Howdy folks, it’s that time again. This week, in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8th) and Women’s History Month I’ve created a playlist with all-female vocalists. When I started writing this week’s article, I made it my goal to find some artists outside of my library. What I did not know is that I would discover vocalists that would take over some of the spots on my top ten artists list. These women have personality and strength that show in their lyrics. Happy listening!
You can read all about International Women’s Day at https://www.internationalwomensday.com/.
Not Gonna Let You Walk Away- LOLO
No, you’re not crazy, this is the female vocalist featured on Panic! At the Disco’s Miss Jackson track. This vocalist, who has previously released music under real name Lauren Pritchard has a regal voice that makes her lyrics even more meaningful. The ‘In Loving Memory of When I Gave a Shit’ artist’s songs are unapologetically real and relatable.
High Expectations- Valley Queen (Female Vocalist: Natalie Carol)
Natalie Carol leads vocals and rhythm guitar for this newer musical group, Valley Queen. The band based in Los Angeles, CA has been open about their struggles recording and performing music and the emotional strain on their relationships within the group and out. This band is exactly what you should think of when you think about alternative music. Natalie’s voice is soft with unbelievable depth, with listeners being able to hear the growth in each of the band’s newly released tracks. The NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest will be performing at the Turf Club in St. Paul, MN on April 4th; you can get tickets here: http://www.valleyqueenmusic.com/tour1.
Down- Chloe x Halle
Sisters Chloe and Halle started by making Youtube covers when their extensive range caught the attention of many. The Rolling Stone’s best R&B albums of 2017 list feature the R&B singers’ EP released in 2016. After recording the theme song for television show Grown-ish, the two gained popularity. The two released their first album in 2018, ‘The Kids Are Alright’ and are set to open for the On The Run II Tour. These women and their unique vocals are not going anywhere, and I am here for it.
Stellar- Jamila Woods
If you think that this artist sounds familiar but can’t quite place it—look to Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment’s track ‘Sunday Candy’ featuring vocals from both Chance the Rapper and Jamila Woods.
Woods is a Chicago singer and poet. The track Stellar comes of the artist’s latest album HEAVN [2017]. The vocalist’s work has themes of African American identity, ancestry, and feminism with various poems and songs addressing self-love and Chicago. The artist is set to release new album ‘LEGACY! LEGACY!’ on May 10, 2019.
Wildewoman- Lucius (Female Vocalist: Holly Laessig)
Female vocalist Holly Laessig leads the vocals in this track. The band Lucius’ 2013 album is named after the soulful track getting critical acclaim from NPR, The New York Times and other sources. You may have heard Laessig’s vocals on tracks from artists such as Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Roger Waters, and John Legend. This indie-rock band originating from Brooklyn, NY will be performing at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN on May 10th and 11th. You can find tickets here: https://www.ilovelucius.com/.
If I’m Being Honest- dodie
One of my new finds for the week was English vocalist dodie. dodie started like any other Youtuber; recording covers with her ukulele and piano in her bedroom. The Epping native has three independent EPs to date, with her rich voice and personality showing through in each. In an interview with Billboard, the vocalist claimed her guilty pleasure was “Bananas dipped in pesto.”
Try dodie’s guilty pleasure while listening to her newest EP ‘Human’ [2019], available on Spotify now.
Creep- Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (Haley Reinhart Vocals)
American Idol veteran has paired up with Postmodern Jukebox, to lay tracks for classics such as ‘Seven Nation Army,’ ‘Oops!….I Did It Again’, and ‘Black Hole Sun’. Reinhart’s passionate and gritty vocals for Radiohead’s famous hit ‘Creep’ make the listener forget about the meaning of the lyrics. (Cue Netflix’s new series ‘YOU’)
Shutter Island- Jessie Reyez
The Columbia-Canadian vocalist does not disappoint in this upbeat (and explicit) track. Reyez’s twitter bio that reads “I like to sing about stuff I don’t talk about” may be one of the reasons her music has powerful lyrics. See also— Figures, a Reprise ft. Daniel Caesar.
Hey Mami- Sylvan Esso (Female Vocalist Amelia Meath)
The duo made up of now-husband-and-wife Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn have topped the ranks of the best Dance/Electronic musical ranks since their release of ‘Hey Mami’ as a single in 2013. Meath’s unique vocals are credited with the popularity of Sylvan Esso’s eponymous album [2014], and fame after that. The duo’s bio on Spotify reads as follows: “We are a band made of Amelia Meath and Nicholas Sanborn. We make pop songs about complicated feelings.”
Rainbow-Kacey Musgraves (Female Vocalist Angie Keilhauer)
Named an ‘Artist You Need to Know’ by Rolling Stone, previous Voice contestant Angie Keilhauer is much more than meets the eye. Keilhauer quit her job an auto-salvage yard and began singing on cruise ships to make her dream come true. It has been years since quitting the salvage yard job, and Keilhauer has two albums under her belt, is featured alongside Jordan Fisher as the vocalists for ‘Happily Ever After’ (Walt Disney Records’ song played during Walt Disney World’s nightly fireworks show) and has opened for a number of artists on tour, such as Jake Owen.
I found this cover of Kacey Musgrave’s ‘Rainbow’ on Facebook, and it has been on repeat all week long. Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkK_6AyUACc.