I want music like Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens!

Once you've listened to a few more folk albums I'd recommend the movie "A Mighty Wind" : A Christopher Guest mockumentary like Best in Show. Some really catchy tunes and a funny movie.

Stadler

  Someone else said they guarantee the OP will love the Moondance LP, and for me, there's not one Van Morrison song that I actually like, including Moondance.

 
I can't stand Van Morrison.  He always sounds like he's drunk!

I like Van Morrison (I guess). I saw him around 1992. He was a surly old coot on stage. The music was good, but he was kind of a drag.

Leonard Cohen... definitely start with Songs of Love and Hate on Spotify.  It's terrifyingly deep, and I'm not just talking about his voice.

Stadler


^^^ But that's the beauty of music.  It's all how it hits you.  He likes the latest Paul Simon, you don't  Someone else said they guarantee the OP will love the Moondance LP, and for me, there's not one Van Morrison song that I actually like, including Moondance.

.......but I'm right. The world revolves around me. You don't exist outside of the context of this thread!

Jason Gillespie

  I'm a huge Paul Simon fan and was quite disappointed with this one after loving 'Surprise'. It has 3 great songs. (well 2 and an intro; 'Amulet', 'Questions for the angels' and 'Love and hard times') The rest his has nearly nothing musically interesting going on. Just boring riffs and chords.

 
To tell you the truth, I've never listened to his solo work before. After reading a good review, I got it, along with Graceland.  I'd never say it's boring or uninteresting. I would say it seems sincere, has some great ideas and is produced awesomely. Something about his retro-modern approach on this one seems to strike a chord with me.
 
To each his own I guess.
 
Oh and a big +1 for Nick Drake and Fleet Foxes, although I've got to say Nick is one of the most depressing musicians I've ever heard.
 

Borza

Jason Gillespie

I'm a huge Paul Simon fan and was quite disappointed with this one after loving 'Surprise'. It has 3 great songs. (well 2 and an intro; 'Amulet', 'Questions for the angels' and 'Love and hard times') The rest his has nearly nothing musically interesting going on. Just boring riffs and chords.

To tell you the truth, I've never listened to his solo work before. After reading a good review, I got it, along with Graceland.  I'd never say it's boring or uninteresting. I would say it seems sincere, has some great ideas and is produced awesomely. Something about his retro-modern approach on this one seems to strike a chord with me.

To each his own I guess.

Well that makes sense. A big reason for why I don't like the new album is because most of it seems like a retread of stuff he's done far better in the past. It's definitely sincere though. The lyrics are great even if they're a tad too religious for my tastes. (they're always great with Paul Simon) I just think musically he took a step back and the production on the previous album was far more interesting with Brian Eno and Steve Gadd doing there thing. A lot of people hate that album but I love it so to each his own indeed.
 
So OP, did you check out Randy Newman's 'Sail away' yet?

I like Van Morrison though I will admit that he does take some getting used to.  I can understand how his voice puts people off (I'm sort of that way with Dylan and Springsteen).  But some of his jazzy instrumentals are really amazing if you can't get past the vocals.  My favorite album, unlike with most fans, is 'Poetic Champions Compose' with 'No Method, No Guru, No Teacher' being a close second.  He really has some amazing imagery in his songs, IMHO.

No exactly like Cat or S&G,
Stephen Bishop writes some great mellow music, his albums Red Cab To Manhattan and Careless are a great introduction to his works.
Ex Chicago Keyboardist/guitarist singer Bill Champlin is a favorite of mine when it comes to mellow songs.
Kenny Loggins writes some amazing easy listening music.

Harry Chapin, Gerry Rafferty, Bread.

Similar, but different to many already mentioned...
 
The Rembrandts - especially their first two albums.  Acoustic and clean electric guitars, vocal harmonies, and Pat Mastelotto on drums, for prog cred!
 
 

Bails

Stadler

Someone else said they guarantee the OP will love the Moondance LP, and for me, there's not one Van Morrison song that I actually like, including Moondance.

I can't stand Van Morrison.  He always sounds like he's drunk!

Willl I get in trouble for pointing out he's Irish in the context of this particular line of discussion?

Stadler

Bails

Stadler

Someone else said they guarantee the OP will love the Moondance LP, and for me, there's not one Van Morrison song that I actually like, including Moondance.

I can't stand Van Morrison.  He always sounds like he's drunk!

Willl I get in trouble for pointing out he's Irish in the context of this particular line of discussion?

Yes.......yes you will. I can't stand him either though. 

This topic blew up!  Good thing I have free time this weekend...

I forgot to recommend a band called Venice.  I found out about them after reading one of David Crosby's biographies.  I can't recall exactly what he said, but it was along the lines of Venice being the best thing he'd heard since CSNY...which I assumed was praise of the highest order, so I went out and bought 'Born and Raised'.  It has some really nice folk moments and some brilliant harmonies.  "Running Home" from that CD just shuffled through my iTunes and it reminded me much I enjoyed listening to them.

People people! It's a musical travesty that nobody has yet to mention the closest thing to Simon & Garfunkel in 30 years.
 
Norway's own Kings of Convenience. Amazing lyricists, singers, musicians.
http://allmusic.com/artis...of-convenience-p433574
 
Fall in love with this song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9UauaXTXUI
 
or 
 
http://www.youtube.com/wa...y0&feature=related
 
You really cant go wrong with any CD of theirs. If you really want minimal instrumentation, then get their latest, Declaration of Dependence.
 
My favorite is their CD, Quiet is the New Loud.
 
If they have been mentioned before, I am sorry, if not... Shame on you guys. :P

Not really the same genre, but it's in the same vein of "guy with a guitar" and somewhat folky, so I'll throw in Sun Kil Moon, and sure, why the hell not, William Fitzsimmons.
 
Sun Kil Moon is something of a solo-project from Red House Painters and I'm not going to bore you with a lot of information or anything, just listen to Third and Seneca off of Admiral Fell Promises and hopefully that's the sort of vibe you're looking for. If not, I think it's still a fantastic album, well worth looking into.
 
My second recommendation, William Fitzsimmons is a strange amalgamation of folk and the sparsest electronic influences. Frankly, it's just a few songs per album that almost seem anachronistic with the classic folk sound backed with an electronic beat, but don't let that scare you away. He has a Master's degree in counseling and his first two albums are intensely personal looks at two traumatic events from his life, and he deals with them so beautifully. Passion Play is probably the most definitive track, if I had to pick one. 
 
Trying to give you single songs so you can give it a quick five minute try without having to commit to an album, so hope you (or anyone else, indeed!) enjoy them.