Per a friend's suggestion, cross-posted from 'Musicians' group:

[IrishAyes]

2. Except for the rare exception, 'mellow' doesn't ring my bell either.

But when they manage to get it soooo right, I do fall in love rather too easily. I used to listen to Olivia Newton John just for her bass backup singer. Oh, he was wonderful.

You might like Paul Janeway better. He's the front man for St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Looks more than a little like Drew Carey, but he's a soul singer w/o current superior; I'm sure Otis Redding is somewhere cheering him on. Paul and the band are on their first world-conquering tour right now. Hell, even France (which I love) loves 'em!

And then occasionally a singer like Jeff Tweedy does a sweet Civil War song like 'When The Roses Bloom Again'. Superb. He was on Prairie Home Companion one night and sang that. I ordered the album immediately just for that song.