So it turns out girls don't really smell after all..

There was once a time I'd struggle to name a good female artist besides Alanis Morissette - now-a-days I'm spoilt for choice..

The first one to mention is probably the most shocking on the list. Along with around 7 to 8 other posts/subjects per day, I intended on writing a blog entry about her back in early July. Since then I was glad I didn't as I figured it might just have been a phase I was going through and maybe she wasn't as good as I'd thought at the time. However, I listened to Lily Allen again on the way home from work today and it was every bit as good as I remembered!

I was lucky enough to see her at Pilton this year - I never intended to but my mate (Gee - uh sorry, Simon) wanted to see her and I was intrigued. Even ignoring how much it amused me at just how much offence Simon took from her slagging off of blokes with small dicks (listen to her song Not Big), it was a ruddy good set. It sounded great and there were clearly some good tunes amongst it.

She appears to have a great knack of not only writing tunes that hook you in, but lyrics to match. I'm almost tired of what's become known as 'kebab and texts' lyrics by the likes of The Streets, Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen, but for the time being I enjoy kind of being able to relate to them.

Next up on the female list is the band/singer Taken By Trees. This is the solo outing by the ex-Concretes lead singer. Until now I've only ever heard two songs involving her. The first is a Concretes track New Friend which I have on a Rough Trade compilation. The other (also on a Rough Trade comp) is the always great to listen to simplistic love song "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John (she was guest vocalist). With both tracks I couldn't help but get suckered in by her sensual voice. Her debut album is a sparse affair. With the wrong kind of singer it would be the sort of album I'd only be able to listen to when I was very much in the right mood, but I think that thanks to her voice I could listen to this in most moods.

The next album is officially the first ever album I downloaded legally (and in fairness only the second whole album I downloaded - the other being Soft Parade by The Doors from KaZaA). It's only now though I'm appreciating just how good an album it is. The album is "Let's Get Out of This Country" by Camera Obscura. It would be far to easy to dismiss this band as Belle & Sebastian but with a female lead. There songs have great melodies with a great deal going on. And it's not often I'm able to truly pick out one of the things it is I like about a band, but I love their rythmn section! Its just something about the instruments used and their pacing.

Finally, its the always solid yet never dull Rilo Kiley. They're back with a new long-player towards the end of the month, but until then I'm quite happily making do with the cd single The Moneymaker. When I first heard it on 6Music I had to double check that it was Rilo Kiley. I recognised the voice of Jenny Lewis, but the sound of the band was very different to what I expected. It has a funky guitar lick which grows on me every time I hear it. At the moment I'd say it's far from being there greatest 5 minutes, but it looks promising stuff for the album.