Genre defying artists

[BassicJazzy]

Annie Clark \ St. Vincent?

Not really genre defying but also not easy to pigeon hole.

A very fine guitar player, but nothing unique or broad enough about her music to make her a genre. You could throw out many very fine vocalists and stylists, like Jane Siberry, or even Kate Bush, but they are not a genre per se. They are just great, really talented artists, in a niche.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Laurie Anderson.

And while we're playing the genre name game: I was talking with my stepson, who is also a bassist (and was 20 at the time, so our life experience is half a century apart) about "Metal" sub-genres - metal being a term coined AFTER I started playing bass. I believe it actually arose from the lyric "heavy metal thunder" from "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, which would arguably make them the first Metal band, but I digress. ANYWAY - I was asking him what the distinctions were between the sub-genres and he was very helpful, as, for him, these variations were obvious, being as they've always existed in his lifetime. After a bit I said something like "At least there's no such thing as 'Folk Metal'" to which he replied - "Yeah, that's actually a thing, too."!

BBB

Steppenwolf and Deep Purple were neck and neck, pretty close to same time, plus Black Sabbath. Yes, all "first metal."

 

[N4860]

Isn't the Band Canadian? So wouldn't they have claimed to invent Canadana? Which I would pronounce like Roseanne Rosannadanna?

Yes, aside from Levon Helm who I believe was the only american in the band.

 

[bass12]

Yellow Magic Orchestra
808 State
Ozomatli
Kid Koala