This is probably a dumb question...

Are you familiar with Neko Case?

Actually, no - but I'm off to Google and purchase MP3s and thanks for the pointer. :)

This is one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeQi_6kAkG4

Both of hers, and of all songs ever.

Okay - listening to it now, and Yum.

I'm curious, though, about the connection your brain made - can you identify what took you from there to here?

That's a really good question, it is!

Different genre, very different sound, different era.

The Etta James song you linked to had, for me, a similar ability to command my attention, a kind of charisma and strength. It's not as evident on the track I linked to as it is elsewhere.

Plus she's from the from the north west. Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yYRwUiNmy0

The NW rocks.

Here's another one like that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzXhoMOn90Q

Hmm. She doesn't quite grab me, but I'm a notoriously difficult person to recommend music to.

I like Neko Case and the New Pornographers quite a lot. I'm surprised I never sent any to Mac.

Here's the sort of thing I mostly subject her to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_isZZyWx2I

I tend to like her solo stuff better than the New Pornographers stuff, but it's a subtle bias, largely because I gravitate slightly more to parsable lyrics, and NP are intentionally nonsense. It limits my ability to like They Might Be Giants too.

On the other hand, that link was awesome.