When she first emerged in the '80s, Canadian singer k.d. Lang was heavily inspired by the swooping, crystalline vocal style of country queen Patsy Cline. She quickly showed herself to be a writer of considerable depth, simultaneously forward-looking …

The honey-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has ascended from modest success in the U.S. and her native Nova Scotia to international stardom. Her music is accessible enough for the masses, yet serious enough to strike a strong chord w…

"Beautifully moody, or riotously rocking, Allison Crowe creates piano-based music of transcendent quality."

Montreal's Leonard Cohen was a well-respected poet and novelist before he ever entered the songwriting fray in the 1960s. His dark, poetic vision rivaled that of Dylan, and his songs inspired countless cover versions, by everyone from Judy Collins to…

Though Jeff Buckley was adamant about not being compared to his father Tim, his voice and free-floating, improvisatory folk/rock/jazz style bore inescapable echoes of genetic heritage. The Michael Jordan of singers, he had a voice that could soar or …

b. 16 March 1964, Old Town, Maine, USA. This US singer-songwriter made her name on the Boston/Cambridge folk scene in the mid-90s, leading to a major label recording contract with A&M Records. Griffin began writing songs as a teenager but at this poi…

Singersongwriter Lizzie West is a wandering spirit matching the heartbreak of Neko Case and the crass humor of Lucinda Williams and Kristin Hersh West was born in Brooklyn in 1973 and spent most of her young life frolicking across North America The w…

b. 19 April 1967, Mount Kisco, New York, USA. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams first gained exposure by playing tiny church halls and cramped coffee houses on the small-town Massachusetts folk circuit. Her debut album, The Honesty Room, was released by…

Joni Mitchell emerged as a darling of the late 1960s folk scene as a lyrically gifted songwriter and honey-voiced golden girl. In the '70s, she went on to incorporate jazz and confessional pop-rock into her musical vision, ultimately creating a poeti…

Grammy-winner Shawn Colvin came up on the East Coast folk scene in the '80s, finally scoring a major label deal toward the end of that decade. Despite consistently strong work centered around her resilient voice and folk-rock songwriting, she didn't …

Although many first became aware of Cobra Verde when they joined forces with Robert Pollard in Guided By Voices they are certainly not just any ordinary backing band The band rose from the ashes from the out-of-control Cleveland-based Death of Samant…

Lyrical sensitivity is set to melodic piano-based arrangements by Margo Hennebach A longtime presence on New Yorks folk and acoustic music scene Hennebach has been attracting a loyal following as a soloist and a member of the folk-pop trio Madwoman i…

Taking their name from the Little Feat classic "Dixie Chicken," the Dixie Chicks greeted the world in 1998 with their major label debut, WIDE OPEN SPACES, a wild blend of bluegrass, pop and country. Number one records, sold-out tours, Grammy nominati…

The late 1990s saw the emergence of several notable female singer/songwriters, including Beth Orton, Jewel, and Dido. Combining elements of folk, pop, and alt-electronica, Dido scored a surprise hit with her debut effort NO ANGEL, which raced up the …