Hi
I like acoustic or semi-acoustic songs which are inspiring, moving and
insightfull. I like songs which explore the darker side as long as I
feel it is going somewhere.
My favourite songs are

"Hymm to the Silence"  and
"The Mystery"        by Van MOrrison.
I like some songs by Leonard Cohan, Dylan, and Jewel.
     I do not like songs which are depressing, or which express
co-dependency (Neediness). I am looking for songs which are really
subtle and which uplift the spirit. I do not like explicitely
religious songs. I do not like New Age music. No explicitely 'Caring
and Sharing' songs please.

I am looking for a list of Singers/SOngs which might fit these
criteria or a web site I could go to which could help me here.


Declan

Hi,

Questions like this are necessarily very subjective - everyone reacts
to music in different ways, and one man's spiritual touchstone is
another man's cheesey, tedious drone. I'm going to pick a few artists
and albums, some of them personal favourites, which I think fit in
with what you like. I've added links to buy the records at Amazon, and
other information as appropriate.

Nick Drake
Five Leaves Left 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L13712DF
Bryter Layter 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q64725DF
Pink Moon 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S55725DF

I expect you know Nick Drake already, but if not you really should
track him down - he's just what you're looking for.

Frankie Sparo - My Red Scare 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L26712DF

Very beautiful, stripped down acoustic songs. Possibly tending towards
the depressive side of the scale, but there are several songs on there
which are very uplifting.

Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S37716DF

Cave is famous for being a noisy and doom-laden musician, but this
album is full of beautifully moving and thought-provoking songs.
Definitely worth checking out.

Smog - Knock Knock 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S18732DF

I don't know whether you've come across Smog before - this is a very
good album to begin with, but all his LPs are full with beautifully
written acoustic and semi-acoustic songs.

Red House Painters - Down Colourful Hill 
http://makeashorterlink.com/?P29711DF

Their first album. Very slow, stripped-down acoustic songs. Rather
dark.


American Music Club - Everclear
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C1A752DF

Very beautiful. The lead singer, Mark Eitzel, has also made a number
of solo albums which are worth checking out.


I hope you enjoy some or all of these selections. I'd be grateful if
you let me know if some or all of these end up being firm favourites.
I'm sure others will add selections in the comment boxes below, of
course!

enjoy,

grimace

You might want to consider Billy Bragg - he is often thought of as
apolitical singer, but the bulk of his work is romantic (in the broad
sense of the word) songs.  Some of his later work is electric, but his
earlier stuff is acoustic.

A snatch of lyrics:

"I had to use a dictionary, 
to find out the menaing of unrequited,
While she was giving herself for free,
at a party to which I was never invited"

He recorded a couple of albums of WOody Guthrie songs, with Wilco,
which you might be familiar with.  Be warned that some people find
some of his more politically inclined songs, and his voice ( an Essex
accent) a little grating.  His song "A new england" was covered by
Kirsty MacColl in (about) '85.

have a look at www.billybragg.co.uk

I imagine you will get piles of opinionated comments for this
question.  These are just mine.

May I also add to Billy Bragg (excellent choice, JeremyMiles!) some
other inspirational songs:

May sound corny - but the early Stevie Wonder and the early Paul Simon
(or simon& Garfunkel).

I would also recommend Paul Weller, which I really like, especially
"Stanley Rd." album.

Neil young is highly recommended, especially in "After the Goldrush",
"Harvest", "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" - but also others. His
CSNY days are probably very inspiring "teach your children well", etc.
And speaking of Nick Cave, he has the most touching version of Young's
"Helpless" in one of Young's tribute albums.

You may like Joni Mitchell, Caroll King and Suzanne vega - they are
all sort of inspirations for Jewel.

Hope that helped a little, you have a great question. I also recommend
that you'll try yourself to adjust your taste. Where I grew up almost
nobody heard of American Rock or Singer/Songwriters. The best thing is
to discover things yourself.

how about some songs by Dashboard Confessional?

I would suggest all albums by Red House Painters, actually, Ocean
Beach in particular.  You might also want to check out Sun Kil Moon,
the new band by Mark Kozelek, the lead singer of RHP, as well as his
solo albums.

You sound like a man who is finally ready to accept Barbara Streisand
into your life. I think you should take the plunge and emerge
refreshed.