A new decade and time for new music and all that blah, blah.

So, I love the All Saints and the Dixie Chicks simply on the strength of the lush harmonies.

Having spent the whole Festive Period listening to Florence and the Machine, I need something a bit more soothing.

So, what other girly goodness is there out there that I should be listening to? My taste is eclectic from metal through to cheesey dance, with a healthy dose of indie and goth in the middle.

All suggestions gratefully received. Thanks 🙂

The Unthanks fit the bill – very soothing indeed.

sweet honey on the rock , four part female harmonies singing gospel .mmmmmmm

nora jones?

+1 The Unthanks

dido
leona lewis?
joss stone
Jamelia
Avril Lavine

Liking The Unthanks – isn't Spotify great?

Sweet Honey sounds very promising.

Norah Jones – never tried, as I decided I wasn't smug coupley and in my 30s enough for that. Rather, I am but the denial is strong! 🙂

Dido – always good stuff, but I always wish she would wail more. Sounds way too controlled.

Leona. No. But thanks.

Joss Stone – good shout indeed 🙂

Jamelia – hmmm. Perhaps.

Avril – So wrong on so many levels, and therefore very right!

Thanks everyone, keep em coming.

Not sure about harmonies but these are my favourite female artists. Occasionally a bit discordant but it all seems to work:

Alela Diane or Eliza Carthy – folky
Asobi Seksu – Mainly US, ocassional Japanese weirdness.
Madder Rose – Similar sound to above but no Japanese
Electrelane – Again hard to describe…

and the easy listening pop vote goes to:

Emmy the Great

Dont know much about this type of music but some of Zero 7's stuff features some alrite female vocals.

Or you could try Joanna Newsom or Regina Spektor, dont know how soothing you'd find them.

St Ettienne? – Sarah Cracknell has a great voice

This isn't so much about vocals, I think there is only one singer in the whole group , but I've been listening to Pink Martini lately

Would agree wholeheartedly with the Unthanks recommendations and would add Ruth Notman to the list.

What about Tina Dico? Gorgeous voice, and mellow tunes. She was guest vocalist on some of Zero 7's tracks. Would recommend Far.

Catherine Feeney
Lou Rhodes
emiliana torrini
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Belleruche

Just had another thought. I know it's a bit old now but how about Swamp Ophelia by the Indigo Girls? Should fit the bill.

+1 Joanna Newsome
Alison Krauss
bit leftfield, but check out Lisa Kakula from The Bellrays. Mental.
EDIT: Been listening to Katherine Feeney quite a bit as well recently, but some people find it a bit MOR

La Roux?!

missus just got the paloma faith album for xmas which aint bad.

Beth Orton.

Another shout for zero 7, and have a listen to Bebel Gilberto.

All About Eve. folky rock sort of stuff (with a hint of goth by association with The Mission), but Julianne Regan has a wonderful voice

Gemma Hayes. A previous STW recommendation that I picked up on….

2nd Gemma Hayes, plus she is hot!

And a local Bristol lass- Jane Taylor.

Imogen Heap

EDIT: Been listening to Katherine Feeney quite a bit as well recently, but some people find it a bit MOR

Whats MOR?

MOR = Middle of the road….

Check out 'God Help the Girl' – a Belle and Sebastien offshoot project.

I would strongly recommend Joss Stone if you have not really listened to any of her stuff before. I bought the first two albums a while back and never really got into them but recently they are amongst my favourites.

Beth Orton is a "no-brainer".

A recent find is KT Tunstall, I really love here slower acoustic tracks. Also, and I am a bit suprised by the following as R&B isn't really my thing, but Alicia Keys and Erykah Badhu demonstrate it at is best and simplest without the "overproduction and pop" of the ubiquitous music that is played on the radio/TV all the time.

Try "Sounds of the satalites" or "Good looking blues" by Laika. The vocalist Margaret Fielder is one of my faves female vocalists, she gives me little tingles in my groin.

And I guess we'd better not forget Alison Goldfrapp too 😛

Ingrid Michaelson
Kate Rusby
Lisa Hannigan

Female vocalist thread

Have a look at the thread above.

Bjork – Vespertine is perfect for the current weather tho…

Diana Krall, Renee Olsted, Diane Schurr

+1 for Paloma Faith

Laura Marling, very nice folky stuff.
Ellie Gaulding – a lot more modern but mostly chilled.

Seconding the Unthanks, check out "tar barrel in dale", if that doesn't sooth you, you need more than music!

The vocalist on Zero 7's stuff (well – their best known chilled vocal stuff) was called Sia, nice stuff there too.

Also, try AIM vs Kate Rodgers (on Grand Central) if you can find it, very good modern chilled stuff.

Gillian Welsh

That girl in the Bel Rays has a brilliant voice.

Don't think anyone's rec'd the Be Good Tanyas yet

Some great stuff here people, thank you.

Loving Gemma Hayes.

If you wanna take a trip back in time, you could do worse than check out some proper 'old-school' girl groups.
I'm talking about The Dixie-Cups, The Cookies, The Chordettes and others of that era.
That aside, explore the Gospel canon. Very inspiring.

There's been a number mentioned who I would +1:
Gemma Hayes, The Indigo Girls, Goldfrapp, Laura Marling among them, to which I'd add
The Wailin' Jennies, Canadian four-part harmonies to break your heart, (and lovely ladies as well),
Jesca Hoop, Eddi Reader, Julie Fowlis, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Kris Delmhorst.
Kris has the most wonderful, warm, contralto voice that just wraps itself around you, and she's a fantastic songwriter as well, check out 'You're No Train', 'Free Diver' and 'Lullabye 101'.
Oh, and she's a lovely girl in person, too. Shawn and Emmylou and Patty are stunning singers, and tour together as well, at times. Then there's Beth Neilsen Chapman and Mary Chapin Carpenter as well.

Not sure she satisfies any of your criteria (apart from being female) but she has a magnificent voice.

Mariza is a Fado singer from Portugal. I saw her on Jools ages ago and was hooked.

10,000 maniacs is another consideration – Natalie Merchant has a great voice. The MTV unplugged album is lovely.

Have a listen to Vaya Con Dios superb sultry blues to pop

Fantastic also on youtube