Recommend a singer/songwriter album from the 80's to today.

Damien Rice - O (2003)

You can listen to "Delicate"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ynqi0Rb8NM&feature=fvst

 

This was the first one I thought of, too. That's a terrifically good album, very much a singer-songwriter album, also very much an '00s indie rock album. The mid-album run of "Chicago", "Casimir Pulaski Day", and (after an interlude) "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" is breathtaking.

Another really great one!

 

Wow! You all really came through on this one! Thanks for all the recommendations so far.

 

Her 1988 Lucinda Williams album is a must as well.

 

Agreed 100%

 

Ben Kweller

Daniel Tashian has come up with some of my recent favorites in the Singer/Songwriter style, but a lot of them are for his band Silver Seas so I dunno if that counts. He's the singer and songwriter either way

 

If you like Lucinda, check out Cyndi Boste.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy5ForA1NO8

 

I have to add to the chorus of fans of Bring The Family by John Hiatt, too.

Perceived as more of a "rock" guy, but certainly a singer-songwriter in my eyes, is Jude Cole. Go for his 2nd album, 1990's A View From Third Street first.

 

Neal Morse, of Spocks Beard fame, and lately of transatlantic, Flying Colors, and solo excursions (mostly christian based since since he left the beard) is a brilliant songwriter, and ultra talented singer, git, piano, etc. IMO. Kind of like a Todd Rundgren , but without any hits or national fame. Which is prob a good thing, though prob not for him.

 

A couple more under the radar of most:

Tina Dicow - Count To Ten or Welcome Back Colour
Jacob Moon - The Loop or Maybe Sunshine

 

Ferron Driver

 

My first thought was Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise but it's been mentioned twice.
Don't think I've seen this one so I'll recommend Jane Siberry - When I was A Boy, a fantastic album start to finish. Also yan Adams - 29. My favorite Ryan Adams album.

 

Any Stan Ridgway.

 

Some great suggestions. Let me add Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man."

 

Jimmy LaFave's first couple of albums.

 

Dude I freaking love the Silver Seas!!

 

Prince-Prince
Terrence Trent darby- Symphony or Damn
Me'Shell Ndegéocello-Peace Beyond Passion
Elliot Smith-Either/Or

 

Haha. I like that song.

 

I waffled between this thread and another with Adult Rock in it to mention I bought a Dan Bern cd yesterday, Fleeting Days. I really like it. It reminds me at times of mid-sixties Dylan, both acoustic and electric. I know that's a copout/death knell for an artist but I need to go do something else soon so I want to just get this out.

The other cds I got for $3 were Richard Buckner - devotion + doubt, David Baerwald - Bedtime Stories. I've been meaning to check out these artists for years, I've even seen Buckner though a very long time ago. So for about $10
I ended up getting three very satisfying albums. Dad rock, singer-songwritwr, whatever. These are the kinds of albums I gravitate towards when I leave my jazz cocoon.