The female singer-songwriter comebacks we're dreaming of for 2009

In a world where blow-up dolls with vocoders for voices are embraced as music icons (not that we always mind), we’re mourning the absence of some of our favorite female singer-songwriters of yore. Here’s hoping 2009 is good to them and they manage to get their MIA asses back on the musical radar!

> Lisa Loeb:
The folksinger famous for her cat eye dorky-chic glasses went #1 in 1994 with Stay (I Missed You) then hit the Top 20 twice more with "Do You Sleep" and "I Do" (though the titles make it sound like Lisa's multiple personalities are in conversation, the songs are unrelated). Since then she’s released several more CDs, the last couple being children’s albums (never a wise move if you're hoping to stay any kind of relevant) and reissued her first independently released cassette. She’s appeared in movies and TV (including small roles on Gossip Girl, The Colbert Report and The Sarah Silverman Program). She even had her own incredibly self-indulgent, fairly monotonous, but still surprisingly gripping dating show (#1 Single) on E! What more does a girl need to do to get a little attention? She can do shiny and happy ("Summer") and dark and insightful ("Hurricane") in equal measure, and with her sweet, innocent voice and astute lyrics she’d be right at home alongside younger singer-songwriter-guitarists like Taylor Swift.
Decide for yourself:
"Stay (I Missed You)"

Continue reading after the jump...

> Courtney Love:
If tweens even know who Courtney Love is, they probably think of her as the crazy plastic surgery lady with the sloppy makeup who does drugs, or used to do drugs, or -- if her infamous rambling MySpace blogs are any indication -- maybe used to but stopped and now is doing them again. They have no idea why she’s famous (then again, with "stars" like Tila Tequila turning up on every other reality TV show, there doesn’t appear to be a need for a reason anymore). They just accept that she is. The difference is that Courtney has talent. Raw talent. Whether fronting Hole or on her own, she can sing, she can act, and she has indisputable presence. She’s smart, doesn’t take shit, and can write a mean pop hook into even the darkest of songs. Her booze-soaked, cigarette smoker’s rasp of a voice would be a welcome respite from some of the overly plasticized vocals out there these days. Her latest longover due album, Nobody's daughter, was rumored to see a release on January 1, 2009, but supposedly a sound engineering debacle has left it in limbo -- and us waiting -- again.
Decide for yourself:
(Hole's) "Celebrity Skin"

> Sinead O’Connor:
O’Connor burst onto the pop scene with her haunting cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1990 and with her shaved head, in your face politics (including ripping up a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night live thereby sending the Catholic world into a tizzy) and a voice that could go from prayerful reverence to full-on rage, she was like nothing we’d seen before. Unfortunately, uniqueness is rarely celebrated as much more than a novelty in pop music, so her intelligence and independence worked against her. Not that she seemed to care about the public’s embrace. She went her own way, becoming a priest (ironic given the whole Papal brouhaha, eh?) coming out as a lesbian, coming out as not a lesbian, and attempting suicide, all while consistently releasing brave, high quality albums like 2007’s Theology, a set of Rastafari spiritual songs. With her vulnerable fire, we’d love to see her hook up with Serj Tankian of System of a Down for a duet.
Decide for yourself:
"Troy"

> Tracy Chapman:
Chapman -- as adept at keeping us playing the "is-she-or-isn't-she-queer" guessing game as she is at playing guitar -- hit #5 on the charts with "Fast Car" from her breathtaking debut album in 1988 and then hit #3 seven years later with the groovy "Give Me One Reason." Though she hasn't been able to achieve the same level of success since then, the four time Grammy Award-winner continues to play, write, and sing with the same understated passion she used to kick off her career. Last summer saw the release of her latest album, Our Bright Future, and with her talent and the title's hopeful outlook, it may be only a matter of time before Chapman is back on the airwaves.
Decide for yourself:
"Fast Car"

-- HARKER JONES

Previously > Cartoons we have known and loved

Comments

hey. i am sinead's manager. thank you for your kind and encouraging comments. anyone interested might like to go to sineadoconnor.com and check a recent extremely fabulous live version of the song troy, with full orchestra, in antwerp belgium. spine tingling, i think! sinead is writing new songs and demoing, not reverting to but generally in the style of her first records, especially lion and the cobra, albeit twenty years later! it will take some time so expect to be hearing new things later this year and physical release early next year.

[Billy]

I LOVE Lisa Loeb. She is the best. She always puts a smile on my face. I hope she releases another album of new material (non-Kids) soon. Her last one was 2004.

[Cand86]

Now I'm sooo nostalgic. I wish music would move back to the 90's . . . oh, I loved all those girls so much (well, maybe not Courtney Love).

[Cand86]

Now I'm sooo nostalgic. I wish music would move back to the 90's . . . oh, I loved all those girls so much (well, maybe not Courtney Love).

[Kim]

What a great idea! A Sinead O'Connor and Serj Tankian collaboration would be amazing!

They both share that vocal ability you mentioned to go from prayerful reverence to fierce, passionate rage. What brilliance that duet would be!

[Chris]

Interesting...

Courtney's recent antics have far overshadowed her music. Too bad. I've always liked Celebrity Skin. She is talented and I hope her new stuff - whenever it's released is as good.