles is a serious force of talent. Amazing lyircs and piano abilities. Great summer album with a lot of "must turn up" kind of catchy tunes and a few real heartbreakers. She can't possibly be old enough to be this mature. Great stuff.
3. Colbie Caillat - Clean and polished, in the good and bad sense of those words. It's immediaely likable, but perhaps a little shallow. But she's young. I hope that her "cuteness" doesn't make her into a darling of "the bubble gum" or godforbid, booty-shaker portion of the industry. Nelly Furtado was another pretty little thing with a great first album, and look what happened to her. 
Michael Buble' It's Time - Really great swing stuff. You'd recognize "Home" from the radio, but the rest of his tracks are much more big band in their sound. The first track is a PLAY IT LOUD kind of song. And there's a fantastic duet with Nelly Furtado, who I've always liked, in which she sounds sophisticated and elegant. I should probably get one of his other CDs. I bet he's got a great live show.
Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine - Angry and weird and I love it. This is one of those albums that I knew would have to grow on me. When I trust an artist enough, I'll push past my early reactions and I'm usually happy I have. That was the case here. I loved Fiona's first two albums and I pushed passed the awkward tone of the album. And now I love it. Interesting phenomenon, when I like an album immediately, I usually get sick of it quickly, but music I work to love, I love for years.
Jack Johnson In Between Dreams - This is a deceptively simple album. It sounds at first merely like a lazy surfer's Sunday Soundtrack. But there's some depth and some maturity here in Johnsons' third album. The first track lilts, "Love is the answer to most of the questions in my heart, like why are we here, and where are we going and why is it so hard?" It is extremely listenable music and has a wide appeal. It's the kind of music you can put on around anybody and it will improve the overall mood. Be sure to check it out.
