Favorite lyricists?

Panfan · 06-22-2010, 05:42 PM

Sufjan Stevens
John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats)
Craig Finn (The Hold Steady)
Will Scheff (Okkervil River)
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, a bunch of other stuff)
Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit)
Joanna Newsom (really the only factors of her first two albums that made me keep listening)
Mos Def, for an obligatory rapper
Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters)
Jeff Tweedy

and Matt Berninger from the National to a much lesser extent.

Seriously, John Darnielle? Probably the best lyricist of this generation. Check out The Sunset Tree, or really any of his releases.

***CaptHayfever*** · 06-22-2010, 06:32 PM

AL YANKOVIC
John Linnell (TMBG)
Gregg Alexander (New Radicals)
Michael Nesmith (Monkees, solo)
Neil Cicierega

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Bomby · 06-22-2010, 06:41 PM

Jarvis Cocker. Elliott Smith. Andre 3000. Nas.

***Cosmonautical*** · 06-23-2010, 01:02 AM

I love the style of lyrics Laura Marling puts together.

***Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds*** · 06-23-2010, 01:08 AM

I'm too particular to compare lyricists to one another. Some people are deep and have incredible insight. Some people can tell a story straight up and give absolutely perfect imagery. Some people are offensively pretentious but have the best vocabulary possible. Some people are able to twist words into having hugely multi-faceted meanings, depending on what you're listening for. Some are just hilarious and overwhelmingly clever.

And what's a lyricist without the right music? You can ruin the lyrics with the wrong musical theme. They have to compliment to be a respectable delivery.

Kargath · 06-23-2010, 07:26 AM

Gareth Liddiard from The Drones.
THE DRONES

He's really, really good, especially at songs with menace mixed in.

Quote:

Georgie, i can't stop drinking
seems like every time i try i can't stop thinking
georgie, when i was a boy
i would stand there in the shade
of a wedding cake hotel doorway
watching sister with her liquor in a jar
talk to older boys in cars.

Ether was the town where i was born
they pulled iron from the ground
and knife wounds from the port
they built a prison and it tempered in the sun
it rose up off a plateau like the last tooth in a gum
you went there by train and you would never be the same.

they made the blacks live outside of town
the weekend come they'd tear the whole place down
chinese came without weekends at all
and the whites complained the pay was better
shooting them in the war
home may be where the calm blinds
but i could see that they weren't lying.

my first girls old man was in a later war
he drank like a mother****er, now i know what for
she took my van, put louie in the jack
left a suicide not and i've got him to thank for that
and he can thank our statesmen hosts
although his chances are remote

georgie, i can't stop drinking
seems like every time i try i can't stop thinking
georgie, when i was a boy
i would stand there in the shade
of a wedding cake hotel doorway
watching sister with her liquor in a jar
talk to older boys in cars.

Bomby · 06-24-2010, 01:49 AM

I forgot Damon Albarn. Not quite as wickedly humorous as Jarvis Cocker, but a lot of his songs have brilliant satire.

Also, Bizarro Noel Gallagher writes lyrics that are great and make complete sense.

Eagle Eye · 06-24-2010, 01:15 PM

Cee-Lo, as a Goodie Mob member, solo artist, and especially with Danger Mouse on the Gnarls Barkley albums.

Andre 3000

Zaden · 06-24-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptHayfever

AL YANKOVIC

Stanley the Bugman · 07-03-2010, 12:32 PM

Neil Peart. Totally underrated.

**Galefore** · 07-07-2010, 02:17 AM

Will Sheff is so awesome. I mean, really. Even reading interviews with the guy and understanding just how much he puts into every word, be it tongue-in-cheek or genuine, is inspiring. Gotta say he's definitely my favorite of all time.

I think Indie Folk has some real talents. Gotta love Sufjan, but underrated lyricists like Kristian Mattheson (Tallest Man on Earth) and even Justin Vernon (his lyrics are a real standout point to me) exist. Also gotta love Pete Silberman's lyrics on Hospice.

I'm fond of Steven Wilson and Chino Moreno as well because they're a bit more cryptic and use images rather than clear stories, which unfortunately I find myself habitually doing.

Other favorites include Mark Kozelek, Matt Berninger (his minimalist lyrics are just as infuriatingly beautiful as The Devendorf's minimalist drumming), Aaron Weiss (just... man. Dude's got a way with words, to say the least), and David mother****ing Bazan.

06-22-2010, 05:42 PM	#1
Panfan AND HE PRAYS Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grayskull Gender: Posts: 18,806 Thanks: 1,405 Thanked 2,247 Times in 1,337 Posts Blog Entries: 15	Favorite lyricists? Sufjan Stevens John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) Craig Finn (The Hold Steady) Will Scheff (Okkervil River) Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, a bunch of other stuff) Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit) Joanna Newsom (really the only factors of her first two albums that made me keep listening) Mos Def, for an obligatory rapper Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters) Jeff Tweedy and Matt Berninger from the National to a much lesser extent. Seriously, John Darnielle? Probably the best lyricist of this generation. Check out The Sunset Tree, or really any of his releases. Last edited by Panfan; 06-22-2010 at 05:50 PM.

06-22-2010, 06:32 PM	#2
*CaptHayfever* Smash SuperMod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 27,659 Thanks: 1,991 Thanked 2,486 Times in 1,513 Posts	AL YANKOVIC John Linnell (TMBG) Gregg Alexander (New Radicals) Michael Nesmith (Monkees, solo) Neil Cicierega And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

06-22-2010, 06:41 PM	#3
Bomby You just freaking blew Joe Biden's mind! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: WHAT?house Gender: Posts: 19,491 Thanks: 513 Thanked 1,449 Times in 849 Posts Blog Entries: 5	Jarvis Cocker. Elliott Smith. Andre 3000. Nas.

06-23-2010, 01:02 AM	#4
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	I love the style of lyrics Laura Marling puts together.

06-23-2010, 01:08 AM	#5
*Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds* Admin "mine.. not yours. NO. MINE." Epic Ladynerd Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Forteresse de Valois Gender: Posts: 28,504 Thanks: 1,658 Thanked 1,820 Times in 1,042 Posts	I'm too particular to compare lyricists to one another. Some people are deep and have incredible insight. Some people can tell a story straight up and give absolutely perfect imagery. Some people are offensively pretentious but have the best vocabulary possible. Some people are able to twist words into having hugely multi-faceted meanings, depending on what you're listening for. Some are just hilarious and overwhelmingly clever. And what's a lyricist without the right music? You can ruin the lyrics with the wrong musical theme. They have to compliment to be a respectable delivery.

06-24-2010, 01:49 AM	#7
Bomby You just freaking blew Joe Biden's mind! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: WHAT?house Gender: Posts: 19,491 Thanks: 513 Thanked 1,449 Times in 849 Posts Blog Entries: 5	I forgot Damon Albarn. Not quite as wickedly humorous as Jarvis Cocker, but a lot of his songs have brilliant satire. Also, Bizarro Noel Gallagher writes lyrics that are great and make complete sense.

06-24-2010, 01:15 PM	#8
Eagle Eye Diddy bops Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Gender: Posts: 15,014 Thanks: 1,616 Thanked 1,084 Times in 597 Posts	Cee-Lo, as a Goodie Mob member, solo artist, and especially with Danger Mouse on the Gnarls Barkley albums. Andre 3000

07-03-2010, 12:32 PM	#10
Stanley the Bugman Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: A Greenhouse Gender: Posts: 1,656 Thanks: 19 Thanked 14 Times in 13 Posts	Neil Peart. Totally underrated.

07-07-2010, 02:17 AM	#11
Galefore EXPLOSION GOD OF MUSIC Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Some studio somewhere Gender: Posts: 8,275 Thanks: 1,361 Thanked 826 Times in 535 Posts Blog Entries: 5	Will Sheff is so awesome. I mean, really. Even reading interviews with the guy and understanding just how much he puts into every word, be it tongue-in-cheek or genuine, is inspiring. Gotta say he's definitely my favorite of all time. I think Indie Folk has some real talents. Gotta love Sufjan, but underrated lyricists like Kristian Mattheson (Tallest Man on Earth) and even Justin Vernon (his lyrics are a real standout point to me) exist. Also gotta love Pete Silberman's lyrics on Hospice. I'm fond of Steven Wilson and Chino Moreno as well because they're a bit more cryptic and use images rather than clear stories, which unfortunately I find myself habitually doing. Other favorites include Mark Kozelek, Matt Berninger (his minimalist lyrics are just as infuriatingly beautiful as The Devendorf's minimalist drumming), Aaron Weiss (just... man. Dude's got a way with words, to say the least), and David mother****ing Bazan.