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Modern Singer/Songwriters


grantsabbath

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Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster.

 

I'm wondering if you guys have any recommendations/suggestions regarding some modern singer/songwriters. The type that can actually play their guitar a la Jim Croce and James Taylor.

 

I'd love to know if theres anything out there I'm missing.

 

Are there many of them out there?

 

Thanks.

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I don't know about playing like JT or JC, but here are some newer singer/songwriters I enjoy:

 

Ray LaMontagne

Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)

Kate Rusby

Sufjan Stevens

Jose Gonzalez

Dan Hardin (look him up on Youtube)

The Avett Brothers (more visceral, but still good songwriters)

Gillian Welch

 

Hope you find something you like.

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KT Tunstall is great. If you can stomach him, John Mayer writes some incredible songs. I also really like Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds but they're piano singer/songwriters. Don't know if that turns you off.

 

A great guy to check out is Glen Phillips. He was the lead singer in Toad the Wet Sprocket and his solo stuff is AWESOME. Start out with the album "Winter Pays For Summer." One of my favorites.

 

Ellen

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See, Croce and Taylor are very, very 70's. There aren't many people recording with that kind of vibe any more- if that's what you like, then shine on, but that idiom's been dry since Croce died. I'll echo all of the above posters' recommendations, btw.

 

Ron Sexsmith is one, you might like Nick Lowe's new album too.

 

It depends on whether "good songs, can play guitar" is more important to you than "like Croce/Taylor", I guess. Outside of the 70s idiom, Peter Mulvey is pretty amazing; Chris Pureka, Damien Jurado, Chris Pureka, Eric Taylor, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats is an incredible songwriter who's becoming a decent guitar player, the genius' genius Richard Thompson of course, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco... yer man Glenn Hansard's doing OK on your side of the big ditch too. Warren Zevon wrote some of the best songs of the late 70's to late 90s, don't know if he's too rock though.

 

As far as singer/songwriters who can play their guitars go... can anyone name one who can't?

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I agree with every musician that has been mentioned and would add David Wilcox to the mix. He has much of the vibe of Croce and Taylor but in a very different direction. All the alternate tunings drive me nuts, but once you figure out a couple many are similarly played. Most can be figured out in standard tuning with a little effort, but don't sound quite the same.

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I'll pitch in here. I really like Justin Hayward. He's had (actually still has) a career with the Moody Blues. Plus he has 4 studio albums of solo material.

 

I'm sure alot of his and the Moodies stuff is solo guitar playable. Check out his Live in San Juan Capistrano DVD. The first half dozen songs or so are all solo acoustic. He then adds band members and gears up the music. A great watch!

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