Best current rock/indie rock singer

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I've been well into the tragically hip this week - even their new stuff - and boy oh boy is gordon downie a belter - i can't think of a current rock/indie rock singer that gets me vocally (and lyrically but here i'm just talking vocals) like he does - who's better?

― jimmy_chop, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:34 (sixteen years ago)

Joel Gibb from The Hidden Cameras is one of my favorites. He's no belter, but his voice is crystalline and heavenly (which is even better when he's singing about piss sex).

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:37 (sixteen years ago)

For starters...

http://theemighteekittens.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/mountain-goats_wombat.jpg

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:38 (sixteen years ago)

(The hunk, not the hog.)

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:38 (sixteen years ago)

i'm sure he would drive a lot of ppl crazy but i love the dude from Wilderness

― for HOOM the bell tolls (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:40 (sixteen years ago)

RICHARD HAWLEY

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:42 (sixteen years ago)

Those chicks from Dirty Projectors

― Now, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 23:51 (sixteen years ago)

srsly now

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:01 (sixteen years ago)

I'd like to nominate Panda Bear on lex's behalf.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:12 (sixteen years ago)

the girl from ponytail is the best singer in indie rock

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:14 (sixteen years ago)

i don't actually believe that, but she's awesome

the worst singers who make the best music:

craig finn, hold steady
gareth campesinos!, los campesinos!
the dude from titus andronicus, titus andronicus

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:14 (sixteen years ago)

neko case, surely

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:24 (sixteen years ago)

Is Neko really a "rock/indie rock" singer?

I get that she's enjoyed by indie rock fans, but surely...

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:25 (sixteen years ago)

Half of her discography consists of New Pornographers albums, so I'd say she's in on a technicality.

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:27 (sixteen years ago)

ariel pink

― richie aprile (rockapads), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:29 (sixteen years ago)

dude from shearwater tho i assume he's not for everybody

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:31 (sixteen years ago)

dude from final placement

― mookieproof, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:33 (sixteen years ago)

uh now is neko case not rock/indie rock

― Don't delay, we cannot do this forever. (Matt P), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:35 (sixteen years ago)

how

― Don't delay, we cannot do this forever. (Matt P), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:35 (sixteen years ago)

At one time, she was a pretty legit alt-country singer (though that time is getting longer and longer ago).

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:37 (sixteen years ago)

alex maas of the black angels

― MY RUSTIC CHURCHWARDEN PIPE TOBACCOS; WITH RED T-SHIRT OF SURF (Curt1s Stephens), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 00:39 (sixteen years ago)

I'll second Hawley

― ╓abies, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:23 (sixteen years ago)

Greg Cartwright of Reigning Sound it the guy who gets me most these days.

― bendy, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:35 (sixteen years ago)

Corin Tucker isn't current, right?

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:50 (sixteen years ago)

M: Richard Hawley
F: Neko Case

― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:53 (sixteen years ago)

figured neko case would get a lot of support. very pleased to see a few other people name hawley.

― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:54 (sixteen years ago)

i don't know if you heard about her, but theres one called Joanna Newsom

― Zeno, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:57 (sixteen years ago)

Does Beth Ditto count? Saw her over the weekend. Her and Basement Jaxx did a killer weird shredtastic cover of I Can't Stand The Rain. Very Rock n Roll.

― Popture, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:57 (sixteen years ago)

i don't know if you heard about her, but theres one called Joanna Newsom

joanna who, you say?

― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:58 (sixteen years ago)

tell me more of this "joanna" "newsom."

― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:59 (sixteen years ago)

greg cartwright is a great answer!
i was gonna say dave schuf0rd, but D Charles Speer ain't indie rock, and may in fact be filed under country so i dunno if that counts.

― Joint Custody (ian), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 01:59 (sixteen years ago)

btw, after hawley, for me, the list includes mark kozelek (sun kil moon), alan sparhawk (low), that hippie guy from my morning jacket, and gruff rhys (super furry animals).

― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:09 (sixteen years ago)

jason molina, britt daniel

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:11 (sixteen years ago)

For the gals, it's Nina Nastasia. Ditto and Case blow me away, but don't cut into me like Nastasia and Cartwright.

― bendy, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:15 (sixteen years ago)

Seconding Britt Daniel from a longtime fan.

Would have to think more closely re: females to think of someone...

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:27 (sixteen years ago)

karen o tbh

― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:33 (sixteen years ago)

was gonna say britt daniel, but after reading through this thread oh yeah beth ditto obv

― im barry white btw (The Reverend), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:43 (sixteen years ago)

on the swedish indie front, Karolina Komstedt of Club 8

― ('_') (omar little), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 02:46 (sixteen years ago)

Tunde Adebimpe is way up there too.

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 04:44 (sixteen years ago)

I think in a lot of indie bands the singer is really more the project leader who sings because he/she wrote the damn songs in the first place. I was thinking about this the other day as I was on a classic rock listening splurge and was picturing current bands in incongruous situations (The Decemberists following Santana on Saturday at Woodstock, and so on).

― ecuador_with_a_c, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 05:21 (sixteen years ago)

the girl from ponytail is the best singer in indie rock

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, February 23, 2010 7:14 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

― make tha trap say hay (samosa gibreel), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 05:28 (sixteen years ago)

Either Kevin Barnes or Britt Daniel

― billstevejim, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 05:35 (sixteen years ago)

are there any rock band that aren't indie rock bands that have singers or

― make tha trap say hay (samosa gibreel), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 05:40 (sixteen years ago)

Beach House yo

― twice boiled cabbage is death, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 05:44 (sixteen years ago)

Britt Daniel, easily, for me.

― Please Do Not Swagga Jack Me (Matos W.K.), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 07:07 (sixteen years ago)

Will Sheff, no contest.

― anagram, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 07:07 (sixteen years ago)

beth ditto is a good call! i wish she had more songs as great as her voice.

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 08:32 (sixteen years ago)

Ok really thread. Lift your game. So many bad answers.

Like 'Will Sheff, no contest.'

Really?

Maybe we have different ideas of what is a 'best' singer.

― Popture, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 08:35 (sixteen years ago)

m: eddie vedder

f: lisa kekaula

(both of em are at their best when not singing w/ their own groups)

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 08:39 (sixteen years ago)

or maybe swap rachel nagy for lisa k i dunno

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 08:44 (sixteen years ago)

Skipping 35 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

oh no it's the old chestnut of making technical proficiency vs emotional connection into a false binary - let us turn to diamanda for some truth on this:

"Some people hear it as technique, because they can't hear anything but technique, so they think, "Oh, it's about virtuoso singing." Are they mad? Why do they think a person would be a virtuoso? So she can tell the story properly! Why else?"

and obviously the fact that one voice affects you more than another isn't just to do with the voice - it's to do with the material that voice is singing, both in terms of songcraft and how connected the singer is to it. which, ability for conveying rage aside, is pretty much why i like courtney better than neko as an artist. being a "better singer" is only one component of the overall artistic package, albeit usually a pretty important one.

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 16:03 (sixteen years ago)

training your voice is kind of like practising your strokes in tennis, isn't it? you want to maximise your capability to deliver the best performance, but this doesn't necessarily mean you will

― لوووووووووووووووووووول (lex pretend), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 16:05 (sixteen years ago)

lex totally OTFM

which is why Hawley is at the top of my list

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 16:21 (sixteen years ago)

Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura

― o. nate, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 16:25 (sixteen years ago)

Oftentimes the more technically proficient you get, the less emotionally connected you are.

what

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx4xrYx_KHY

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:51 (sixteen years ago)

i wouldn't really call greg cartwright "indie rock"

― for HOOM the bell tolls (M@tt He1ges0n), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:51 (sixteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR-MTZVppkA

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:54 (sixteen years ago)

back in the day, I woulda said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZnYR8gc6bU&feature=fvw

― twice boiled cabbage is death, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:01 (sixteen years ago)

akron/family in harmony

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:04 (sixteen years ago)

everyone should reread the thread title. rock/ indie rock.

― mizzell, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:06 (sixteen years ago)

chris cornell

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:07 (sixteen years ago)

Bob Dylan

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:12 (sixteen years ago)

super mario

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:12 (sixteen years ago)

I have to admit that I'm stymied by this question, but mainly because I'm not sure that I know any more what "indie rock" actually means.

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:19 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.polkout.com/picardfacepalm.jpg

― mizzell, Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:23 (sixteen years ago)

Robert Plant

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:27 (sixteen years ago)

David Bowie

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:27 (sixteen years ago)

Elvis Presley

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:27 (sixteen years ago)

Calvin Johnson