Best lesser known and underappreciated songwriters.

[mehhhh]

Hit me with some ideas. Nothing too rock and roll, but it doesn't have to be straight acoustic acts, either. I'm looking for inspiration to write my own music, currently listening to a lot of the classics- Beatles, Cash, Stones, Cohen, Dylan. Would like to branch out.

 

[StephenHero]

Van Morrison
Townes Van Zandt
Tom Waits
Gene Clark
Tim Hardin
Jackson C. Frank
Tim Buckley
John Cale
Ryan Adams
Carol King
Gram Parsons
Richard & Linda Thompson
Steve Earle
John Martyn
Bon Iver
Sun Kil Moon
Harry Nilsson
Mark Hollis
Kevin Coyne
Bill Fay
Linda Perhacs
Mark Lanegan
Bert Jansch
Robert Wyatt
Ian Matthews
Jonathan Richman
Phil Ochs
Andrew Bird
Perry Leopold
Colin Blunstone

 

[mehhhh]

Well damn, that will keep me busy for awhile. Preesh broski.

 

[venessian]

Delbert McClinton
John Prine
Gram Parsons
Steve Earle
J J Cale
Fabrizio De AndrÃ

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by mehhhh

Well damn, that will keep me busy for awhile. Preesh broski.

Browse this list for recordings.

http://rateyourmusic.com/customchart...one&countries=

 

[Sesame Seed]

Originally Posted by mehhhh

Hit me with some ideas. Nothing too rock and roll, but it doesn't have to be straight acoustic acts, either. I'm looking for inspiration to write my own music, currently listening to a lot of the classics- Beatles, Cash, Stones, Cohen, Dylan. Would like to branch out.
Cat Stevens belongs with those two guys at the top.

 

[mm84321]

Brandon Flower's solo work is really quite good, in my opinion.

 

[NorCal]

SH, you are like a hippy outside of the CE and a crazy Randian inside. very strange.
BTW, that's a good list and reads like one of my ITunes genre play lists.

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by NorCal

SH, you are like a hippy outside of the CE and a crazy Randian inside. very strange.

I prefer to be called a "callous aesthete" but I'm always amused at implied associations between political views and cultural interests, as if enthusiasm for folk music, Andy Warhol, free markets, and property rights are somehow indicative of an oxymoronic personality.

Should I start reading Bill O'Reilly memoirs or wearing hemp frocks to reach accord with either of the two stereotypes society has lazily associated with people based on their political views and taste in music?

 

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by StephenHero

I prefer to be called a "callous aesthete" but I'm always amused at implied associations between political views and cultural interests, as if enthusiasm for folk music, Andy Warhol, free markets, and property rights are somehow indicative of an oxymoronic personality.

Should I start reading Bill O'Reilly memoirs or wearing hemp frocks to reach accord with either of the two stereotypes society has lazily associated with people based on their political views and taste in music?

Please, please wear a hemp frock. And be sure to post a picture.

 

[Dakota rube]

Harry Nilsson
Harry Chapin

 

[origenesprit]

Originally Posted by mm84321

Brandon Flower's solo work is really quite good, in my opinion.

lol

 

[toothsomesound]

All of the Swan Lake/Wolf Parade guys are great: Spencer Krug, Dan Boeckner, Carey Mercer, Dan Bejar. Really skilled, lyrically creative forward thinking songwriters that often challenge the traditional singer/songwriter musicality while clearly maintaining ties to Waits, Bowie, Morrison etc. Be warned, there is lots of lo-fi meandering, but also lots of very nicely produced polished stuff within this collective as well, particularly Bejar's Destroyer project, and also later Sunset Rubdown (Krug). It's all gold though.

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

^ I don't think that's what he's looking for.

Leonard Cohen for me is the ne plus ultra though the aforementioned Townes Van Zandt is incredible. Also the Wainwright family (Loudon, Rufus)

 

[sonick]

Nick Drake
Elliott Smith
Jeff Buckley
Iron & Wine