I hate crappy female fronted "goth metal" bands.
I hate crappy female fronted pop music.

I've noticed that I have a lack of female artists on my ipod. Its hard for me to find good female artists apparently. You guys have always helped me out so I'm giving it a go.

Artistic music with a female lead vocalist. Doesn't have to be metal, doesn't have to be not metal. Just something that doesn't seem like it was created by a record label to sell. Recommend me something and I'll give it a listen and then well go from their.

I tend to lean more toward metal and punk and early pre-nirvana alternative rock.

Thorr's Hammer, Bloody Panda, Murkrat and so on are nice if you don't mind various shades of doomy stuff.

How about early Dark Moor?

You would probably enjoy the band Lush.

Some female solo artists you could check out are:
Chelsea Wolfe
Feist
Melody Gardot
Dia Frampton
Janelle Monae

Some Metal:
Light This City
Mortillery
The Portal Tapes by Cynic has great vocals by Aruna Abrams
The technical death metal band Formless also has great clean female vocals

Cerebral Bore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWE9YmB8reQ

The Agonist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wc61eHTxYc

Ava Inferi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55msu8xjOm0

Lunar Path

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6ktYcgu_X0

Noein

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RPcKHRnP4

If you can see yourself listening to Swedish folk music with modern arrangements, then I strongly recommend Garmarna.

Check out Cay, an alternative band from London in the late 90s. Their sound was kind of a cross between Sonic Youth and Nirvana (I know you said pre-Nirvana stuff, but hey). Frontwoman Anet Mook sadly died last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ojRRNjrMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7EdAi3xU2o

Unexpect has a great female singer, who also does a sprinkling of shrieking. Oh, and they're Avant-Garde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46U2y-lO344

And if you happen to like Folk metal and don't mind some quirkiness, give a listen to Dalriada. The singer for them does a couple shrieks as well, but not too often unfortunately.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkPISoEPOnc

For metal...I enjoy Chastain, female fronted 80s power metal. Dreaming Dead is another more recent band that has a female growler/guitarist. Melodic death, but more on the death side than In Flames. Znowhite features some killer thrash and vocals. In prog, there's 五人一首. Sung in Japanese, but very impressive in all areas.

Speaking of prog, there's Renaissance, though it might be too soft. It's symphonic too. Kate Bush is...Kate Bush. Everyone loves Bush.

Chastain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc88DU8dzQg
Dreaming Dead - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK1LvHA2vMw
Znowhite - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpWz83MSVCU
五人一首 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT6O4tZ4cWE
Renaissance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTI1oP762rw
Kate Bush - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLLENYukPno

Rose Kemp's Golden Shroud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSelURcwkb8
Drone doom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU-KUF3GV6w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1jyL3cr60
pure class


do yourself a favor and watch the whole concert (it's also a live album)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFwnlCudeC0

4 very different approaches to female vocals:

the gathering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYgYQZdQrZk

holy moses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1gUSFc0iW8

Калевала: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCf5sExoaXE

and what's so wrong with some joan jett? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3T_xeoGES8

Given that Kate Bush has already been recommended, I'd suggest looking into Battle Of Mice. Julie Christmas is a hell of a singer, and will outclass nearly everyone when it comes to raw and unhinged intensity. Her solo material is also good, but her work with Battle Of Mice is my personal favorite section of her discography.

I guess you could try The 3rd & The Mortal, they had several great female singers.

Some Björk can never hurt either...

Lordian Guard: Formed by Warlord guitarist Bill Tsamis in the 90s. The vocals were done by his wife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Krr7ema_c

Black Knight: 80s heavy metal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At-L_fzJzOc

Listened to the youtube links:

Things i liked:
-The Intro on that Rose Kemp song. Fucking awesome. Im really liking her stuff.
I like the kate bush song too. Catchy as hell with a {{{{super interesting lyrical concept}}}} (which above all else Is important to me)
-Renaissance: I'm a sucker for prog. So this is right up my alley. Reminds me of a folky genesis. Really really great stuff thank you.
-Znowhite: What a voice. Tough as nails. Sounds like If joan jett could thrash.
-Chastain: USPM USPM USPM USPM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Ava inferi- I liked this. Real gothic metal not that terrible nuclear blast pop garbage. I dont have alot of music like this id be willing to explore the genre further.

just ok:
-Dreaming dead: Melodic Death metal without sounding bloated and boring. reminds me of arsis. Not the best thing ever but still good.
cerebral bore: brutal death metal by the numbers. that chicks growls though, good for her i guess.
cay- i feel like they are streamlined just a little bit too much for me. maybe if they had a bit more sonic youth??

Things I didnt:
dalriada- im just played out on folk metal. also ive heard better.
Unexpect- started out ok. but.... some of the worst harsh and group choir vocals ive ever heard. sounds like if a great jazz metal band got eaten by rammstein and shat out...... and then cut up with a chainsaw and put back together in the wrong order.....
noein- just not my cup of tea i guess. Dont really like the guitar and drum tone or the harsh vocals. The trippy guitar riff and the clean vocals seem pasted in. break in the bridge is terrible. the fifth element is a kick ass movie though.
lunar path- not feeling it. bad modern metal. i can see the appeal just not for me. too simmilar to the slew of terrible female fronted "goth metal" out there.
The agonist: ... nope.

thanks for the recommendations everyone sorry if i ripped on a band you like too much!! its all in good fun!

Im going to add Patti Smith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxygqSTO1lQ
and karen O of the yeah yeah yeahs (at least the first album. hear they go downhill but never listen to any other ones myself): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79RxzxHamsY

Lets get some more awesome ladies recommended in this thread!

Iowaska, a UK space/punk band featuring Sam Skraeling who apparently did backing vocals for Amebix at some point. Great stuff, but the lyrics can get a bit tacky in places:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofGgBodnZLQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B7LFE-G1R4

Trad/Power metal - Shadowside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQqTLzL3Z8

Deathgrind - Landmine Marathon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdLAeARPdSY & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rQmnhrCG3A (????? )

Non Metal - Florence + The Machine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0-rUBZsCsA

ChthoniC is a great band that has some female vocals. Legacy of Blood use female vocals on their album, The Fall.

If you like Ava Inferi, I can imagine you'd like Paradise Lost's recent album (although not female fronted). Probably some of the best (and darkest) gothic metal I've heard, personally:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP-ZlStSoig

here's a great collaboration from Neurosis & Jarboe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFwYAUOTaNE
and here's some technical doom ala Confessor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcdzRU7jpkI
Serpentcult is a personal favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA6ZYZhTbEc
The vocalist of Battle of Mice scares the scrotums off most men I know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wScX-ao9ZU
Acid King's Lori S. wrights the lyrics, music, sings hynotically, and plays guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv1HkQ0dBmw
Art Bears are just strange, but irreplaceble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdt6wtuDDpg
have fun

yup, Avant-Garde is quite a genre, isn't it? Definitely not fo everyone.

Try Jex Thoth - Psychedelic/Doom Metal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzOLCBB2v2A

You need some Аркона: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viaVdZz-_i4

You need to get into Bikini Kill, pronto.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrioooooooooooooooooottttttttttt Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrl

For some haunting, bluesy metal/rock check out Royal Thunder. Incredible band and incredible vocals. If you have the chance to see them live DO NOT pass it up.

Seconding Murkrat, although you're not talking about mere shades of doomy stuff, but a brilliant fiery incandescent glow of bloody fucking DOOM!

Omit and Skumring are two other doom bands that are female fronted. Excellent stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-czw7ey1K7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRzfsP8OOjw

Outside of the massive gravitational influence of the Doom planet, there is a power metal band I recently got into called White Skull.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJUje2PNxiE

Nuclear Death are some skullgrinding death metal, if you want to try something like that (although you can't really tell the vocalist is female.)

Also remembered a recent gothic doom band called Symphonian that I haven't heard much about. They do a mix of female/harsh male vocals that I'm usually not big on, but they do it well and similar to Draconian.

Blackmore's Night, the band of Ritchie Blackmore and his wife, Candice Night!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpE9Rng-jRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ZKlIyKHPo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1OhNnzk9Xk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA82LjlNBHQ

If it isn't a great female voice, I don't know which one is great Even when she's just talking it's worth listening!

Here are some non metal ones that I like:

Goldfrapp: electronic/trip-hop Felt Mountain is a masterpiece, the other albums I couldn't get into:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh2tb74fmbY

Cocteau Twins: words cannot describe...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oespMmWnDo
Everything they released before Heaven or Las Vegas (Garlands, Treasure, Head Over Heals...and my personal favorite Blue Bell Knoll) is mandatory.

Stormfagel - Martial/Dark Folk (not all songs are sung by a woman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqX392eRXSo ---This will affect you in strange ways!!!

Portishead - All of their albums are top notch but if you want to start somewhere I'd recommend "Dummy" my personal favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niIcxMuORco this will take you places.

Grouper - surreal stuff, been my bed companion for months, the perfect insomnia antidote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWSVE198yGw

Vera Lynn - for old times' sake:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp6tzQ4R1tg

Enjoy!

Soap&Skin -- not metal, but fucking brilliant music by a damned dark Austrian girl, who did this album when she was a teenager.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw71o2dV ... re=related

One of the most artistically interesting new (non-metal) projects that I'm aware of.

Beautiful Sin - Heavy metal, formed by the one dude from Pagan's Mind.
Triosphere - Heavy metal, same idea as the above, but different people.
Ancient Bards - Symphonic heavy/power metal, big and thick sounds everywhere.
Ayumi Hamasaki - J-Pop, pretty much the only relevant artist in the world today. Bow before the Queen of Music.
Battle Beast - Heavy metal, and fun as hell.
Chalice - Heavy/doom/gothic metal, some of the best in their niche.
Dark Moor - Power/Neoclassical metal, we'll pretty much crucify you if you don't dig it.
Diabulus in Musica - Symphonic metal, same deal as Ancient Bards.
Edenbridge - Symphonic power metal, see above.
Hanako Oku - J-Pop/Acoustic, one of my favorite ballad writers.
Imperia - Heavy/gothic metal, this chick does some strange things.
KOKIA - J-Pop, another one of my favorites.
Silent Stream of Godless Elegy - Folk/doom metal, not much to say except that it's mesmerizing.
The Gathering - ...I don't even know, all I know is that it's dark and seductive.

Shadow - a melodic death metal band from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23gkhdJqULg

Gallhammer - another band from Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6balaHGQg38

Area51 - I think most of the bands with female singers that I know of are Japanese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaQvRw_XdWI

Dragon Guardian -another Japanese band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE8bJyu7XU4

Meanstreak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZStNomDkfDs

Iron Maidens - an all female Iron Maiden cover band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaI6PG090rQ

Destrose - another Japanese band...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnyY0Syu-vo

Galmet - crappy video, but they are okay. I think they have been improving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB54Y4CD8xY

The River - good doom metal band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1mzBIo9A5c

Blood Ceremony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am2fcSNTWOs

shiiit, how did I forget her? absolutely seconding this rec!!
her first album is a masterpiece
http://www.discogs.com/SoapSkin-Lovetun ... se/1712694

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJqdISO9Bk

Amesoeurs -Post-Black Metal with french lyrics, she also does vocals on the newest Peste Noire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnIpYNiSRjs

seconding cerebral Bore, Björk, Melody Gardot, Made out of Babies,

Here is some non-metal bands I just remembered

Dargaard - members later formed Dominion III
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtSY-ww61n4

Die Verbannten Kinder Evas - A project by Protector of Summoning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=604wN1fZ ... re=related

Since I started this thread I'm going to do my best to reply to all reccomendations:
Here we go! pt 2

Things I liked:
-Royal Thunder: Sultry vocals, heavy 70's riffs, just enough guitar harmonies- just great I'm going to check out more from this band.
-Omit: Wonderful. Beautiful. I'm not super familiar with funeral doom. But the vocals in this are really gripping, most of the funeral doom I've heard was instrumental and I think the vocals really help to pull me into treating this as more than just ambient and really listen to it. Great. thanks to who recommended it i listened to all 16 minutes.
-Blackmore's night: i know of blackmore's night i'm a big DP and dio era rainbow fan. thanks for the mention though. also good for ritchie his wife is good looking and has a great voice. (even though she is younger than his son...... ) man it's been forever since i've been to a renaissance fair.
-Cocteau twins- I've heard their name thrown around a lot never took time to listen. what a mistake. Immediately gripping.
-Portishead- Is it Portis Head or Porti SHed?? anyways i really like this. trip hop right? always dismissed this group (artist?) another thing ive heard of but never listened to. that will change.


Maybe:
-White Skull: I don't know how i feel about white skull. I like singers accent, I love it when people sing with accent I feel like people try to sound american all the time to be "mainstream" or something idk.(idk what i mean dont worry about it ha) The folky-ness in the chorus is a little over the top. The keyboard sound is eh. but still i liked it. i think. idk. ill give it another chance.
-Stormfågel: This is neofolk right? Not really familiar with the genre. (only heard a few death in june tracks and what agalloch has done like this, well, kinda like this) Its simple. I don't think its bad. maybe just not for me?

Things I didn't:
-

This round did pretty good. More to come. Thank you all for the recommendations.

Here's one of mine:
Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle soundtrack to the movie one from the heart.
Im a waits fanboy.
Crystal Gayle has a great voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__ZeOh8wi8
This song is called Old Boyfriends.

Thanks guys. This thread is starting to really take off! Some great exposure to true female artists for me.

Things I like:
-Acid King: Fuck yeah. Stoner Doom glory tough sounding yet nasally female vocals great riffs(but what stoner doom band doesnt)
-janelle monae: shes great. I have her shit already. a little eclectic and soulful as all hell. also sci fi concept pop record. cant go wrong.
-Dark Moor: oh man its a shame i didnt know about these guys in 2007 i was all over neoclassical shit back then and epic folk metal type stuff like symphony x and ensiferum. I like this. I dont listen to this type of metal very much anymore. but this is good ill pick an album up for sure love the piano outro too.
-florence and the machine: my girlfriend is into florence so ive heard her before, glad shes getting love in this thread shes great.
-holy moses: i love thrash metal. First sub genre i fell in love with. I have heard holy moses before but i didnt like it then. I really like this angel cry song though. fast brutal to the point solo is odd(which is good). Ill check em out.
-joan jett: everyone loves joan jett right?
-the cynic portal tapes: I have em they are excellent. you know the singer is a pop musician now? songs on hanna montana soundtracks and everything. im not kidding.
-Jex thoth: OOOOO really liked this. psych rock influence bleeds from every note. pretty great guitar tone. like the singers voice alot.
-landmine marathon: your laughing at this but i think this is great. come on! 2012 our earache style deathgrind bands have cute petite girls for vocalists. they are generic but they are good man. girl can growl.


Just OK:
-Gallhammer: I am a fan of this style, but i just feel like there is nothing special here. Also the harsh vocals are pretty bad.
-the iron maidens: not bad, just pointless.

Things I didnt:
-Kalevala- to me this is just sub-standard folk metal. eh.
-area 51- bad chugga, bad drum sound, boring vocals. not into this at all.

Heres one of mine:
I grew up with parents who were in high school during the late 70's early 80's
Blondie was constantly playing in my house growing up so i can help but love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCcjLh9G ... re=related

Things I like:
-Soap&skin: impressed. Very haunting. I will listen to this on rainy days.


just ok:
shadowside- just sound generic to me. nothing special. nothing peaked my interest.

things I did not like:
destrose- whoa. thats a little much for me. star shaped cymbal, really?
beautiful sin: europower just is not for me.

I will be back with more later. I'll address all I can. I appreciate you guys.

So you don't like Destrose because of their appearance? So I guess you will automatically not like Galmet. Yeah, I'm not a fan of visual kei, or any the cutesy stuff in a lot of Japanese female bands. If the music is good, then I don't care. Oh, well. I am not a big fan of the band either, but I didn't want to leave anything out. Destrose and Galmet act awkward when playing. They aren't really good performers.

Here's another side project of a metal band. I listed some neoclassical, darkwave stuff before. I don't know how you feel about that, but here's another

Chaostar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqG89qYmIUo