Left-field women

[iguana]

BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! got it?



encore: one of the most mesmerising MTV UP performances ever



she never made another feature film after this one. a thing of disturbing beauty.

[Progbear]

How about Annisette?

[PeterG]

What great suggestions, thanks all. I'm especially taken by Unwoman and Rasputina.

[Rune Blackwings]

Women, singers in this instance, who have original, fringe, unusual styles, voices and material and who are slighty nuts in a good way

So Kylie, Madonna, Dionne, Beyonce, Aretha, Gloria, Olivia etc. don't fit on this list.

That said, looking at some of the names coming up on the thread it is clear that what I consider "left field" is very different to what others consider "left field" but that is fine, that is what music is all about. We can only base any term e.g. left field on our own listening experience and musical tastes.

but theoretically, Lady Gaga or Grace Slick could?

Some from what I listen to:
Alzbeth (Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud)
Andrea Nebel (aka Nebelhexe)
Jinx Dawson (Coven)

[Zeuhlmate]

BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! BJÖRK! got it?

More Björk:

[TheH]

If you can imagine something sounding very much like Kate Bush in a more proggy setting than
you should try Emily Bezar:

http://emilybezar.bandcamp.com/track/saturns-return


Next only to Ribeiro: Mama Bea

[davis]

[Zeuhlmate]

Renate Knaup



The video is out of sync...

[Rarebird]

Renate Knaup



The video is out of sync...

You can say that again. Even I can see that.

[PeterG]

but theoretically, Lady Gaga or Grace Slick could?

Absolutely, and i am surprised
No one has mentioned either of them yet, or Tori Amos or Marina and The Diamonds.

[Yves]

So all these women played left field? Somehow I don't see Bjork throwing out a runner at the plate after he tagged up at third base on a deep fly ball.

[winkersnufs]

Hello Davis -

Thanks for posting the Jill Tracy clip! I'm not much into the 'dark side' but I certainly am intrigued.....

Chris Buckley

[Wounded Land]

if you've ever sat through United States Live (preferably the 5-LP vinyl box), life seems richer pretty soon. Although sometimes shorter as well.

That's a great album! I have the LP version but I have a friend who has it on cassette.

[Reginod]

Jerney Kaagman (early days of Earth & Fire version)

[Reginod]

Alquimia

[Stevie B]

Ok, maybe I've missed these but I can't believe it took three pages to get to Bjork and Tori Amos and so far no-one has mentioned PJ Harvey or Joanna Newsom!

Another one I thought would get a mention by now is Feist - not way out there, but ventures out there a little bit now and then...

[progeezer]

Another Katzenjammer fan here. Great humor as well as chops.

Man, that Norway sure has a hell of a lot of great music (the mind boggles if you figure it per capita!).

Another "left field" band of women is Canada's Chic Gamine. Quirky & quite original, with angelic harmonies. 3 live in Winnipeg an 1 lives in Montreal. A bit of a commute.

They floored me when they played Madison. I had never heard of them but I read an article before their gig and they sounded like my cuppa. AND HOW!

[Progbear]

but theoretically, Lady Gaga or Grace Slick could?

Gracie for sure. LG, not so much, she’s conventional pop fluff dressed up in the Emperor’s New Clothes. (And a lot of her “radical” visuals are blatantly stolen from other sources.)

I also would not call Jerney Kaagman “left-field,” as much as I enjoy her work with early E&F. I also would not include Annie Haslam, Sally Oldfield or Sonja Kristina here. They are all very good at what they do, but are far from “left field.”

[iguana]

anna von hauswolff:

[progeezer]

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think of both Moorea Dickason of MoeTar and Kyree Vibrant of Half Past Four as playing position #7 in your scorecard.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I also would not call Jerney Kaagman “left-field,” as much as I enjoy her work with early E&F. I also would not include Annie Haslam, Sally Oldfield or Sonja Kristina here. They are all very good at what they do, but are far from “left field.”

Completely agree. Annisette of Savage Rose differs a bit though, seeing how both her voice and technique was so profoundly out there. She remains one of the most charismatic performers I've ever seen, btw. Can't believe how it must have been to experience her on stage in, say, 1969.

[Reginod]

I didn't post Jerney because she's "left field".

I posted her because she's hot.

(Because I notice these things . . . . . . . . . . )

[Progbear]

Completely agree. Annisette of Savage Rose differs a bit though, seeing how both her voice and technique was so profoundly out there. She remains one of the most charismatic performers I've ever seen, btw. Can't believe how it must have been to experience her on stage in, say, 1969.

I came close to listing Inga Rumpf and Joy Fleming but balked at it, as while being German (and female) blues singers seems a bit odd, merely being blues singers isn’t enough. I love them both, though.

Have we gone to the Franco-Belgian school yet? For example, Mauricia Platon:



Pascale Son:



Ilona Chale:

[iguana]

I didn't post Jerney because she's "left field".

I posted her because she's hot.

(Because I notice these things . . . . . . . . . . )

only too right. fast forward ten years:

[davis]

Hello Davis -

Thanks for posting the Jill Tracy clip! I'm not much into the 'dark side' but I certainly am intrigued.....

Chris Buckley

you bet. I like dark cabaret. I tend to like dark music in general. Probably the first 'dark' song I heard was Ghost Riders in the Sky, which totally captivated me. I don't recall which version it was, but it was on radio in the early to mid 60's. After that the Doors grabbed me and never let go.