Best Singer-Songwriters of Today

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Comments

  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    Hey now! I'm not all that familiar with Shawn, but I like Ed Sheeran. He did a cover of Nina Simone's 'Be My Husband' that won me over. 
    https://youtu.be/5Lv1fsEE9ag
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    I already know you're not gonna like it, rgambs. So, you don't even need to bother listening to it. 
  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    rgambs said:
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    Ed Sheeran.
    Shawn Mendes. 
    Boooooo!!!!! 

    Nah, they aren't horrible but they write empty pop songs mostly devoid of anything deeper than surface sentimentality.  

    I was taking the piss. Can't stand them.
    Yes, empty is what they write. 
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    Some asshat I used to work with thinks Ed Sheeran is alternative rock lol
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    rgambs said:
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    Ed Sheeran.
    Shawn Mendes. 
    Boooooo!!!!! 

    Nah, they aren't horrible but they write empty pop songs mostly devoid of anything deeper than surface sentimentality.  

    I was taking the piss. Can't stand them.
    Yes, empty is what they write. 
    I don't believe you, so I'm going to listen to Shawn Mendes. Thank you in advance.
  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    OffSheGoes35 said:
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    rgambs said:
    Thoughts_Arrive said:
    Ed Sheeran.
    Shawn Mendes. 
    Boooooo!!!!! 

    Nah, they aren't horrible but they write empty pop songs mostly devoid of anything deeper than surface sentimentality.  

    I was taking the piss. Can't stand them.
    Yes, empty is what they write. 
    I don't believe you, so I'm going to listen to Shawn Mendes. Thank you in advance.
    Enjoy. 
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • ledvedderman
    ledvedderman Posts: 7,762
    Pretty disappointed not to see me mentioned in this thread yet. Jerks. 
    E8toX.gif

    http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
  • eddiec
    eddiec Posts: 3,967
    Mason Jennings



    Use Your Voice may be his best album.


  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    OffSheGoes35 said:
    I already know you're not gonna like it, rgambs. So, you don't even need to bother listening to it. 
    I don't need sold on his talent, he's got a ton of it! 
    I'm just not impressed with his songwriting, so far.  He doesn't handle metaphor or symbolism well and his songs seem to be geared toward mass appeal.  Shawn Mendez, all the same times 2.

    I listen to them both when they come on the Coffee House, but I can't dive deep into their songs like most of the others mentioned here.  They are just dance tunes and empty fun.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    Okay, I understand you better now. We're good.
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    Tom Waits is still alive and a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young combined.

    And I love all three of those guys.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    edited November 2018
    dankind said:
    Tom Waits is still alive and a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young combined.

    And I love all three of those guys.
    Eh, I don't know about that.  He has his loyal fan base, but he's always been a poor man's John Prine to me.
    He's awesome sure, but better than those three combined?  Not a chance!
    Post edited by rgambs on
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    Thank you for the Mason Jennings heads-up, eddiec! I am listening to a MJ playlist and he's great so far. 
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    rgambs said:
    dankind said:
    Tom Waits is still alive and a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young combined.

    And I love all three of those guys.
    Eh, I don't know about that.  He has his loyal fan base, but he's always been a poor man's John Prine to me.
    He's awesome sure, but better than those three combined?  Ridiculous!
    This sounds like it's coming from someone who's only ever heard the song "Ol' 55" or maybe "Downtown Train." Any comparisons to John Prine end there.

    And I love John Prine. "Angel from Montgomery" is one of best songs ever written--albeit, my favorite version is by Bonnie Raitt. But every John Prine song sounds the same. The same could never be said for Tom Waits, despite his immediately recognizable gravelly voice.

    His experimentation with surrealism lyrically and instrumentally that began with Swordfishtrombones and that continues to inform his recordings puts him in a different stratosphere than anyone I've mentioned, except maybe Highway 61 Revisited-era Dylan. He can still write a naturalist narrative ballad a la The Boss or Neil, but he just has many more arrows left in his quiver than those guys. 

    Again, I love everyone we've mentioned, but late-era Tom Waits is so far ahead of late-era Bruce or Dylan (although The Tempest was damn good). And Neil Young seems to be primarily focused on live shows and going down memory lane these days, which is fine. Le Noise and Psychedelic Pill were great records; Fork in the Road, Storytone, The Monsanto Years and Peace Trail were not.

    I just wish Tom Waits didn't take so much damn time between albums. And it would be nice if he'd tour again before one of us dies.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    Oh, and thread integrity -- Jesse Sykes, who also needs to get her ass moving on a new album. 
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    edited November 2018
    rgambs said:
    dankind said:
    Tom Waits is still alive and a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young combined.

    And I love all three of those guys.
    Eh, I don't know about that.  He has his loyal fan base, but he's always been a poor man's John Prine to me.
    He's awesome sure, but better than those three combined?  Not a chance!
    Tom Waits wrote Jersey Girl so he's okay in my book. :smiley:
    Post edited by njnancy on
  • mfc2006
    mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,491
    ledvedderman said:
    Pretty disappointed not to see me mentioned in this thread yet. Jerks. 
    I wasn’t mentioned either, man. But, I do really like your stuff!
    I LOVE MUSIC.
    www.cluthelee.com
    www.cluthe.com
  • ledvedderman
    ledvedderman Posts: 7,762
    mfc2006 said:
    ledvedderman said:
    Pretty disappointed not to see me mentioned in this thread yet. Jerks. 
    I wasn’t mentioned either, man. But, I do really like your stuff!
    And I thoroughly enjoy your stuff as well! 
    E8toX.gif

    http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
  • curmudgeoness
    curmudgeoness Brigadoon, foodie capital Posts: 4,130
    dankind said:
    Tom Waits is still alive and a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young combined.

    And I love all three of those guys.

    If we're allowed to mention old(er) guys, I'm a big fan of Richard Thompson, who's still active (and amazing).
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • OffSheGoes35
    OffSheGoes35 Posts: 3,517
    mfc2006 said:
    ledvedderman said:
    Pretty disappointed not to see me mentioned in this thread yet. Jerks. 
    I wasn’t mentioned either, man. But, I do really like your stuff!
    :clap:
     Holy shit, Cluthe/Lee is awesome! I just visited the last page of the Cluthe/Lee thread and found a reverbnation link...and was blown away.

    I will check Brian out next. Don't call your audience jerks, man. That's bad for business.   

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