What is your favorite song (and its artist) and why?

Question: What is your favorite song (and its artist) and why!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

My favorite artist right now is Emilie Simon!. I like almost everything she sings but my favorite song by her right now is "Swimming"!.

I like her so much for a number of reasons!. First of all, I like the fact that some of her stuff she sings in English and some is in French (she's French, btw)!. I think she has an amazing singing voice and I like the fact that she's talented not only in singing, but also in composing and that I know she can also play both guitar and piano, at the very least!.

What I think the most interesting thing is about her is that she is very experimental and makes music out of things that a lot of very interesting items!. As an example, her song "Song of the Storm" (which is on the original soundtrack for the March of the Penguins film; she made the entire soundtrack for the film, but in Canada and USA they used a different soundtrack!. Emilie's is the original one that the rest of the world got, though), anyway, on "Song of the Storm", she has somebody playing a very rare French musical instrument created in the 1950's called a 'cristal baschet'!. It's an instrument that is kind of like an organ/keyboard thing and also can be used for percussion!. The 'keys' are actually glass rods!. You play it by wetting your fingers and rubbing the rods and the vibration is passed into the metal frame!. The height of the frame determines the pitch and all the sound eventually passes into an amplifier (all acoustic)!. The amplifier can be made from different materials to change the instrument's timber as well!. You can also strike the metal frame with hands or other things to create percussive effects of different pitches!.

In her song "Swimming", her drummer uses a bowl of water as a percussion instrument!. At times he's playing the water bowl with one hand and playing a drum with his other hand!. It's amazing!.

Her father was a sound engineer, so she learned a lot from him while she was growing up!. She also works with Cyrille Brissot, an acoustical engineer from IRCAM in Paris who is simply a genius! Brissot has invented at least three instruments that he and Emilie use in their shows!. One is called "Le Cadre" and it looks like a picture frame!. Another is this weird looking bubble-head thingy called B!.O!.B!.B!.I!. and another is some strange contraption that Emilie wears on her left arm when she's on-stage called B!.R!.A!.H!.S!. or something like that!. I have no idea how any of these things work, but they're amazing to watch in action!.

Anyway, Emilie Simon is just magnificent and that's why I like her so much!.

I'll give you some links to video clips on You Tube where you can see both "Swimming" and "Song of the Storm"!. That way you can see the bowl of water and also the cristal baschet and the three instruments that Cyrille Brissot invented!.

This is the link for "Swimming"!. You can see her percussionist playing the bowl of water on this one and you can also see the B!.R!.A!.H!.S!. on Emilie's left arm!. This song is in English!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=ZQriD4ZMM!.!.!.

This is the link for "Song of the Storm"!. On this clip you can see the B!.R!.A!.H!.S!. again, of course, and you also get a better look at Cyrille Brissot playing both "Le Cadre" (the picture frame) and B!.O!.B!.B!.I!. (the bubble-head thingy)!. also, in this clip you can see a lady playing the 'cristal baschet' instrument I mentioned earlier and after the song, Emilie gives a brief description of the instrument (in French, though, LOL)!. The song is in English, but the clip is from French TV so the speaking parts are in French!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=q01dX467J!.!.!.

If you like those, here are a few actual videos of hers you can check out!.!.!.

This song is called "Flowers"!. It's in English!. I like this one because I think the animation on the video is cool and kinda reminds me of something Tim Burton would do!. I also like this song because I detected an underlying tango beat in it, which is not something you hear much in modern pop music!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=z_1MR2XOj!.!.!.

The next one is called "Fleur de Saison"!. It's got a basic pop sound to it, but you can definitely tell there's a French style to it!. This song is in French!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=UMDunGVx7!.!.!.

This last one is called "Dame de Lotus"!. In this one, she's got some oriental sounds mixed in to the normal pop style!. also, the art on this video is really nice!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=6OWjZd3Dy!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No Rain by Blind Melon!. I like it because it a song that embraces normallcy!. Its not all about glitz and glammer or drugs!.!.!. just someone whos happy with average activities and finds the pleaure in things most take for granted!.

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain
And all I can do is just pour some tea for two
And speak my point of view
But it's not sane, It's not sane

I just want some one to say to me
I'll always be there when you wake
Ya know I'd like to keep my cheeks dry today
So stay with me and I'll have it made

And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
ya don't like my point of view
ya think I'm insane
Its not sane!.!.!.!.!.!.it's not saneWww@QuestionHome@Com

Smile by Michael Jackson!. I love the way his voice sounds and the song makes me happy!. I also like the whisling at the end!.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Indian Movies: "DEVAR"----"Aaya hai mujhe phir yaad woh zalim guzara zamana bachpan ka!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!." Singer :Mukesh!.
This song takes me to my childhood!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Whiskey in A Jar, by Metalica!. It's just good, hard, Rock n Roll!. It's a great party song, and gets the people in a good mood to PARTY!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Luciano Pavarotti-Spirito Gentile, he had the most beautiful voice, all the stress just goes away when he sings!.Www@QuestionHome@Com