I’m just going to come out and say it… too many females in the charts at the moment are pants.  I mean no disrespect to the artists on a personal level, but frankly the public seems to have lost the plot a bit.

Granted, Adele genuinely deserves all the praise and adoration she gets, and Gaga surely knows how to tear it up, but I just can’t figure out how Cheryl Cole, Nicole Sherzinger and that bird off N-Dubz keep reaching the dizzy heights of success with such poorly written records and a lot of auto-tuning.  Jessie J‘s debut album was a corker, but she’s also turned into a bit of a posing scream-monger since she wandered like Tulisa and all the others, into the “get your tits out, love” world of so-called “talent” shows.

So I thought I’d try to balance things out a bit, and introduce the masses to some phenomenal contemporary female vocalists, some of whom have had a little chart success over here, but are still pitifully sidelined to the busty harlots of the proletariat (and also Beyonce, Rihanna and Christina, who I can’t really dismiss offhand, because they actually have quality pipes!).

So, here it is, my first Spotify playlist for your pleasure, featuring 10 female vocals that deserve a lot more praise and recognition than they get.

Imelda May

Rockabilly Goddess.  Nuff sed.  Imelda has such a wonderfully unique sound, pulled straight out of a golden age of music that’s been all but lost.  Double bass, brass and a sultry singing talent unlike anything else out there right now.  Listen, learn and love!

Molotov Jukebox

Some of you will recognise front lady Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, or as Osha in the wonderful HBO series Game of Thrones.  What may have slipped your notice, however, is that she’s also an extremely talented accordion player and vocalist.  Molotov Jukebox are busily and justifiably taking the festival scene by storm at the moment with their amazing sound.  This is one bandwagon I’m happy to jump aboard, dragging as many people as I can with me.

Lulu and the Lampshades (Landshapes)

I can’t say much about these guys.  I have heard just four tracks from their 2010 EP Cold Water but I simply can’t wait to see what they do next.  These four tracks are diverse and each, in their own right, quite brilliant.  Yesterday they played their first gig under their new name, Landshapes.  I will definitely be following these guys closely.  I just can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Emilie Simon

She’s big in France.  But that’s not much help to UK audiences craving something new and wonderful.  Just listen to her.  She’s wonderful!

Camille (Dalmais)

Generally just referred to as Camille, and like Emilie Simon, big in France.  Thankfully, thanks to a bit of help from Disney Pixar’s Ratatouille, and a certain car advert in the UK, she’s gaining a bit more recognition over here (though far too slowly for my liking). Sadly, because of the very British natural aversion to anything French, I doubt that Camille or Emilie Simon will ever have huge chart success in the UK, but I urge you to listen to Camille’s album Le Fil.  It got me through Uni and has helped me fall asleep on many a summer afternoon or winter evening!  It’s just a wonderful album to wind down to.  I could ramble and ramble about Camille all day, but I think I’ve waffled quite enough.

Sia (Furler)

I’d like to take a moment to thank my cousin Katie for this little gem.  She had been listening to Sia’s 2008 album Some People Have REAL Problems on repeat in her car for some weeks by the time I took a ride with her one fateful afternoon.  I borrowed the album and now I don’t know how I lived my life without it!  She’s an Aussie-born singer songwriter who had a single UK top 10 hit back in 2000 but pretty much fell totally off the UK radar for some time thereafter.  Which is a shame.  I think we missed a big trick with this one.  She’s had a fair bit of US success since and has collaborated with the likes of Christina Aguilera and David Guetta, but say the name Sia to almost anyone in this country and they look at you blankly.  I’d like to change that.  Also, she has a really awesome website! So go have a listen!

Gabby Young (& Other Animals)

Jazz has never really been mainstream radio music, but when I listen to artists like Gabby Young & Other Animals I sometimes have to question why.  Granted it’s not really dancing music, but Adele managed to make sombre ballads cool again, and a lot of Coldpay‘s newer fans used to refer to their early sound as “depressing slitty-wrist music”, but they still had a sizable following.  As did The Verve, for that matter.  And Radiohead, and the Smashing Pumpkins.  And I’m not implying for a second that Gabby Young makes slitty-wrist music.  I’m just saying… maybe we need to broaden our horizons a little.  There are fantastic vocalists like Gabby recording music that I guarantee will never make it to number one in the charts, but that you’d be delighted to listen to whilst working or on a lazy Sunday drive.  What I’m saying is that you should listen to Gabby Young and Other Animals.  Buy their albums.  Listen to more jazz.  Chill out.  Wind down.  Find more stunning vocalists to listen to when you’re not in the mood to dance.  Here are a few more…

Sara Bareilles

Ok, maybe Sara Bareilles isn’t the best example.  She actually had a pretty big UK hit with Love Song in 2007.  And she’s had a ton of US record sales, and 3 Grammy nominations.  She’s awesome.  And she knows how to record songs you want to dance to.  But she’s also capable of bringing that tempo right down and letting her voice shine.  Her 2012 EP Once Upon Another Time is an absolute vocal masterclass.  Her voice is all but unaccompanied, and the EP calls to mind the likes of Jeff Buckley.  Soft, moving and absolutely, unquestionably, stunning.

Pocket Satellite

I might be biased, given that at I used to be pretty close with the female lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Pocket Satellite, one Maya Zosmer, but I maintain that these guys are incredibly talented, and that Maya’s pure, sweet sound is a real gem.  Credit where it’s due, Carl’s voice is amazing, too, and their vocal interplay creates the sound that really sets Pocket Satellite apart from the crowd.  However, this post is about the ladies, so as I was saying… Please give Pocket Satellite your support and help me convince Maya that if she becomes a doctor, as she’s currently planning, she’ll be missing her calling!

Bella Hardy and Ruth Notman

Both Bella and Ruth are fabulous in their own right, but praise the lordy, they made an album together!  Here we have two incredibly talented folk singers with beautiful voices and gentle lilts which could bring me to my knees any day of the week.  Add to that the fact that Bella’s also an accomplished fiddler and songwriter and you’re onto an absolute winner.

So there you have it.  Listen to the playlist.  Then go back and click on the artist links and go explore.  And share your thoughts.  Tell us here, and tell your friends, and come back for the next installment!

Peace out, y’all! x