Saturday, February 21, 2009

NEKO CASE

She's a singer/songwriter/musician I should have had on my favorite female singers list a few posts back but I hadn't heard her yet.

The NY Times magazine last Sunday had an article on her that's very interesting. But even without her compelling backstory and charismatic presence that comes through just in the photos and the quotes, she'd still have made my list if I'd just stumbled on some of her songs earlier (I was aware of her it turns out as the singer for The New Pornographers, but it's her own more recent work that makes her so original).

You can go to her label Anti-'s site here and download PEOPLE GOT A LOTTA NERVE and check it out, one of the more obvious and simpler of her compositions, kind of new wavy to my mind, but the subject matter is pretty punk/protest. Nothing entirely new, but a great voice and writing chops and a new interpretation and combination of retro sounds.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lal--Neko Case is probably doomed to small time fame because she refuses to sign with a Big Label or make videos or appear on the MTV Awards show. But she's as good as any of the singers who make it big time, and better than many of them.
To go back to your Girl Singers list for a moment--almost all of the singers you listed were either pop or jazz artists. Among jazz singers I'd add Pearl Bailey, Chris Connor, and Barbara Dane. From country and western there are the Dixie Chicks, of course. You left opera singers out entirely, which is completely unfair to Maria Callas, Renee Fleming, Kiri te Kanawa, and Frederika von Stade. And, in a category completely her own and by herself, Yma Sumac.
Yours for bigger and better lists,
Bob Berner

Anonymous said...

Lal--Woops. I forgot to add Kate and Anna McGarrigle. B.B.

Connie said...

Was listening to Sound Opinions on WFUV yesterday evening and heard that she was going to be live in the studio for their next show - Saturday at 5 am and Sunday at 5 pm on WFUV 90.7. The show is probably on other NPR stations if you can't get FUV.

Lally said...

Bob, That earlier female singers list was meant to show I dug newer singers than I usually mention, like really recent ones (though I did include some that go back a few years). If the list had been otherwise, I'd agree with all your choices. And there was at least one opera or classical singer on it by the way, under "S".