Favorite Newly Discovered Female Vocalist

I don’t think I saw this one listed but Shelby Lynne’s tribute album to Dusty Springfield, “Just a Little Love’n” is fabulous, both as an artistic creation and as a really well done audiophile recording. She released it in 2008 and is one of my favs.
I’ve got more to add as well so I’ll put a list together and share in a second post. 

+1 on Jennifer Warnes. Perhaps not the most naturally gifted singer ever but her The Hunter album is truly an audiophile recording and she does it justice. 

Agree with Treepmeyer- this is these discussion boards at their best.  

The singer for Bonny Light Horseman is male.

Here are two I forgot to include earlier:

• Cecile McLorin Salvant - Check out "Dreams and Daggers"
• Dominique Fils-Aime - Check out "Nameless"

Thank you for the amazing list. Have saved all of them to listen over the next few weeks.

I will add three

Bonny Light Horseman- a discovery for me in 2024. Got two of their LPs

the next two are not English singers. I don’t understand either of the two languages but just love listening to them:

Souad Massi- from Algeria

Maki Asakawa - from Japan

A few have been mentioned previously, most not.

Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Katie Pruitt, Iris Dement, Mary Black, Suzanne Cox, Jennifer Warnes and many others.

Streaming is a wonderful thing.

Skye Edwards, in the band, Morcheeba

Eilen Jewell

Patsy Cline

Sandy Denney

All great recommendation and I discovered them because of streaming.

Sophie Zelmani - Lake Geneva, Sing and Dance

Interesting thread as many of the recommended artists have been active for a long time.  It’s nice to see many veterans being "discovered."  Here are some I discovered within the past couple of years, most of whom landed on the music scene in the past 15 - 20 years, and have not been mentioned.  These ladies have "pipes" and don’t sound derivative.  Highly recommended:

• Julienne Taylor.  Check out "A Time For Love"
• Gabrielle Cavassa - She has a self-titled release, but check out her performances on Joshua Redman’s "Where We Are" release.
• Ane Brun - Check out "How Beauty Holds The Hand of Sorrow"
• Bria Skonberg - Check out "What it Means"
• Katie Melua -  So much good stuff to choose from, but "Live In Concert" is a great listen. 
• Josephine Cronholm -  Check out "Wild Garden"
• Halie Loren - Check Out "They Oughta Write A Song"
• Lori Lieberman - The "veteran" in the group.  Check out "Truly" 

Aside from the others mentioned…

Joss Stone - the “soul sessions” album 

Dominique Fils-Aime - R&B

Kandace Springs 

Rumer

Chantal Chamberland - if you like Melody Gardot

Tracy Thorn from Everything but the girl (all albums)

Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Starr

Grace Mahya

Simone Kopmajer

Don’t forget:

Sinne Eeg

Lindsey Webster

Nnenna Freelon

Elis Regina

Yes, as the OP I want to thank everyone for their contributions. It’s amazing how many female artists there are that many of us have never heard sing. Quite a lot of listening to be done. Thanks to streaming most of these artists can be easily found. 

Many thanks to the OP and all the respondents.  Threads like this are a great source of music recommendations.  I will listen to them all eventually.  Many I would never have stumbled on by myself.  Best wishes.

Taylor Rae - Mad Twenties

Katie Pruitt - Expectations

Kathleen Edwards - entire catalog

Lot of discoveries for me in this thread. 

I’ll add one of my all time favorites that I did not see here:

Malia - Black Orchid

Some excellent renditions of a few Nina Simone songs and others. 

Thanks to all contributors to this list !

Maiah Wynne.  Her album Out of the Dark is excellent. 

She is also singer in Envy of None.  A really cool band featuring Alex Lifeson of Rush. It’s not hard rock like Rush. 

https://youtu.be/XhCc23EthNQ?si=ff0y78bFMwxoFhDN

Melody Gardot (who also happens to have recorded a great version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow).

Susan Tedeschi is The Eighth Wonder of the World….

Basia Bulot ("heart of my own"

Vienna Teng

This may fall outside the spectrum of singers listed here, but I have to add Susan Tedeschi who is a terrific blues singer.  That said, I have all of Eva Cassidy's CDs, amazing voice.

Love threads like this.  Have already picked up several CD’s recommended here including Eva Cassidy, Songbird.  Great performance and SQ.  Check out Eva’s life story on another thread here.  Such a tragic account of a life that was cut way too short by a potentially curable malignancy. (With summer coming wear your spf 50 and have an annual skin exam by a competent pcp-it can truly be a life saver.)

Laufey

Emily King  

LOREN ALLRED ( see the secret she shared in BGT) 

https://youtu.be/oTw8AECmUNA?feature=shared

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2807538

@ kingbr

+1

Jonatha Brooke, cover of "Eye in the Sky", originally recorded by the Alan Parsons Project. 

If you haven't, check out Sierra Ferrel. Good ole girl from my state, West Virginia. 

And ditto on Allison Russell. 

Nancy LaMott

Sarah Jarosz - start with Undercurrent. If you like that, she has 7 other albums just as good. 

Sierra Hull

Sarah McLaughlin 

Roseanne Cash 

Here’s a few absolutely, fabulous female vocalists I don’t think have been mentioned

Raye - from London. Started as song writer. Now absolutely fabulous writer, singer, performer. Check her recent highly acclaimed jazzy studio and live performance recordings

- My 21st Century Blues; 21st Century Symphony (Live); and Live at Montreaux

Niia - highly sophisticated, very groovy.  From Philly, but I would never have guessed.  Start with Niia I; Niia Ii

Emmaline - classical violinist turned writer/singer/violinist doing retro-jazz with a  nightclub sound. Band includes swanky jazz guitar, bass, keyboards, drums snd Emmaline brings silky vocals and violin. Based in Cincinnati.  Seen her live set twice.  Her latest is Indiana Skies.  Did I say she looks like a brunette Marilyn Monroe?

Rozzi - from SanFran. Discovered when she was 19 by Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Very strong. You will enjoy. Start with an earlier 2018 recording, Bad Together  

it’s a start. Look forward to hearing what you think  

Chriso, I guess it is not surprising that the Shea "brothers" have the same taste in music.  

@immatthewj Very funny and very insightful man.  Goodonya!  A couple more…

https://youtu.be/tj9XwDLue5A?si=YT428gzfB6QamNR4

https://youtu.be/6rYKz1J9zS4?si=ukm9FBXHoU5ODlxA

chrisoshea

442 posts

05-24-2025 at 09:22am 

I do like Johanne Blouin...

Chriso, I guess it is not surprising that the Shea "brothers" have the same taste in music.  

Taylor Momsen.  Only women to front a band with seven #1s

Carmen Gomes. All of her stuff is on Soundkeeper recordings which are generally fantastic and supposedly available on Qobuz now. Sublime voice.

Angus Obel - eclectic, spacey compositions that are a fusion of classical chamber, jazz, electronic and pop music. Classically trained with a haunting, elegant, and flowing voice.  Try her albums Aventine and Philharmonics.  
 

Katja Werka, Contact Myself 2.0, Stockfish Records SFR 357.4102.2 powerful emotional folk rock/ jazz fusion.  Emotional.  Excellent  rhythm guitar work.  

Anette Askvik, like Obel, a fusion of classical, jazz, electronic and folk/pop.  Liberty is her most popular release.  

All albums references are will engineered with good SQ. 

Tennessee Waltz- Holly Cole Trio

https://youtu.be/i0kYuZfiEIM?si=Y7mJQucOPIpHoN4B

Don't forget Rhiannon Giddens. She is also a great musician.

You my friend have good taste in female singers.

https://youtu.be/7EECpiKTz8Y?si=-hE9Ql1lV1ytPttz

https://youtu.be/rsG7P0HPKOI?si=DRcIUq1eG26GxXSD

Give these a try.

Maria Bethania - Tua

https://youtu.be/wodgAIvI4kQ

The song has been nominated for and won several Latin Grammy Awards, including Best Portuguese Language Song

Concha Buika

Her album Niña de Fuego was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and La Noche Más Larga was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.

https://youtu.be/qvl5tCzn4Fo

I realize it’s ASR but

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/female-vocals-stunning-recordings-you-love.84/

is a great resource

+1 on Madison Cunningham

Based on what’s already listed, might I suggest Imelda May. I try to avoid “ Cookie Cutter Pop “. Cheers, Mike B. 

I do like Johanne Blouin...

I LOVE Anais Mitchell...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shr47LVcA5I

Saw her here in Colorado Springs years ago...Unreal talent, beautiful vibe.  Anais is now a hit composer on Broadway with her show Hadestown..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm7rZ_9wTkU

Youn Sun Nah

Kris Davis Trio

Nouela - The sound of silence

https://youtu.be/uMYpfk7RegM?si=TnLCKyYlXcVJjXLT

https://youtu.be/pVGGQ_WwR00?si=FtpDYcModme6UjV0

Does @chrisoshea  "also" feel the same way about that artist?

Eivør - Falling Free (Live at the Old Theater in Torshavn) I dont think there is a better vocalist alive. This song is amazing the entire concert is fantastic

Rebekah Todd

Madison Cunningham