We all have our favorites, those singer/songwriters who wrote great songs who just never hit the big time. Til Tuesday’s Aimee Mann sorta did back in the 80’s with the hit Voices Carry. And several of her songs percolated up and down the charts. She also wrote many of the songs for the movie Magnolia. I’m talking about really good soulful, intelligent well crafted songs. But where is she? For a long time, she couldn’t get a record company to pay her any attention. Then she started to produce her own work. Probably a good idea but it feels a little bit like she missed out. And she’s absolutely beautiful. Maybe she’s not as outrageous as Lady Gaga or as perky as Katy Perry. It could be that there’s too much nostalgia and melancholy in her songs. But I love her anyway.
Here’s one of my favorites from Til Tuesday’s album Welcome Home.
So, who’s your favorite unsung singing hero(ine)?
Rico, another rose, please.
Filed under: General | Tagged: Aimee Mann, Coming up Close, Til Tuesday |
The Confluence 
Somehow when the speakers on my car radio went out, I lost touch with music. I’m trying to get back in touch but so far I’m mostly rediscovering my old favorites.
Maybe this post will expose me to some of the new players!
I like to listen to global music. There are two reasons for this: 1.) one of the overactive elves in my head is easily distracted and throws off my concentration and I find he (it has to be a he) likes to listen to weird music. He’s fixated by it. And when he’s entertained, the other elves can get down to business. and 2.) When it’s in a language that I can’t understand, the other elves are too confused to sing along so they stay on task.
Ok, I’m the only one with elves in my head, right?
Since that actually made sense to me, I’d say probably not.
One of my elves is wondering how your installation of VM Fusion went?
I installed VM Fusion before. It was RedHat that was giving me fits. I’ve been a little reluctant to try it again. Because once you hit a roadblock, you beat your head against the keyboard for hours and lose track of time. Oh, look! I have to go make some yogurt…
(sigh) …. and I guess I should get back to my Christmas Knitting…..
I’m reloading the music from CD that I didn’t actually purchase from ITunes. For some reason, I could never get it to transfer from my old library to the new one. And I just realized that I have a LOT of classical. There’s stuff here that I forgot I had. Dvorak? Really? Who knew? Then there’s this John Williams Seville Concert classical guitar. From what I can remember, it was really good. It’s going to be like hearing everything again for the first time.
Aimee Mann is still pretty awesome. Her CDs can be played through because every song is good. I have this one, @#%&*! Smilers, that I searched for after waking up in the middle of the night to an Aimee Mann concert on PBS. Must have been a sleep inducing NOVA.
Yeah, isn’t that weird about Mann CD’s? Every song *is* good. I remember thinking the same thing when I first listened to the Til Tuesday CD I have. She just really knows how to write a song. I can’t figure out why more people aren’t beating a path to her door to cover her stuff.
I lost touch with new music way back in the 80s. Pathetic I know. But that is when theater completely took over my life. When I came out the other side it was to classical, opera and the only pop music I had any taste for was classic 60/70s rock.
Now I find that I actually like some current popular music, but only as sung by the cast of Glee. Yes, I am hopeless.
Tony Desare, like Michael Buble` he does the old standards. But he writes more of his own songs and he has never gained the same kind of popularity. He is also from the same parts of upstate NY where I grew up. He’s got a great voice and plays a mean jazz piano.
Neko Case is someone I was turned onto. There’s something about her voice.
Love Neko Case. Have you heard “John Saw that Number” from Fox Confessor or “Guided by Wire”?
beautiful. 🙂
Yes. I just love her stuff. She’s been around for awhile, and just now getting some notice.
She and Nick Cave do a pretty good cover of the Zombies song, She’s Not There.
Learned about Aimee Mann and her music from watching “Magnolia”, and it was instant love. Also loved her part – one of many unexpected quirks in the movie – with the “revolving” camera.
Some years back I watched a documentary/ portrait of her and not only is she beautiful, she’s also totally down to earth. As I recall she had no desire to be exposed at all costs and preferred being able to do things her way.
Another beautiful, talented female singer songwriter, who might be un(der)appreciated too, is Melody Gardot. Who has a compelling story to boot. Ooohhh, that voice! 😎
Oh Pips, you are so right about Melody Gardot. She’s one of my favorites.
Oh well, that didn’t work.
Lol! Funny thing is, when I listened to “your” Neko Case I thought “Hmmm, wouldn’t be surprised if you like Melody Gardot too”. 😉
However different they both have this certain … je ne sais quoi.