It occurred to me while rocking out listening to my iPod earlier today that some of my favorite songs of the past few years involve guys singing in falsetto. To wit:
The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Mika – Grace Kelly
Your Vegas – In My Head (sorry, this is one of those annoying Vevo videos, but the singer does an awesome transition from falsetto to his normal register in the chorus)
Scissor Sisters – Take Your Mama (even more annoying fan-vid)
Any other examples of good falsetto in modern alt-rock songs? I need to freshen up my iPod a bit.
NAF1138
February 13, 2010, 12:49am
2
I like TV on the Radio. There isn’t a ton of falsetto, but they are the first modern band that springs to mind.
Not the two most representative songs for their sound, but here are two examples of the falsetto.
Golden Age
I was a Lover
It’s used on and off in a lot of their songs, usually as harmony doubling for the lead singer.
Like in Dancing Choose chorus
Chefguy
February 13, 2010, 12:53am
3
Morton Harkett (of A-ha). Roger Taylor (of Queen).
Anything by Antony Hegarty/Antony & the Johnsons.
David Lindley’s solo on “Stay” by Jackson Browne.
Everybody here wants you Lilac Wine Corpus Christi Carol , all by the spectacular Jeff Buckley, may he rest in peace.
Mercyful Fate is practically all falsetto.
I was going to say Harkett. I mean, honestly.
But I was also thinking Freddy Mercury. I think rock falsetto and immediately I hear “for MEEE!!!” (followed by thunderous drums and rocking baseline).
Darkness! And the way that Les Paul custom falls from the overhead is putting George Lucas to shame. Six string light saber!
Not my favorite song by them by a long shot, but I give you the late Richard Manuel of The Band and I Shall Be Released .
The Band’s beautiful ballad “It Makes No Difference” also has some absolutely soaring falsetto vocal work by both Rick Danko and Richard Manuel…
Well, there’s Brian Wilson. Is he modern?
Chefguy
February 13, 2010, 5:19am
15
Serenata67:
I was going to say Harkett. I mean, honestly.
But I was also thinking Freddy Mercury. I think rock falsetto and immediately I hear “for MEEE!!!” (followed by thunderous drums and rocking baseline).
Mercury could get up there, but the sustained falsetto backgrounds were pretty much Taylor. And it seemed so effortless.
joew
February 13, 2010, 5:57am
16
They broke up several years ago, but Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think had an amazing voice.
kind of a post-hardcore band. Also Thom Yorke of Radiohead does the falsetto thing, but his voice is not the strongest aspect of that band
Ooh, ooh, another one: BW Stevenson
The Eagles have a lot of really nice falsetto work in their songs.
I Can’t Tell You Why
Not everyone likes Coldplay, and Chris Martin has been moving away from falsetto, but he uses it very well.
