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Thread: Similar Female Voices

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Similar Female Voices

    This morning I was listening to an interview with some female singer/songwriter, and when she started singing her voice sounded like so many others I'v heard. Like she was forcing it a little higher than it naturally would be, and adding more warbling than a natural vibrato would have. I'm not good at describing these things, but basically I feel like she sounded like so many of the female singer/songwriter types sound these days. Has anyone else noticed this? Are male voices just as similar and I'm not realizing it?

    I just feel like there's a type of female singing voice I hear over and over, and I'm not really fond of it. I know they can't all be as unique as Kate Bush or Joni Mitchell, but... Know what I mean? It may of course also be what most people want these days, I don't know.

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    Member Staun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    This morning I was listening to an interview with some female singer/songwriter, and when she started singing her voice sounded like so many others I'v heard. Like she was forcing it a little higher than it naturally would be, and adding more warbling than a natural vibrato would have. I'm not good at describing these things, but basically I feel like she sounded like so many of the female singer/songwriter types sound these days. Has anyone else noticed this? Are male voices just as similar and I'm not realizing it?

    I just feel like there's a type of female singing voice I hear over and over, and I'm not really fond of it. I know they can't all be as unique as Kate Bush or Joni Mitchell, but... Know what I mean? It may of course also be what most people want these days, I don't know.
    I think a lot of the Rap/Hip Hop ladies sound alike.
    The older I get, the better I was.

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    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    Since Adele hit it big, many, many other women started sounding like her.
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Member dgtlman's Avatar
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    And that super breathy type is another style I can't stand.

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    Which brings to mind Amy Winehouse who did her style so well, and I think was very talented, and it's a shame the music world lost her.
    But the plethora of copycat female singers doing it has reached well beyond being annoying.
    Also the sing songy females sounding like little girls drives me up a wall.

    For gosh sake, this is 2020, where is Betty Boop when you need her? lol
    Last edited by Top Cat; 07-25-2019 at 07:06 PM. Reason: thank you rcarlberg..:)
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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Staun View Post
    I think a lot of the Rap/Hip Hop ladies sound alike.
    There's not a single rapper I could identify on hearing, male or female. They all sound the same to me.

    [QUOTE=Top Cat;916573]Also the sing songy females sounding like little girls drives me up a wall.

    Yeah, that's sort of part of what I mean. I do hate that.

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post

    For gosh sake, this is 2020, where is Betty Boop when you need her? lol

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    I agree with the OP; I've noticed over the past few years that the younger, popular female vocalists in several genres lack distinctive voices, more so than their male counterparts. I'm talking rock (including prog), blues, pop, soul, and country. Of course, my exposure to this kind of commercial stuff is limited, based on hearing musical guests on late-night TV, PBS music shows, concerts on the MTV Live cable channel, and non-top 40 radio in the car. Also watch The Voice when I'm at my girlfriend's house. There are a few male vocalists whose voices I can recognize when I hear them, but females... not so much.

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    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    Not many distinctive female voices anymore for sure, but here are a few to whom I'd apply the adjective:

    Courtney Swain of the band Bent Knee
    Rachel Price of the band Lake Street Dive
    Kyree Vibrant of the band Half Past Four
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    Since Adele hit it big, many, many other women started sounding like her.
    Who is Adele?

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    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Who is Adele?
    Does she still exist?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    Which brings to mind Amy Whitehouse who did her style so well, and I think was very talented, and it's a shame the music world lost her.
    First time I heard Amy it was on 'Back to Black', I thought it was Shirley Bassey!

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    I blame "American Idol" and similar shows around the world. These shows equate being able to imitate some current pop-diva with "talent" -- and that includes doing all their dance moves and sounding as much as possible like them.

    That's not talent. That's stealing someone else's act.

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    Member Lopez's Avatar
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    One of the most unique female voices I've ever heard, in a rock context, is that of Noosha Fox. She came across as a Marlene Dietrich wannabe in the less than one-hit-wonder band Fox in the late 70s.

    I agree with Mr. Carlberg above that nowadays imitation is equated with talent. Greg Lake once said (and I'm paraphrasing) that when he was starting out, innovation was the stock in trade. Now it's sameness.
    Lou

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    Member Staun's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=JKL2000;916579]There's not a single rapper I could identify on hearing, male or female. They all sound the same to me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    Also the sing songy females sounding like little girls drives me up a wall.

    Yeah, that's sort of part of what I mean. I do hate that.
    That's what I mean. I also agree with Top Cat. It's really not singing and shows a lack of talent, whatever that is these days. And yes, I still don't know who the hell Adele is.
    The older I get, the better I was.

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    I'm not sure what the point of singling female voices out is?

    There is - and always has been - a trend towards homogeneity and following fashion in pop vocals, male and female. It would perhaps help if the OP and those agreeing could provide some examples of what we're discussing.

    Oh, and Adele...whatever you think of her music...is a great singer and has a very distinctive voice.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stevie B View Post
    I'm not sure what the point of singling female voices out is?
    I understand the point of Jeb's post. It's possible to wonder something after being exposed to it, and ask a question that is relevant to the thing that you wondered.
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    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    I can't recall any singer who sounds like Amanda Palmer.

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mnprogger View Post
    I can't recall any singer who sounds like Amanda Palmer.
    Or Dagmar Krause.

    But we weren't talking about unique female voices.

  20. #20
    Man of repute progmatist's Avatar
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    It's not all that different with male singers. In the 80s, every guy sang with that kind of nasally upper mid range tone, that's hard to describe. During the grunge era, every guy started sounding like Eddie Vedder. In every case then and now, it has more to do with record companies saying, "They're successful! I'll have 25 more of those please!"
    "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    Emilíana Torrini sometimes sounds a little like Björk - same island but...

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    Member Staun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progmatist View Post
    It's not all that different with male singers. In the 80s, every guy sang with that kind of nasally upper mid range tone, that's hard to describe. During the grunge era, every guy started sounding like Eddie Vedder. In every case then and now, it has more to do with record companies saying, "They're successful! I'll have 25 more of those please!"
    This!
    The older I get, the better I was.

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    Member Staun's Avatar
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    How about the female singers from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Patsy Cline. I think there are more women singers now but then, you knew who you were listening to. Distinctive.
    The older I get, the better I was.

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    Member rcarlberg's Avatar
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    Amy Winehouse, isn't it, not Whitehouse? She was indeed a capable singer, though sadly died too young. Not all (in fact very little) of her output challenged her but when she had the right material she was prodigious.

    Adele, what little I've heard of her, never attempted anything remotely challenging.

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    Member Top Cat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rcarlberg View Post
    Amy Winehouse, isn't it, not Whitehouse? She was indeed a capable singer, though sadly died too young. Not all (in fact very little) of her output challenged her but when she had the right material she was prodigious.
    Yes, that's it, Winehouse..thank you kind sir.
    fixing that!
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