So I LOVE Anouk, a Dutch singer musician with a personality all her own and a voice to match. Many of my American readers probably don't know who this is, which is a pity - and that's why I'm sharing.
Bjorn's mom introduced me to her the first time I visited the family in Holland, and I've only become a bigger fan since. Her compilation "Anouk Is Alive" is the best showcase of her greatest hits and live talent in my opinion, and it's the album that got me into her - sort of a crash course in Anouk.
She sings in English primarily, but I've actually learned a few things in Dutch from watching the live DVD that accompanies the "Alive" album. (And aside from the fact that I thoroughly enjoy watching that DVD performance, I love it because it always reminds me of late evenings at Bjorn's house in the winter, watching it with him and his mom.)
Anouk has a raw rock sound, and a unique voice that perhaps not everyone will love. I adore it because it doesn't sound smoothed-over or polished, like nearly all the American pop sensations nowadays. And she can ACTUALLY SING (unlike nearly all the American pop sensations nowadays), so she's pure talent.
Another thing I admire is that her persona is so...European. She's got that rough and tumble attitude, tattooed arms, a real body instead of being all rib cage and belly rings, and can command the stage as if she were a multi-woman show. But she's not fire and brimstone - she sings about love and life, about being independent, about being a strong woman, and moreover, she can croon a ballad and belt out a stadium anthem equally as well. I really have yet to find a song of hers I DON'T like.
So give her a listen. Her catalog is so big and impressive that it seems almost an insult to only post one example, so I'm offering a list of suggestions. Look them up on YouTube and hear 'em out. You just may find a new music interest.
Nobody's Wife (the song that made her famous)
Also check out:
Sacrifice
Michel
Too Long
Lovedrunk
Home Is In My Head
R. U. Kiddin' Me (one of my faves)
Hail
I Live For You
Three Days In A Row
Margarita Chum (acoustic)
Losing My Religion
Our Own Love (another of my all-time faves)
Who Cares
Only You
