Favourite lyricists in rock and pop

Originally posted by FMF
Any names for the shortlist? Or the longlist, for that matter.

Axl Rose

Bruce Cockburn.

Justin Currie of Del Amitri.

Mike Scott (Waterboys) (but only in the 1980s)

Originally posted by FMF
Any names for the shortlist? Or the longlist, for that matter.

Sam Bean, from Iron and Wine, writes as well as Dylan. Also, Colin Meloy from the Decemberists, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie, and John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats are consistently excellent.

Originally posted by bbarr
Sam Bean, from Iron and Wine, writes as well as Dylan. Also, Colin Meloy from the Decemberists, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie, and John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats are consistently excellent.

Death Cab for Cutie? You must be joking.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Death Cab for Cutie? You must be joking.

I thought the same thing about Frank Zappa. Have you heard DCC's two most recent albums?

Originally posted by FMF
Bruce Cockburn.

Justin Currie of Del Amitri.

Mike Scott (Waterboys) (but only in the 1980s)

mike scott (peace be upon him)

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Death Cab for Cutie? You must be joking.

Yes! Sam Beam!

Devendra Banhart also.

Originally posted by FMF
Oooh good call. And Joni too?

I can't separate her sufficiently from Carole King. The fault is mine, no doubt ...

John Denver!
Michelle Shocked
Blixa Bargeld
Will Oldham on a good day
Billy Bragg
Leonard Cohen
(Roky Erikson)

Whoever writes the lyrics for:
St. Etienne
Modest Mouse

... and an obvious choice: Momus.

Originally posted by uzless
Axl Rose

?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage

Modest Mouse

Did you like Mark kozelek's (Sun Kil Moon's, that is) "Tiny Cities" album which consisted entirely of almost unrecognizable Modest Mouse covers?

Originally posted by bbarr
I thought the same thing about Frank Zappa. Have you heard DCC's two most recent albums?

No, I have not.

Slint!
Anyone heard of this band? One of my alltime favourites. Only had two albums which is a shame. their music is very hard to classify but they deliver a punch on so many musical fronts. Lyrics being one of them.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Slint!
Anyone heard of this band? One of my alltime favourites. Only had two albums which is a shame. their music is very hard to classify but they deliver a punch on so many musical fronts. Lyrics being one of them.

Yeah, they are a quite decent band, never really paid attention to the lyrics though. They are influential in the formation of post-rock and math rock, although I find there are more interesting bands in both genres.

Originally posted by karoly aczel
Slint!
Anyone heard of this band? One of my alltime favourites. Only had two albums which is a shame. their music is very hard to classify but they deliver a punch on so many musical fronts. Lyrics being one of them.

Good Morning, Captain! Spiderland was a fantastic album. Also, I forgot to mention John Samson from The Weakerthans. His lyrics are gorgeous. Check out the song "Left and Leaving".

Originally posted by bbarr
Good Morning, Captain! Spiderland was a fantastic album. Also, I forgot to mention John Samson from The Weakerthans. His lyrics are gorgeous. Check out the song "Left and Leaving".

Indeed, John Samson is on the second-shortest favourite-lyricist-list I could make, I think.

Someone needs to make a plea from a lolcat named Virtuteh.