Exceedingly long post. In fact, I'll admit that I don't have a single inkling of some genres.
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For me, it's the imagination and creativity in how you sing. The expression of emotions and how you can turn your weaknesses into your strengths. Sometimes, it's the texture of the voice. Sometimes, it's how dream-like/wistful/sardonic/full of rage/etc. they can sound. And once in a while, I even acknowledge the technical singers. It can be hard to reach that range and I admire the effort they put in but I wouldn't really listen to them. Btw, I can take a bit of whiny singing but I won't go for Portishead(Betty Gibbon) which can really make me very “emo”. ;D
And it's also how the music makes use of the vocals. The singer can be awesomely good but if the music is dreadful... mm, then she/he could even sound awful. Or sometimes, it could be a very good voice but not suited to the type of music he/she sings to. It’s like listening to your favourite opera singer rapping.
Okay, I’m unable to really describe the type of vocals I go for. Though I can’t tell if the vocals have been “smoothened over/engineered”. Also, almost all do various genres like electronic, R&B, pop, rock, rap, alternative, etc:
Alice goldfrapp: Pilots. The whistling you hear throughout the video? That's her.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgs93dJAZzoSatomi Matsuzaki from Deerhoof. Deerhoof cannot really be classified in any genre so her singing varies a lot to adjust.
+81:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkbcrHPABARóisín Murphy from Moloko:
Forever more:
www.dailymotion.com/video/xc35c_moloko-forever-more_musicOlivia Lufkin. She sings in a lot of Japanese, btw. Erm, she does a lot of genres too including trip-hop, rock, pop, electronica, etc.
Wish:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=73R5hn7RGS0Ishii from Kagrra: male singer with very high falsetto.
Satsuki:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmQv-O27pwUToshi from X-Japan. Crazy good vocals:
Forever love(slightly engrish there but… he rocks, eh!) :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd4B-CVqStgBtw, Dead can Dance and Cocteau Twins are often known for garbled, made-up and jumbled “words/phrases” that don’t make any sense. Oh and Polysics, too. ;D But they all make it sound so enthralling/fun.
Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins
Heaven or Las Vegas:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtBr5JKSuks Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry: the two who make up Dead Can Dance
Bird and Crescent:
www.myspace.com/deadcandanceHiroyuki Hayashi from Polysics: yah he likely isn’t the best but he’s very energetic and “crazy” in both vocals and actions.
Jhout
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiS4mFZMCT4Converge: mmm… you all will probably think I’m nuts. But the rage and anguish… it’s so awesome.
Fault and fracture:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go8KMq_WjLIThe following 2 would be singers who do R&B but combine it with melody and/or ballads. Former reason is why I prefer Japanese R&B over most American R&Bs which are more about technicality.
Utada Hikaru. Yes, she actually makes some very good tunes.
Simple and Clean. This is the English version, which is different from the Japanese version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gic2e5FdsR&B : First Love
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqeNR_qIoFUShe’s very good, the only problem is that her recent “All English” album was … kinda… godawful ‘cos she overdid the experimentation. Oh well…
For really poppy R&B, that’s like once in a while,
Crystal Kay:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjtIJjMTpZYOh yes, my tastes are all over the place.
Or even cold, harsh singing... like from the Wizard Women of the North compilation. No samples other than here, sorry.
www.amazon.com/Wizard-Women-North-Various-Artists/dp/B00000JLJ0Some of those who collaborate with Nujabes(who does hip-hop and rap).
Terry Callier in Ordinary Joe would be a good example of “guy who can sing with soul”.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjMnw6TcnF0Oh and this is one of those music pieces which treat voices as part of the background music, apparently the voices are manipulated to sound almost like vocals/music in a way:
America by M83(Warning: some slightly explicit content):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmLnFuLXloAOthers include the vocalists from Sigur Ros, Alicia Keys and many of her collaboraters on her albums, Weird Al Yankovic, black-eyed peas, Psapp, Regina Spektor, Within Temptation, Blind Guardian, David Bowie, Klaha while he was still with Malice Mizer and many others including those who do beatboxing. I could go on forever.
