Neko Case

Alternative country singer/songwriter Neko Case is a poet in her own right, known for her smokey, sophisticated vocals and the downcast beauty of her vocals.Neko is a songwriter less interested perhaps in traditional narrative form than in distilling a pure moment of time. She's an artist whose songs are so textured in their presentation that the subtleties filter into the subconscious while the overall effect astonishes. But rather than each of her progressive albums disposing of what came before it, there is, instead, a sense of "continuation" at play--in which every album exists like the subsequent chapter to a novel that grows more complicated and intriguing as it progresses.So, then, if her 1997's country-flavored debut "The Virginian" stands as a welcoming prologue, she's about to write the most remarkable chapter in that continuing saga with the release of her sixth studio album, “Middle Cyclone” (2006). The continued evolution of her as a creator, producer, personality and live performer has been as fascinating to witness as the music she makes. With Neko's indefatigable touring band (guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, vocalist Kelly Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse and drummer Barry Mirochnick) building the bedrock of the tracks, Case was able to bring in a collection of friends and fellow travelers including M. Ward, Garth Hudson, Sarah Harmer, and members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico, The Sadies, Visqueen, The Lilys, and Giant Sand, among others. "Everyone who worked on the record had their input and sculpted things," says Case. The tornado that blows through the title and several songs on “Middle Cyclone” is an apt metaphor. Neko has famously taken her own twisted route. Born in Virginia and spending a large chunk of her youth in Western Washington, she has lived in the South, in the West, in the Northwest, in Canada and all along the way flirting with as many musical styles as homes. She is settled-or unsettled-in Tucson for the moment, with dreams of moving fulltime to the former dairy farm she owns in Vermont. She recorded the new album in both locations, as well as studios in Toronto and Brooklyn.Neko Case has The Voice, rough around the edges but possessing a formidable strength and range, that causes critics and fans to swoon. To go with that Voice, is an artistry with a trajectory that is fascinating to watch unfold and grow. Where it will take her, and us, is the thrilling part.