Chicks With Guitars

As far as playing and interpreting goes:

Kaki's so good it's scary! She's the pick of the litter, in my book. Sharon Isbin can play a ton, but I find a lot of her stuff cold. Impressive, but just not my cup of tea. Orianthi has her moments, too.

Let's not forget the veterans.
Long timer whose playing gotten beter and better over the years: Joan Armatrading.

Long timer who has always been a monster: Joni.

One of the newcomers not yet mentioned who has some skills, but even more heart: Jodi Martin. Check out her Peter Gabriel covers - this is the real deal.

Marty

Marco,

Dar is a flat-out great lyricist. "Christians and Pagans" manages to address a big issue (tolerance) while remaining true to finely drawn character observations (family at Christmas). Probably as good an example of this style of songwriting as I've ever encountered.

Marty

If anyone's taste runs towards jangle pop, they might want to check out Marti Jones. She sings like an angel and she's married to the noted singer/songwriter/producer Don Dixon. Her songs are generally (tho not always) less introspective than some listed above, but they're tons of fun in their own right. She also has great (and ecclectic) taste in cover material; ranging from lots of John Hiatt, to David Bowie's "Soul Love", to Joe Tex's "You Got What It Takes (To Take What I Got"). My wife and I used the Dixon/Jones arrangement of this song for our first dance.

Her album, "Used Guitars", is a gem and her "Live At Spirit Square" is a great overview of the Marti Jones catalog (nicely recorded by Dixon, too).

Another (related) fun choice is Marti's friend Amy Rigby (they sometimes perform together as Cynical Girls, which is a Marshall Crenshaw reference, I think). Amy's very funny lyrics are worth the price of admission alone.

Marty

Richard,

Thanks for the heads up on Woven Hand and the recent 16 HP titles. (I just ordered "Secret South" and "Consider The Birds".) I really liked 16 HP back in the day, but lost track after the first 3 albums. I didn't know that they'd released newer material and spun-off another band. I've always felt that 16 HP was sadly overlooked and that their drummer, Jean Yves Tola, was among the most distinctive that I've ever heard.

Marty

Richard,

Thanks for the add'l info.

The Sarah Jarosz was great, but I'm still working thru inventory to get to the Sun Kil Moon/RHP/Mark Kozelek CDs I recently picked up at your recommendation. You're starting to threaten Robert Baird as my primary lead for new music.

Marty

A related item: there's an interesting piece on Sarah Jarosz in this month's issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Worth reading if you're a fan.

Marty

Slightly OT, The same issue features a wonderful interview with Richard Thompson. Definitely worth reading if you're a fan.