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Neko Case
Country / Americana / Experimental

Middle Cyclone in stores now!




United States

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Last Login:  12/16/2009
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   Neko Case: General Info
Member Since5/22/2006
Band Websitewww.nekocase.com
Band MembersNeko Case




Middle Cyclone Out Now!

Also available at: Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and great indies everywhere.




Neko Case iTunes Originals
2009
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Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Bonus Disc Version)
2007
BUY FROM ITUNES
BUY FROM AMAZON
Furnace Room Lullaby Reissue
2007
BUY FROM ITUNES
BUY FROM AMAZON
Blacklisted Reissue
2007
BUY FROM ITUNES
BUY FROM AMAZON
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
2006
BUY FROM ITUNES
BUY FROM AMAZON
The Tigers Have Spoken
2004
BUY FROM ITUNES
BUY FROM AMAZON




"People Got A Lotta Nerve" video

Middle Cyclone EPK


"Maybe Sparrow" video

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood EPK

Record LabelAnti
Type of LabelIndie


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Neko Case's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

'Middle Cyclone' Lighting Deal at Amazon  (view more)

Neko Case Earns Two Grammy Nominations, Capping Breakout Year  (view more)

Limited Giclee Print of Grammy Nominated Middle Cyclone Art Now Available from Anti-   (view more)

Vote For 'Middle Cyclone' At NPR  (view more)

Neko Case iTunes Originals  (view more)

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   About Neko Case
Biography
There's a special challenge to being an artist in this increasingly fractured cultural age; a delicate balancing act, between being of your time, and striving for timelessness. Few contemporary artists even try. Neko Case is an exception.

Case's last album, 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, brought her to that nexus where critical acclaim meets commercial success. But Case's impact can't be measured merely in chart placements or press plaudits. It's her ability to connect - on an uncommonly deep and meaningful level - with her audience. She's one those artists, you see: the kind whose songs linger in your head, your heart and soul long after the record has stopped spinning.

While Case's creative evolution has made for an impressive story so far, she's about to write the most remarkable chapter in that continuing saga with the release of her sixth studio album, Middle Cyclone.

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, lighting for a time in the South, in the West, in the Northwest, in Canada, flirting with as many musical styles as homes. She is settled-or unsettled-in Tucson for the moment, with dreams of moving full-time 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.

For Case, the beauty of making music, of creating, is that it remains a mysterious, confounding and, occasionally, contradictory process. "When I toured for Fox Confessor one of the things I said in interviews about that record was that I don't like writing love songs, that I can't write them," she recalls. "Of course, as soon as I said that, I ended up writing a bunch of love songs."

It should be noted here that Case's "love songs" are not the typical boy- meets-girl variety, as the opening track, "This Tornado Loves You," dramatically attests. "What would it be like to be pursued by a force of nature?" asks Case. "That's a frightening and exciting prospect."

Case resists the temptation to see the tornado as metaphor for something more personal, like a destructive relationship from her past. "Of course, I'm fine if people want to interpret it that way, but for me, the song is very literal," she says.

Neko is equally earnest when she sings exultantly about the revenge of caged animals on their keepers, in the polemic "People Got A Lotta Nerve." The lyrics we're tempted to read as ambiguous and layered ("But you seemed surprised when it pinned you down/ to the bottom of the tank… I'm a man-eater, and still you're surprised when I eat you") are in reality the plainest. Neko's killer whales and elephants really are killer whales and elephants. But with a magician's gift for misdirection, she keeps us off balance, questing and questioning.

Like the old tale of the scorpion and the frog, Case's message here seems to be that instinct is immutable. It's an idea she explores further on the anthemic "I'm An Animal." "I feel like one of the real tragedies is that, as a species, human beings are constantly trying to deny or sublimate our natural instincts," says Case. "And I've made a conscious effort not to do that, but to trust myself, both in my life and in my work."

Instinct runs through Middle Cyclone as a theme and a goal, most often and most forcefully as the instinct for love. "But," notes Case, "only in the sense that the songs are about the need for love -- no matter how cool you think you are. What other people might call ‘love songs' I think of as homages. They can be to a person, a region, a feeling, even sad feelings."

That notion is captured vividly on "Pharaohs" – a kind of cousin to Fox Confessor's "That Teenage Feeling" – as Case's character pines wistfully for an idealized romance that seems to exist only in the imagination: "You kept me wanting…like the wanting in the movies and the hymns," she sings, "I want the Pharoahs, but there's only men."

As you listen to the album, Case's evolution as a writer is, at times, almost overwhelming. The modest lyrical aims of her debut LP - - released just over a decade ago - - have been continually outstripped with each successive effort, and Middle Cyclone continues that trend in spectacular fashion.

And then there's the songs she didn't write. Having covered everyone from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin, Case's ability to re-make the material of others has long been celebrated. On Middle Cyclone she again flexes her interpretive muscles re-imagining a pair of early-‘70s gems: Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me."

Sparks' 1974 song was an obvious choice, fitting perfectly into the foreboding nature-oriented theme of the album. "Plus, I just love Ron Mael's lyrics," says Case. "Sometimes I go to the Sparks website and just read their songs as poetry. ‘Cause they're bizarre and really controversial, and tongue-in-cheek and funny – all at once."

With the Nilsson tune – an emotional farewell to his ex-wife originally included on his 1974 party album Pussycats – Case felt a deep tug in funny-sad couplets like: "I'll miss you when I'm lonely, I'll miss the alimony too/Don't forget me…just for a little while."

"The song has a Roger Miller and Ray Davies quality to it," says Case. "That heartbreaking comedy line that punches you in the gut and makes you cry that much harder."

Case decided the only way to record "Don't Forget Me" was to turn the original's grand orchestral arrangement on its head. She began answering ads on Craigslist advertising free pianos, gathered half a dozen of them up in her disused Vermont barn, and invited a group of friends and fellow musicians to form a ragtag "piano orchestra" to play on the song.

Middle Cyclone is awash in similar moments of sonic inspiration and homespun creativity. In one magical interlude we hear the sound of birds chirping, just as Los Lobos' Steve Berlin begins a midi sax solo. "Which I think is so hilarious," says Case of the charmed collision. "We've got natural robins and unnatural midi sax. But somehow they work perfectly together."

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.

Ultimately, for Case, the songs and themes on Middle Cyclone express a long internal struggle, a pitched battle between nature and nurture. "Things like animals and nature, they're located in the tender receptor of my brain. And I'm just now trying to come to terms with the notion of loving people as much as I love those other things - because I grew up in a way that made me love the one but not the other.'

"So, I guess I've been working that out for myself, and these songs are my way of reconciling those feelings."


   Neko Case's Friend Space (Top 8)
Neko Case has 41898 friends.
 ANTI records 


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Neko Case's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 5883 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Amanda

Amanda



Dec 17 2009 6:35 PM

prison girls was amazing on spectacle last night...
Jenna

Jenna Rose



Dec 17 2009 12:39 PM

Hi,

Pleasure to meet you and thanks for being my friend here on myspace!

Have a great day, kisses. Yola


defow.com

:)
Sara

Sara



Dec 17 2009 3:10 AM

You ROCK!!!



Take care,

Sara
Marina V - twitter.com/marinav

Marina V - twitter.com/marinav



Dec 17 2009 12:14 AM

Thanks for your amazing music!!
David Wheeler

David Wheeler



Dec 16 2009 4:24 AM

Thanks for the add! Keep up the great work. I hope you'll give my music a listen. For exclusive free mp3 downloads and the largest internet collection of my songs, videos and more go to http://www.reverbnation.com/davidwheeler
Blue Sky Canopy

Blue Sky Canopy



Dec 15 2009 5:37 AM

Hey everyone!


We're a new acoustic band from Minnesota, USA!

Our influences include:

Coldplay
Dispatch
The Fray
John Mayer
Dashboard Confessional
Michael Buble
One Republic
We The Living
The Rocket Summer
Jack Johnson
Jimmy Eat World
Jason Mraz
This Providence
Augustana
and MANY MANY more...

We just finished our new album and it is now on iTunes!!!

If you have a minute, PLEASE swing on by our page and check us out!

Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the tunes!

=)

-Brian
Blue Sky Canopy
Beth Hart Fanpage San Francisco

Beth Hart Fanpage San Francisco



Dec 15 2009 4:51 AM

happy holidays ;D
jointpop

jointpop
Online Now!


Dec 14 2009 11:33 PM

cool vibe Ms Case

thanks for the add to jointpop
greetings from jointpop, the rock n roll band of Trinidad and Tobago
check us out...cheers

click here for jointpop article http://www.digitalgig.co.uk/jointpop_issue-5_page-1.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4bCqe1Sd2k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cOkaXoIiN4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CndKvzBzg7o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY_ipOQWgd8
Jimi Blackstone

Jimi Blackstone
Online Now!


Dec 14 2009 8:05 PM

Thanks for the add

Welcome to my world of blues

Jimi


KEITH

Keith Fellows



Dec 14 2009 11:06 AM

THANX FOR BEING FRIENDS- Merry Xmas & Happy New Year!<
Maurice Mattei & The Tempers

Maurice Mattei & The Tempers



Dec 13 2009 9:26 PM

Download ENTIRE NEW TEMPERS STRAGGLER CD FOR FREE @
http://www.mmattei.com/straggler/index.htm

BUON NATALE!
Reed

Reed



Dec 13 2009 3:29 PM

Heard your song when I was shopping at Lowe's. The best elevator music yet!
Jenny

Matos Nancy



Dec 13 2009 1:39 PM

A cheery Christmas and the New Year hold lots of happiness for you!

Thank you for your add.

Have a great week ahead!

:)
"madhusudana",,,,,MASUMI

"madhusudana",,,,,MASUMI



Dec 13 2009 1:37 PM

arigatoo,,,,tomodachi

suteki na ongaku!

jah blessings
Colette

Matos Nancy



Dec 13 2009 12:54 PM

A cheery Christmas and the New Year hold lots of happiness for you!

Thank you for your add.

Have a great week ahead!

:)
45 Flames

45 Flames



Dec 13 2009 12:29 PM

Still kickin it to the man, baby!!!!

Swing by, check out the new tracks n leave us some love


Christian Lamitschka, Journalist for Country Music

Christian Lamitschka



Dec 12 2009 9:14 PM

I’ve been a music journalist for more than 10 years. Over the years, many artists and managers have asked me what the best way to break into the European music market is.

Here are some things you can do:



Publish artist press releases, news, and tour dates to the CountryHome Forum on MySpace, http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazine , CountryHome Forum is part of CountryHome, http://www.CountryHome.de , Germany's Premier Country Music Online Magazine. Everything you publish to the CountryHome Forum will be published in my weekly Newsletter which has over 80,000 readers.



Publish artist interviews in English to http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazineInterviewsEnglish , interviews in French to http://groups.myspace.com/InterviewsAvecCountryMusicStars and interviews in German to http://groups.myspace.com/CountryMusikInterviews . All these groups on MySpace are part of CountryHome, http://www.CountryHome.de , Germany's Premier Country Music Online Magazine.



Send me CDs and DVDs for review and set up an artist interview with me. All reviews and interviews will be submitted to the magazines I'm writing for. More information for which magazines I'm writing can be found at http://www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka



Upload artist videos to http://www.MyVideo.de and http://www.ClipFish.de . Both websites are like http://www.YouTube.com and uploading videos is free. The websites are completely in German. If you don’t speak German and need assistance, I will help you open an account and upload a video for 25 Euro. Each additional video upload for the same artist name and at the same video website is 10 Euro.



If you have more questions about the European music market or about any of the information I send to you today, please contact me at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de too.



Editor & Journalist for Country Music
Christian Lamitschka
An der Pfingstweide 28
61118 Bad Vilbel
Germany
Mikael Sapin

Mikael Sapin



Dec 12 2009 6:19 PM

Hi, greetings from Spain.
Thanks for the friendship.
All the best.
DEE RANGERS

DEE RANGERS
Online Now!


Dec 12 2009 12:39 AM

Hey Neko! How's the potato gun? Big chEErs from Stockholm XXXX
The Auto Moto 3 Wheel Scooter

TheAutoMoto.com Corporation



Dec 10 2009 11:38 PM

Thanks for the add!

Also, don't forget to become a fan of our facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Auto-Moto/71200011397?v=wall&ref=search
caitlin macri and the sparrow lilies

caitlin macri and the sparrow lilies



Dec 10 2009 9:55 PM

Dear Neko - you are a life giver. Also, my husband Chase and I are throwing a birthday party in honor of both David Lynch and Chase in January. You can come, but you have to dress up as your favorite Lynch character and bring artifacts from his movies.

Much Love from St. Louis,
Caitlin Macri
river ghost

river ghost



Dec 10 2009 3:32 PM

You sure have a quirky taste in movies ;-)

Much love and respect.
neale scott

neale scott



Dec 10 2009 10:18 AM

i'm sure you get this all the time, but i'll say it anyway, you're wonderful, and an inspiration to me... thanks.
Matt

Matt



Dec 10 2009 12:54 AM

i love your voice, no matter were i end up out here if i hear your voice i can feel like its summer back home in Seattle.......
AWE 66

AWE 66



Dec 9 2009 5:22 AM

A W E S O M E !
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