Wednesday Factoid: Musicians

Today's Wednesday Factoid is: What musical artists have you felt most connected to over your lifetime?

There have certainly been a number of them. I will make a distinction between musical artists I just like and musical artists who make music I think speaks about me and to me.

Tori Amos was my first go-to artist when I saw this question, so I'll list her first. She is prolific so there have been tons of songs to relate to over the years, and she has a really interesting range of sound--sometimes she can throw anger around, but sometimes she can make a song that encapsulates the magic of an experience. I really love her.

 

I'll also say Madonna because I really connected to her music when I was a kid. Some of her stuff that's about love or dancing or sex isn't my cup of tea, but she also had some poppy stuff about celebration and experience and music and even youth and regret that I really needed to hear when I was younger.

 

Dar Williams also comes to mind, primarily because she made some really interesting music about the human experience, nature, Earth religions, and relationships that I found inspiring in my early twenties. I adore just about everything she writes.

  

I'll also say Ani DiFranco, Loreena McKennitt, Indigo Girls, Alanis Morissette, Queen, Happy Rhodes, Vienna Teng, and Imogen Heap. And of course . . . 

can't forget Suzanne Vega! I've loved her work since I was in eighth grade, and I think she has a unique voice and perspective. She writes songs about things I've never heard people write songs about before, and she really captures the feeling of moments.