best angry or sad vocalists...
 

i love lead singers who pour their emotions into their music, call me a sissy but i still like music that is backed by, i guess, feelings, or whatever.

best angry vocalists:
ian mackaye-pissed about his and his city's music not being taken seriously, pissed by the direction punk was headed in, and just plain pissed. minor threat era ian mackaye was just mad about everything, and when he said he was seeing red, nobody dared asked him what about.

dave dictor-with a raging howling voice screaming lyrics such as, "IIIIIIIIIIIIII HATE MYSELF", self hatred was never so believable, the confusion brought upon by his homosexuality in a mainly testosterone fueled male scene only added to the anger this hardcore madman was spewing.

lydia lunch-sexy, confrontational, and pissed as fuck. lydia completley redefind womens role within rock n roll music, totally taking the spotlight with her growling vocals and angry and abrasive lyrics.

tom araya-hatred. nuff said.

steve albini-no one has a better sounding bitchy whine then steve albini, singing about rape, murder, bondage, albini totally erased any taboo that still existed within extreme music.

henry rollins-say what you want about him, but while keith morris gave black flag a more comical edge, henry came in and made black flag a much more serious, poetic, frustrated, and down right angry band. henry rollins WAS the lead singer of black flag, no disputes.

chuck d-hip hop's angriest street poet, he spit rhymes denouncing government, racism, the music industry, and escapism, chuck d insured that hip hop would not be a passing fad, and that it was as powerful a force in music as any when used correctly.

rob tyner-"well i hear alotta gossip, by a lotta honkies, claiming their the high society, well if you ask me, THIS IS THE HIGH SOCIETY"

david yow-i cant think of any snappy explanation for yow, but he just ruled.

sad:

van morrison: i remember reading an article by lester bangs about how he was super depressed and all he was listening to was white light/white heat and astral weeks, he then said how when feeling down it is simply more hip to go nihilistic, but when listening to van you get the feeling that it is ok to be sad like a normal person. i love that description. what van lacked in lyrical prowess he made up for with the incredible power and emotion in his voice, "if i venture into a slip stream, between the viaduct of your dream, would you find me, would you kiss on my eyes".

ian curtis-ian was the first singer in punk/post punk to realllllly convey any emotion besides anger and confrontationalism. his lyrics were sometimes surreal, but always extremly moving, and his voice, undeniable.

leanord cohen-while the other 60's folk rockin icon, bob dylan, mainly focused on the social spectrum and critique, leanord focused on the human condition, writing beautiful songs about longing and despair and love and desire for love. and his voice, that cool, raspy, low snarl that sounds somehow wounded. to me anyhow.

johnny cash-the american recording reveal a cash that has seen it all, hes feeling his age, and he knows his time is almost up, then he made these feelings into songs. thanks john.

al green-i love how al's songs are sometime so conflicted. some are totally sexual, but he is also deeply confused on account of his relgious beliefs, making for a deeply compelling listen.

howlin wolf-the saddest blues man i think.


i only mentioned somereally obvious ones on here, so go ahead and feel free to add many more to these lists.

I always thought Ian Curtis to write from a detached perspective, while also maintaining some emotion to it. I may be wrong on that though.

The ones that I like are Rufus Wainwright, Kurt Cobain. I think that is about it.

detachment generally is bred out of deep discontent and/or, sadness.

I always thought Keith Morris was a good angry vocalist (maybe not with Black Flag, but the Circle Jerks).
Claudius Kielholz (Haunted Henschel) is a fantastic emotive vocalist. He has a great yelling/screaming and quiet way of singing.

angry: Bob Mould.

True, but what I meant is that he did not convey it all the time IMO.

guy picciotto because he can do both at the same time.

One of my favorite vocalists is Rick Froberg from drive like jehu/hot snakes/pitchfork because he sounds kinda angry and sad but kinda neither one. Great voice.

Michael Gira - sad
Paul Weller (in the early days) - angry

and of course Ian Curtis. I saw a documentary the other day in which Peter Hook said that he never really took much notice of Ians lyrics until after he died. He'd assumed that Ian was just being 'arty'. It was only after his death that he, and the rest of the band, realised that Ian meant every fucking word of what he wrote. - both sad and angry

SAD

damien jurado
nick cave
johnny cahs (later stuff)

ANGRY

early chino (from the deftones)
at-the drive in
jesus lizard

i know there's more, but i'm drunk and cannot think of them correctly right now.

Angry: James Chance ("SICK OF BEING...On the losing end!")

Mark E Smith sometimes/often sounds angry

James Stewart (Xiu Xiu) always sounds sad

i totally agree.

Andy Falkous (McLusky, Future of the left) - angry, but in a very weird, ironic way. However he can scream like no one.

Oh and of course... Jacob Bannon (Converge) sounds really angry.

Angry:
Iggy Pop

Sad:
Leonard Cohen
Morrissey (in the Smiths)
Jeff Buckley
Tim Buckley
Nick Drake
Laura Veirs
Will Oldham
Nina Simone
Scott Walker
Liz Fraser
Neil Young (Tonight's the night and On the beach especially)
Beach Boys' vocals (Pet Sounds)
Edith Piaf
Markus Acher from The Notwist
Stuart Staples
Van Morrison
Karen Carpenter

Sad:
Morrissey
Ian Curtis
Jamie Stewart
Chan Marshall
Girl from Picastro
Elliott Smith
Antony
Nina Simone

Angry:
Fiona Apple
Jello Biafra

I only deal with sadness:

M. Ward, Conor Oberst, Jim James, i.e. 'monsters of folk'
Emmylou Harris
Johnny Cash
Chan Marshall

you already know i love drive like jehu, i cud just never get into hot snakes for some reason.

hes really sad sometimes too. ive met him a number of times, a family friend's daughter is engaged to him.