2006年 03月 29日 水曜日 17:59

In the last month, I've speant a lot of time in my car or on airplanes, and I've found myself listening to a lot of Jackson Browne, esspecially his self-titled album, and especially Song for Adam and My Opening Farewell. I am looking for other music like him, but newer, and maybe in other languages (particularly German, French, Spanish, Arabic, or Urdu/Hindi).

In order to properly name drop and get some readers, what I want is a mixture of the sound of such contemporary musicians as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Iron and Wine, The Mountain Goats, Cat Power, John Legend and Sufjan Stevens with the socially conscious themes of their predecessors such as Pete Seeger, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Marley.

I want a prettier Billy Bragg, an acoustic Erykah Badu, and a more prolific India.Arie, a less distracted Q-tip (of Kamaal the Abstract). Souad Massi is the best example of what I am looking for, but I don't know how well known she is.

Speaking of, why did that last list contain three females and only one male? Is it easier for a female to sing about socially conscious subjects today, while socially conscious male singers sing stick to abstract topics, a la Bright Eyes?