In my opinion her voice isn't as lovely as Regina's (still very good though), but in all other respekts Nellie is just as talented.

Inner Peace. My favorite Nellie's song.
I actually prefer studio version, but it's not on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2fza-r4fiM

Sari. Amazing live performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJZY-Czcp2E

Happy Flower. Also one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5NqWlnFBCE

Nellie can also be really funny, check out next 2 songs.

Mother of Pearl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfG4rpZv6Y
Won't U Please B Nice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjZz5wn-9eA

I agree with both points.

Nellie's voice is getting better and better, just like Regina's.

Very nice singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCjDJqn02VQ
And good humor too.

"David" always makes me think of Bobbin' for Apples. Must be the next door/down the hall thing...

OK. I inadvertently posted this elsewhere where it belonged here. In the meantime, the thought of them singing together is really something.

I do not mean to start the same silly discussion about Regina and her supposed doppleganger in Nellie McKay. Other than their complete originality, and unspeakable talent, of different sorts, their approximate age similarity and ability to emit unusual sounds, I do not really think the comparison holds too far.

But Nellie's so-called "tribute" to Doris Day, of all people, called "Normal as Blueberry Pie" is out today and all I can say is Doris Day never even remotely approached the greatness of this album.

quote:

Originally posted by Barth:
Other than their complete originality, and unspeakable talent, of different sorts, their approximate age similarity and ability to emit unusual sounds, I do not really think the comparison holds too far.

Even more parallels for these two piano-playing singer-songwriters: they also both came up through Sidewalk Cafe and the surrounding scene, and run in some of the same circles as a result (the Trachtenburgs, Michael Leviton, etc), both their major label debuts came in 2004, and they're both working on Broadway musical adaptations (Nellie's is of the movie Election).

In songwriting terms, though, they definitely seem to me to come from different planets, both in the traditions they draw from (Nellie being generally more in the Tin Pan Alley, great American songbooks, pre-rock tradition) and in their overall outlook (put broadly, Nellie's cynicism & wit contrasted with Regina's humanism & wisdom).

Nellie's undeniably brilliant, though (Obligatory Villagers in particular I thought was a criminally underappreciated little masterpiece) and I've been following her around nearly as long as Regina, though not quite with the same degree of devotion. I'm thrilled to see her back on a bigger label (and one that's a much better fit for her). With any luck, someday soon she'll be playing the same big halls that Regina's playing these days.

More favorites:
Real Life

Goodbye

This message has been edited. Last edited by: srg,

right Nellie is now with "Verve, instead of Sony" (a lyric from Clonie which could not have made Sony all that happy).

I do not think their "visions" are all that different but Regina's discovery of pop music came, for the most part, much later in lfe for obvious reasons. Her cover of Peggy Lee's "My dear Acquantance" shows what Regina can do in that area though. (There is little she can't do, in my opinion.)

Nellie took a detour with "Threepenny Opera" and time will tell whether that was a good idea. Both Regina and Nellie have been wary about big labels, but I think both of them are now seeing what the benefits are, while resisting whatever pressure's there are to compromise their work.

Norah Jones, I think, made all of this possible. For these ears, Regina and Nellie have been the best of what else has finally interested the majors but there are many more, Fiona Apple, K.T. Tunstall, Brandi Carlile and even the still relatively unknown Eilen Jewell come to mind, all of which have been boons to world of music as far as I am concerned.

Radio City tonight. I can barely sit still all day waiting for this, even though I got a preview of it a few weeks ago.

Can you even imagine how great a cover of Inner Peace Regina could sing?

Or Sari for that matter?

quote:

Originally posted by kot:
In my opinion her voice isn't as lovely as Regina's (still very good though), but in all other respekts Nellie is just as talented.

Inner Peace. My favorite Nellie's song.
I actually prefer studio version, but it's not on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2fza-r4fiM

Sari. Amazing live performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJZY-Czcp2E

Happy Flower. Also one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5NqWlnFBCE

Nellie can also be really funny, check out next 2 songs.

Mother of Pearl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfG4rpZv6Y
Won't U Please B Nice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjZz5wn-9eA