30DMM: Aspirational

Day 4: Your favourite male singer.

This is an interesting question, and not really one that I'd considered before. A mental straw poll suggests that the majority of the tracks I like have a male vocalist, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're my favourite singers. Indeed, often the voice is being used more like an additional instrument than as a centre-point; as, in fact, at least two thirds of my previous selections demonstrate. So I tried a few approaches to this question looking for an angle that would give me a clear answer, and ended up asking myself "Who would I like to sound like when I sing?" Put like that, the answer is clear: Neil Hannon out of The Divine Comedy. He has an enviable knack of sounding detached and urbane yet emotionally affecting. Also, by all accounts he's charming as well as talented, so a pretty good choice of musical hero.

This is probably my favourite song of theirs: Lost Property

I saw them do cover this one live at Glastonbury and it was awesome: No One Knows

30DMM: Sweet

Day 5: Your favourite female singer

In contrast to the previous question, a number of possible answers to this spring immediately to my mind's ear. I have a vague fear that this implies some underlying sexism in my attitudes towards music, but hopefully it's just a matter of taste. Of course, it might be that the music industry is to blame, and it's simply harder to get a contract for, say, mumbly electronica if it's a lady doing the mumbling. I hope not. (Dammit, now I'd quite like to hear something like that now, and no bands are springing to mind. Does anyone have any recommendations?) But back to the original question. My choice has, in fact, done some electronica-y stuff, and it was through her work in that genre that I originally encountered her, back when Pandora internet radio was still available in this country. Its infallible algorithms determined that I (or maybe it was originally archie) would like her, and they were correct, like all science. Her singing style, however, is pretty much the opposite of mumbling: so sweet and pure and precise. She is Regina Spektor.

This is probably my favourite track of hers: Fidelity. I've listened to it on repeat many times, but when she sings 'Suppose I never ever met you', it unfailingly breaks my heart, just a little...
Regina Spektor - Fidelity.

And if that's a little too saccharin for you, here's the aforementioned electronica: Edit