Voice

One great song to try in the modern vein, for people who like strong voices [ie. Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, etc] is the lovely chanteuse Weyes Blood. Her work is quite atmospheric and almost echoing with a kind of Poe-like sensibility to it--the type that'd play as you read House of Leaves. Try her 'Storms that Breed'. It almost has an edge of that mysterious, beautiful, eerie fog in Silent Hill. Also try her 'Romneydale'; anyone who likes Air [ie. used in the film Lost in Translation] might enjoy her as well, though this is more intense.

If you like her or prefer instrumental-heavy music, try the excellent Big Blood's piece 'Water'. Lovely vocals! They almost sound norse or celtic. This is the direction I wanted the band Garbage to go in.

If you prefer more folk-style music, try Fire on Fire's 'Liberty Unknown'.

An old classic to try is André Rieu's take on The Beautiful Blue Danube ie 'An der schönen blauen Donau' Op. 314. It's a very famous and accessible piece, composed by the Austrian 'waltz king' Johann Strauss II [1825-1899] in 1866. He wrote many waltzes, polkas and quadrilles [early 1800s form of square dancing]--tons of dance music.