Joanna Newsom's voice sounds like...?

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I've heard Bjork, i've heard Cerys Matthews and i've heard Wendy Testaburger from South Park. But none of these sound quite right.

Someone else said she sounds like a small child sucking on a mouthful of gobstoppers.

Either way, the harp is pretty.

― dmun, Monday, 3 January 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

your daily average eccentric neighbor whose eroticism is instantaneously diminished by a heretofore unknown propensity for welsh board games and nude yodeling in darkened basements whilst using the power pad from the original nes system. and candles, or something.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Monday, 3 January 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

i agree with dmun she sounds like bjrok.her voice just goes right through you

― lee smith, Monday, 3 January 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

Lisa Simpson.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 3 January 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Lisa Simpson having an orgasm.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 3 January 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Buffy Ste Marie, age 11.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 3 January 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes, like Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song. Just imagine her singing about turkey.

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 3 January 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

Bizarre as it may sound, at one point I had convinced myself that she was the woman from Scrawl who sang the guest vocal on the Afghan Wigs's "My Curse," and had since "gone native," affecting that childlike warble we now know and love. I thought I heard some melodic similarity between that song and something on The Milk-Eyed Mender, but I can't remember what it was, maybe when she sings "and all that I something, and all that I something else"?

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 3 January 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

http://www.nodanw.com/shows_a/logos/annie_warbucks.jpg

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 3 January 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

Wendy Testaburger--that's great, hadn't thought of that. Like a halfway point between her and Bjork.

Annie's not bad either.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 3 January 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

nails down a fucking blackboard

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 3 January 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

(yet, perversely, i quite like it)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 3 January 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

Haha otm.

Normally with these 'difficult' voices I think you either automatically 'get' it or don't - I've never thought of eg Björk, Tom Waits as unappealing vocalists een though I totally understand why others might. Joanna Newsom IS an unappealing vocalist to me - it's so mannered and so unrelenting in its one mannerism - but still I keep returning to it. I don't know if I'll ever work out whether I like her or not.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 3 January 2005 15:41 (twenty years ago)

Lex, that's exactly the part that kills me. Even live, the mannerism seems pretty forced. I need to delve deeper to see if her lyrics are more creatively goofy than I was giving credit for, but my initial impression was: I like the harp, her voice is good until she puts on the weird curdled tone, and I still think that her mannerism is very Adam Sandler-like.

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 3 January 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking Victoria Williams eating saltwater taffy.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 3 January 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

That's about as close as you can get.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 3 January 2005 17:07 (twenty years ago)

A belabored wolf queef? *

*(I love her voice, incidentally)

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Monday, 3 January 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

I like the Buffy St. Marie reference, hadn't thought of that. Early Kate Bush was my normal ref point, while she doesn't sound much that that (Joanna is more nasal, has that drawl) people seem to have the same reaction. After an initial reaction of revulsion my opinion has swung 180 degrees with repeated exposure.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Monday, 3 January 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

Cloris Leachman in twenty more years.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 3 January 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

Or, fictionally, the old lady from Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory."

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 3 January 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

The dubbed grownup-pretending-to-be-a-kid voice familiar from Japanese monster movies of yore, to name one place it appears.

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 3 January 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

bjork on helium

― Space Is the Place (Space Is the Place), Monday, 3 January 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Temple exhumed and revived?

Quite curious to hear more tho.

― IT-A-Piers, Monday, 3 January 2005 23:15 (twenty years ago)

Has to be Ralph Wiggum for my money.

― wombatX (wombatX), Monday, 3 January 2005 23:28 (twenty years ago)

Shirley Temple doesn't need to be exhumed: she's still alive.

― shookout (shookout), Monday, 3 January 2005 23:29 (twenty years ago)

The anti-Marianne Faithful?

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 3 January 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

Ralph Wiggum having an orgasm?

― darin (darin), Monday, 3 January 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

x-post: Oh, thank you, didn't realise. Maybe just revived then.

― Piers, Monday, 3 January 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

she sounds like Edith Ann, the child character played by Lily Tomlin

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

Macy Gray.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

i wish to god she would shut up. the harp is pretty. i think lisa simpson pretty much nail;s the voice. or ralf and lisas bastard child.

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

I love this thread so much i could cry. and i have never even heard old harpface. so, if she sounds a little like buffie, does she sound anything like kristen hersh? buffy sounds like kristen on stuff like "little wheel spin and spin". that dead civil war baby inhabiting the body of an old crone thang. peopls say the same about lisa germano. who i love. yeah, sounds like i might dig her. or hate her if she does in fact sound like victoria williams/shelly duvall/lily tomlin.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 01:02 (twenty years ago)

I am SO gonna start referring to her as "old harpface" from now on.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 01:14 (twenty years ago)

The sorceress in Willow.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 02:31 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking the nice witch from Wizard of Oz???

― cs appleby (cs appleby), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 05:35 (twenty years ago)

Carol Kane..

or Gilda Radner doing Emily Latella

― donut christ (donut), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 06:55 (twenty years ago)

i hear a little bit of janis joplin in her at times.

― reo, Tuesday, 4 January 2005 07:26 (twenty years ago)

A Muppet.

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 5 January 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

Though I should say that "Lisa Simpson having an orgasm" made me chortle. It's a mental image I don't need to have, but still chortleworthy.

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 5 January 2005 16:57 (twenty years ago)

She sounds like the weird old short woman in Poltergeist. Like it or lump it -- it's true.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 6 January 2005 03:52 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.fmstar.com/graphic/z/z0002.jpg

"Don't go into the liiiight" plink strum twang.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 6 January 2005 04:03 (twenty years ago)

ah crap. That's what I get for being drunk and mean-spirited.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 6 January 2005 04:04 (twenty years ago)

But accurate. Wholly, wholly accurate.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 6 January 2005 04:05 (twenty years ago)

Fuck you faggots.

― Dan K., Thursday, 6 January 2005 04:24 (twenty years ago)

heavy.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 6 January 2005 04:30 (twenty years ago)

Blossom Dearie for the kid's today. (See also: Claudine Longet)

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Thursday, 6 January 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking Victoria Williams eating saltwater taffy.
Or if Victoria Williams had tried to imitate Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" to JFK.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 6 January 2005 08:06 (twenty years ago)

wow, newsom family SHOCKAH!!!

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/06/MNGJ1ALTGV1.DTL

is he finally coming out?

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 6 January 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

Holy balls! I just finally listened to Ms. Newsom here.

http://www.dragcity.com/video/JNewsom_sm2.mov

I think the weird old woman from Poltergeist wins.

Still, it's pretty nice stuff, if you can get past her voice.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 6 January 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

Carol Kane and Kermit's secret daughter, after the head injury.

― yr mom, Thursday, 6 January 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

> is he finally coming out?

I think Gavin is gayer than Christmas. But I'd've preferred Matt Gonzalez.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 7 January 2005 01:42 (twenty years ago)

It's official: Best Thread Ever. Until the next one. Thank you all.

― Maria D. (Maria D.), Friday, 7 January 2005 03:26 (twenty years ago)

oops, that was me up above. Not Maria. She was logged in. I didn't notice. Carry on.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 7 January 2005 03:28 (twenty years ago)

Ween after a sex change.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 7 January 2005 03:35 (twenty years ago)

Ween without a sex change!

― Piers, Friday, 7 January 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

I think she sounds like Van Dyke Parks.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 7 January 2005 13:04 (twenty years ago)

do people really think she's affected? why on earth would you choose to affect that?

i think of some minor hanna barbera cartoon character when i hear her

― debden, Friday, 7 January 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

like, uh, Pebbles Flintstone?

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 7 January 2005 13:32 (twenty years ago)

How about the Tiny Tim in "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" singing about "razzleberry pudding"?

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Man, another crazy obscure thing I'll never get a hold of but I gotta hear right now! ILM got me again!

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

do people really think she's affected? why on earth would you choose to affect that?

Because she sounds like a normal California resident with a non-screechy voice when she talks?

― mike h. (mike h.), Friday, 7 January 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

do you all hate cyndi lauper too?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 January 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

Kevin Coyne on helium.

― dog latin (dog latin), Saturday, 8 January 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

Emiliana Torrini

― shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 06:23 (twenty years ago)

Iris Dement

― Sara Sherr, Monday, 17 January 2005 09:11 (twenty years ago)

another vote for lisa simpson

the album is ok, but the voice is very central obv. i like the book of right on a whole lot, but the rest hasnt really grabbed me

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 25 January 2005 12:02 (twenty years ago)

buttah.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 25 January 2005 12:05 (twenty years ago)

Kevin Coyne on helium.

Thank you Dog Latin, so I wasn't going mad when I said this:

She was on Jools Holland's show at the weekend. Bizarrely, she reminds me of Kevin Coyne!
-- Dadaismus (kcoyne3...), November 9th, 2004.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 25 January 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

yep the album seemed an interesting diversion to begin with but faded fast for me, i'm afraid. she still sounds like what i would imagine as some small pink dog with a strange voice from an early 70s version of huckleberry hound.

― debden, Tuesday, 25 January 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

I'm really going to have to give her a listen soon. Touring the UK in the spring along with (gor blimey!) ***Six Organs of Admittance***.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 25 January 2005 12:30 (twenty years ago)

i've finally heard enough about her record that i might just buy it (unless someone in chicago wants to copy it for me hint hint). also because i saw a picture in the wire that made her look hot. is she, in fact, hot?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

to my great surprise, when i saw her in dublin, she was indeed! and spoke like a mamas-and-papas california girl.

― Sean M (Sean M), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 02:41 (twenty years ago)

...a complete facsimile of old-timey singer Mommie Gray.

― (1411), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:02 (twenty years ago)

She sometimes sounds like early Joan Baez, and on the rare occassions like Jo Stafford.

― b e o w o o l f, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 07:23 (twenty years ago)

I am tempted to say she sounds like Sara Carter crossed with Shirley Temple.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

she is an elfin princess.

― imbidimts (abeta), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, her voice at first made me doubt, but her songwriting soon convinced me. I would say I like her voice now.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

I am tempted to say she sounds like Sara Carter crossed with Shirley Temple.

you don't know how happy this description makes me...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

It seems Jo-Jo can do no wrong, Xgau jumps on board in the Village Voice this week. Now if he could only getMARS.

― (1411), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

I keep waiting for her to write a song called "Carole Ann."
She sounds like the clairvoyant lady from "Poltergeist."

― Mr Deeds (Mr Deeds), Monday, 14 February 2005 05:07 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

I think she sounds like Van Dyke Parks.
-- Alba (albab...), January 7th, 2005.

Apparently he's arranging her new album.

http://www.bandoppler.com/0306_F_Van_Parks.htm

― Hatch (Hatch), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 19:33 (nineteen years ago)

!!!

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

Interesting. He made a crappish job of Victoria Williams (see upthread) debut...

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

A white Macy Gray, all drunked out.

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 22:43 (nineteen years ago)

I'm totally stoked for this.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

daughter of johnny thunders and steve macdonald (redd kross).
the songs are great---like bad acid trips!
i want her in my band. she rules.

― joe x, Friday, 31 March 2006 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

thank you for your interesting opinion, joe x!

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Friday, 31 March 2006 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

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