BUCKNER, RICHARD Devotion + Doubt (MCA) cd 12.98

BUCKNER, RICHARD Impasse-ette (Overcoat) cd ep 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sharing just one track with Rick Buckner's upcoming full length, Impasse-ette is a li'l ole pre-album teaser (albeit not with a li'l pricetag). Buckner, as you may already know, is a big fave here at AQ. His big, juicy, impossibly dextrous and emotive voice is pretty irresistible, especially when accompanied by chiming chords strummed on acoustic guitar. No, he's not just another singer/songwriter -- Buckner's good. In addition to his trademark dusty bittersweet sound, there's a track here that combines a private press recording of a woman discussing prayer, heavy with sincerity and laced with record static.
RealAudio clip: "Born Into Giving It Up"
RealAudio clip: "It's Still '56"

BUCKNER, RICHARD Meadow (Merge) cd 14.98
We've got a couple of new albums from two ol' reliable, looongtime aQ faves -- Bonnie Prince Billy (his latest full length is The Letting Go) and this gent, Mr. Richard Buckner. Like a visit from an old friend, there's a good deal of comfort that comes in their solid songwritin' and storytellin'. Yeah, it might seem a little strange to find such solace in both artists' well-worn melancholia, but we do! This is Buckner's terrific follow-up to his equally terrific Dents And Shells album of 2004.
Comparisons have frequently been drawn between Buckner and American Music Club's Mark Eitzel as well as Son Volt's Jay Farrar, and they're still very applicable here -- all of them mighty fine singer/songwriters who probably have a few fans in common.
MPEG Stream: "Lucky"
MPEG Stream: "The Tether And The Tie"

BUCKNER, RICHARD Since (MCA) cd 15.98
Third album from SF's own Rick Buckner, the man with the juicy velvet voice. Previous efforts' dark twang is even less evident here, where he tempers his melancholia with help from Syd Straw, Tortoise's John McEntire, David Grubbs, Dave Schramm, etc.

BUCKNER, RICHARD The Hill (Overcoat) cd 14.98
Ex-San Franciscan (and longtime AQ-favorite) Richard Buckner, he of the juicy, resonant, trembling voice that gets under your skin, traveled to Tucson, Arizona, to record this single track, 34-minute album with John Convertino and Joey Burns, better known as Calexico. It's a fresh, bright take on road music, filled with rollicking neo-americana twang and intense backwoods vocals, at once John-Prine-style folk and intensely personal Springsteen-style singer songwriter fare, but always recognizably Buckner. Lovely. Oh, we shouldn't forget the literary connection here: Buckner's songs are in part inspired by Edgar Lee Master's "Spoon River Anthology" (poetic epitaphs for folks from a fictional Illinois town).

BULL, SANDY Fantasias For Guitar And Banjo (Vanguard) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Reissue of Sandy Bull's first album, originally released in 1963. Often stuffed in the drawer behind John Fahey's dirty socks though, if he were to be compared with anyone, his playing style is much more influenced by Pete Seeger. Banjo was Sandy's first instrument and it was with a banjo that he first made an impression on the public as a precocious college freshman. Bull freely admits Seeger as being a mentor of his, and his "Carmina Burana Fantasy" is certainly inspired by Seeger's arrangements of classical pieces that were included on his "Goofing Off Suite" LP (released in 1955). But influenced or no, Bull had his own unique style and both his original compositions and arrangements of existing works are as good as much of the works of either Fahey or Seeger. "Blend", the first track on this disc -- which made up all of side one on the original lp (22 minutes)-- is a beautiful Sudanese-esque duet between Sandy on an open tuned guitar with jazz drummer Billy Higgins accompanying. A track that would make the Sun City Girls blush, "Blend", alternates between dark and slow musings from Bull to intense repartee between Bull and Higgins. Higgins does an excellent job of filling in, and avoids breaking the aesthetic by playing sans snare. The remaining four tracks on the album are all solo banjo and or guitar. Along with the aforementioned "Carmina Burana Fantasy", Bull pulls off a nice overdubbed arrangement of English Renaissance composer William Byrd's "Non Nobis Domine" on guitar, a rousing rendition of "Little Maggie" on banjo and a piece simply entitled "Gospel Tune" played on a tremelo laden electric guitar. The disc comes luxuriously packaged with all the original artwork and liner notes (written by jazz critic Nat Hentoff) in a tri-fold cardboard mock lp sleeve.
RealAudio clip: "Blend"
RealAudio clip: "Carmina Burana Fantasy"

BULL, SANDY Still Valentine's Day (Water) cd 14.98
Wow! Rare live document from one of the most enigmatic and legendary figures in the solo guitar scene. Recorded over two shows in 1969 at San Francisco's Matrix on the same bill as John Fahey (The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick documents Fahey's performance on this night) and accompanied by free jazz percussionist, Billy Higgins. Using tape machines, oud, slide guitar and a new electric guitar and amp (apparently some of his equipment was stolen, so you can hear him fiddling with the new equipment, tweaking the settings), the pieces here are taken mostly from his 1968 album E Pluribus Unum, an electric departure from his earlier acoustic classical excursions, that was much derided by purists, but stands as one of Bull's most amazing recordings. Soaked in tremelo and reverb, the raga-ish blues he evokes here display a raw evocative power not captured on any of his studio recordings. The amazing pieces Bull performs on oud, an instrument he picked up after meeting Hamza el Din (whose Escalay: The Water Wheel is an AQ fave) show off Bull's singular gift for combining jazz, blues, middle eastern idioms and classical fantasias into new and unchartered territories.
MPEG Stream: "Electric Blend 1"
MPEG Stream: "Improvisation for Oud 2"
MPEG Stream: "Memphis, TN"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Just Another Diamond Day (Di Christina Stairbuilders) cd 13.98
We're pretty damn excited that this cd is now available again, domestic and at a much cheaper price. Same album, now six bucks cheaper! Inspiration for this turn of events must certainly have something to do with Ms Bunyan turning up on Devendra Banhart's recordings recently. Without a doubt Vashti Bunyan has played a big influence on the young Banhart's song writing, and fans of Devendra should definitely take note. This record is so incredibly charming! Having been expelled from a London art school in 1964 for not narrowing her field of studies to either music or painting, Vashti Bunyan took to singing her songs on the streets of London. She eventually left the city, hitching up a cart and horse to journey across the countryside, heading for the remote Outer Hebrides islands. It wasn't long before fans tracked her down to record an album. The album was released in 1970 and disappeared in relative obscurity -- only later being sought out fanatically by record collectors. Featuring accompaniment by such notables as Robin Williamson (fiddle, mandolin, Irish Harp) of The Incredible String Band and Simon Nicol (banjo) of Fairport Convention, Robert Kirby (string and recorder arrangements) who played with Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan's music is an exquisitely delicate folk music with melodies reminiscent of hornpipes and shanties. Her clear voice is so full of innocence, and she sings so earnestly about her horse and the countryside full of hayfields and waiting for love and the simple rewards, like nice tea, that await after a long day's journey. It's so beautiful, it makes me want to dress in peasant garb (like Vashti on the cover) and forget all about the 21st century. Includes four bonus tracks recorded between 1966 and 1969, two of which were mastered direct from unreleased acetates.
MPEG Stream: "Diamond Day"
MPEG Stream: "Glow Worms"
MPEG Stream: "Where I Like To Stand"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Just Another Diamond Day (Di Christina Stairbuilders) lp + 7" 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This beloved 1970 folk album is back on its original format... VINYL LP! Plus this reissue comes with a bonus 7"! Hurrah!
Here's what we said about the cd version:
We're pretty damn excited that this album is now available again. Inspiration for this turn of events must certainly have something to do with Ms Bunyan turning up on Devendra Banhart's recordings recently. Without a doubt Vashti Bunyan has played a big influence on the young Banhart's song writing, and fans of Devendra should definitely take note. This record is so incredibly charming! Having been expelled from a London art school in 1964 for not narrowing her field of studies to either music or painting, Vashti Bunyan took to singing her songs on the streets of London. She eventually left the city, hitching up a cart and horse to journey across the countryside, heading for the remote Outer Hebrides islands. It wasn't long before fans tracked her down to record an album. The album was released in 1970 and disappeared in relative obscurity -- only later being sought out fanatically by record collectors. Featuring accompaniment by such notables as Robin Williamson (fiddle, mandolin, Irish Harp) of The Incredible String Band and Simon Nicol (banjo) of Fairport Convention, Robert Kirby (string and recorder arrangements) who played with Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan's music is an exquisitely delicate folk music with melodies reminiscent of hornpipes and shanties. Her clear voice is so full of innocence, and she sings so earnestly about her horse and the countryside full of hayfields and waiting for love and the simple rewards, like nice tea, that await after a long day's journey. It's so beautiful, it makes me want to dress in peasant garb (like Vashti on the cover) and forget all about the 21st century.
MPEG Stream: "Diamond Day"
MPEG Stream: "Glow Worms"
MPEG Stream: "Where I Like To Stand"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Lookaftering (DiCristina Stair Builders) cd 14.98
An absolutely timeless ageless folk music beauty!
If you fell in love with Ms Bunyan's Just Another Day album from 1970 (reissued recently on cd and lp!) as we did, you've probably been tingling with anticipation over the news that over three decades later she'd returned to the recording studio. Really, it's almost as though she never left. It's almost spooky! We caught a brief, but oh-so-pleasing glimpse of the present-day Vashti when she did an unexpected collaboration with Animal Collective earlier this year (the resulting recordings were released as a cdep titled "Prospect Hummer"). Now we get a full album's worth of her wonderfulness and she's joined by some youngsters named Joanna and Devendra. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Lately"
MPEG Stream: "Feet Of Clay"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Lookaftering (DiCristina Stair Builders) lp 14.98
NOW ON VINYL!
The new album from an absolutely timeless ageless folk music beauty!
If you fell in love with Ms Bunyan's Just Another Day album from 1970 (reissued recently on cd and lp!) as we did, you've probably been tingling with anticipation over the news that over three decades later she'd returned to the recording studio. Really, it's almost as though she never left. It's almost spooky! We caught a brief, but oh-so-pleasing glimpse of the present-day Vashti when she did an unexpected collaboration with Animal Collective (the resulting recordings were released as a cdep titled "Prospect Hummer"). Now we get a full album's worth of her wonderfulness and she's joined by some youngsters named Joanna and Devendra. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Lately"
MPEG Stream: "Feet Of Clay"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Some Things Just Stick In Your Head (Singles & Demos 1964 - 1967) (DiCristina) 2cd 14.98
It's been a long, strange journey from obscure British pop footnote to Elder Stateswoman of the modern Freak Folk scene for Vashti Bunyan. Her early lone album, Just Another Diamond Day, has charmed and bewildered many new fans since its reissue a few years ago and brought Bunyan out of obscurity and back to recording with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective and a full length of brand new songs called Lookaftering. The reissue of Just Another Diamond Day had some bonus tracks from early 45's that barely hinted at her pop-star beginnings. Discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham, Bunyan came out of the wave of waifish pop-singers popularized by Marianne Faithfull and Francoise Hardy. While her songs had charm, her presence was too insecure to maintain a steady following. She recorded a string of singles, including the Jagger / Richards tune "Some Things Just Stick In Your Head, all but two singles remained unreleased. Until now that is. This 2 disc collection revives all of her early singles and demos, offering an almost bipolar spectrum of over-production and under-production. The singles are pleasantly arranged pop-gems yet marked by Bunyan's slightly uncomfortable (for her, that is, not us) vocal delivery. While the demos on the second disc are culled from home recordings that show Bunyan at her most intimate, vulnerable and lo-fi. Her guitar accompaniments barely register under her whisper like singing. While we always have mixed feelings about completist collections, this one works better than most with the singles being the more essential component and the demos the added bonus. At least it's priced accordingly! Lovely!!
MPEG Stream: "Some Things Just Stick In Your Head"
MPEG Stream: "I Want To Be Alone "
MPEG Stream: "If In Winter (Demo)"

BUNYAN, VASHTI Some Things Just Stick In Your Head (Singles & Demos 1964 - 1967) (DiCristina) 2lp 17.98
It's been a long, strange journey from obscure British pop footnote to Elder Stateswoman of the modern Freak Folk scene for Vashti Bunyan. Her early lone album, Just Another Diamond Day, has charmed and bewildered many new fans since its reissue a few years ago and brought Bunyan out of obscurity and back to recording with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective and a full length of brand new songs called Lookaftering. The reissue of Just Another Diamond Day had some bonus tracks from early 45's that barely hinted at her pop-star beginnings. Discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham, Bunyan came out of the wave of waifish pop-singers popularized by Marianne Faithfull and Francoise Hardy. While her songs had charm, her presence was too insecure to maintain a steady following. She recorded a string of singles, including the Jagger / Richards tune "Some Things Just Stick In Your Head, all but two singles remained unreleased. Until now that is. This 2 disc collection revives all of her early singles and demos, offering an almost bipolar spectrum of over-production and under-production. The singles are pleasantly arranged pop-gems yet marked by Bunyan's slightly uncomfortable (for her, that is, not us) vocal delivery. While the demos on the second disc are culled from home recordings that show Bunyan at her most intimate, vulnerable and lo-fi. Her guitar accompaniments barely register under her whisper like singing. While we always have mixed feelings about completist collections, this one works better than most with the singles being the more essential component and the demos the added bonus. At least it's priced accordingly! Lovely!!
MPEG Stream: "Some Things Just Stick In Your Head"
MPEG Stream: "I Want To Be Alone "
MPEG Stream: "If In Winter (Demo)"

BURCH, PAUL Last of My Kind (Merge) cd 14.98
New album from Paul Burch of Lambchop. Less bluegrass and more old timey than last year's "Blue Notes", the songs on "Last Of My Kind" were inspired by Tony Early's novel "Jim the Boy."

BURCH, PAUL & THE WPA BALLCLUB Blue Notes (Merge) cd 14.98
Utterly delightful new project from Paul Burch of Lambchop. Country music with lyrics and vocals reminiscent of Arlo Guthrie or Bob Dylan, Country Jazz musical influences a la Doc Watson or Bob Wills and shades of bluegrass and barroom balladry. Though I felt a bit squeamish at first listening to this album, I must say it has an infectiousness and honesty to it that's quite refreshing. All the faster numbers are wonderfully "live" sounding without being murky - lots of deep, booming upright bass that makes you feel as though you're at the Freight & Salvage (for those out of town, that's the East Bay's best venue for country & bluegrass).

BURD EARLY Magnet Mountain (Western Vinyl) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Burd Early strikes us as being very Silver Jews-esque. Perhaps a bit Smog, Dieselhed, and Leonard Cohen-ish too. The liner notes offer precious little information on the mysterious figure who goes by the name Burd Early, and further investigation (i.e. a search online) reveals little more. What we can say is that these are heavy-hearted, weathered songs sung by a deep, weary voice delivered at a sauntering almost-spoken pace. Very intimate, earthy and oh so pretty.
RealAudio clip: "Tire"

BURNSIDE, R.L. Come On In (Fat Possum/Epitaph) cd 16.98
Latest from old-time bluesman Burnside, now kinda making a bid for the alt rock electronica market a la Beck (or at least, his label is). Includes a respectful remix by Alec Empire. And, when it comes right down to it, this is actually pretty darn good.

BURNSIDE, R.L. Come On In (Fat Possum/Epitaph) lp 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Latest from old-time bluesman Burnside, now kinda making a bid for the alt rock electronica market a la Beck (or at least, his label is). Includes a respectful remix by Alec Empire. And, when it comes right down to it, this is actually pretty darn good.

BURNSIDE, R.L. Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Epitaph) cd 16.98
It seems you can hear each and every one of R.L. Burnside's 73 years whenever he opens his mouth. It's clear he's had his share of hard times. It's in his amazing, raw, weathered voice and in his brooding words. He can sing the true old Mississippi blues like no one else. And that's definitely the best way to hear him - on his own, but on this album, he's chosen to blend his blues with seemingly unlikely more modern styles and artists. Beats, scratching, synths, sampling, and definite ProTools editing pepper these recordings creating a respectfully unobtrusive yet lively backdrop for R.L.'s vocals.

BURTON, JAMES & RALPH MOONEY Corn Pickin' & Slick Slidin' (Sundazed) cd 13.98
Both James Burton and Ralph Mooney were two legendary sidemen who helped shape the Bakersfield sound in the 60's (Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, et al). Burton with his telecaster (along with dobro) and his tenure as a rockabilly guitarist and Mooney with his steel guitar together formed a unique sound, now indelibly associated with the slick sound of Hollywood's country session musicians and, by extension, commercials and television in general. Producer Rick Nelson (who Burton had worked with in his rockabilly days) convinced the two to record instrumental versions of the country hits of the period. Among the 12 included here are such classics as Spanish Eyes, Your Cheatin' Heart, Columbus Stockade Blues along with two originals by Mooney and Burton.
MPEG Stream: "Columbus Stockade Blues"
MPEG Stream: "Your Cheatin' Heart"

BUTTLESS CHAPS Love This Time (Mint) cd 13.98
Okay, we mentioned this already a couple of AQ lists ago, but we've just gotta ask again... what's the deal with so many Canadian indie bands' names? Are they trying to prevent people from checking them out? Take this band for example, they're called The Buttless Chaps! C'mon, that rivals Corn On Macabre or Cream Abdul Babar on the wince-o-meter. Contrary to what almost everyone who has encountered the band's moniker has thought, they are not a joke band! They are in fact a mighty fine hybrid of country and '80s new wave pop... yes, their instrumentation includes a synth *and* a banjo! I know, I know! Even the description makes them sound like a joke band, but give these fellows a listen and you'll surely see things a little differently. They move effortlessly from barnyard boot stompers and moonlight porchswing ballads to ABC-esque synth melodramas -- often fusing them together within a single song with nary a smartaleck wink nor a clumsy stumble. They seem quite sincere in their love of both genres. And we haven't even mentioned yet that lead singer Dave has a strong deep voice very well-suited to both musical styles (at times very akin to ABC's Martin Fry, Pulp's Jarvis Cocker or Handsome Family's Brett Sparks). Truly, if they were only a country band or conversely only a retro synth pop band, they'd be a damn good one, and no eyebrows would be raised (uhh, unless they were still called the Buttless Chaps... wink!).
MPEG Stream: "Numan"
MPEG Stream: "Babbles"

BYRDS, THE (Untitled)/(Unissued) (Columbia) 2cd 25.00
What was once a 1970 double LP set of live and studio material is now a double cd, with the original "(Untitled)" now accompanied by an extra disc of previously unissued tracks. The lineup: Roger McGuinn, Skip Battin, Clarence White, and Gene Parsons. Worth it alone for the jammed-out sixteen-minute (a whole side of the original vinyl) version of "Eight Miles High." And with all the other stuff here, this is a great place to start with The Byrds as well as an essential item for longtime fans!

BYRDS, THE Live At The Fillmore, February 1969 (Columbia) cd 16.98
Previously unreleased live concert recording from '69, with Roger McGuinn/Clarence White/John York/Gene Parsons lineup. Sixteen tracks.

BYRDS, THE Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Columbia/Legacy) cd 13.98
Late Byrds album with Gram Parsons and more classic songs than required to make an album essential. Features several never-before-available tracks/outtakes, including a GP vocal.

C.O.B. Moyshe McStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
This longtime AQ British folk fave from Incredible String band offshoot C.O.B. is back in print again, and with tons of extras, thanks to the fine folks at Sunbeam. Now with vastly improved artwork, tons of liner notes (courtesy of the band themselves!), loads of photos, old album covers and show flyers, and SEVEN bonus tracks, instead of the previous edition's five. Wow! As if we didn't love this record enough already!!!
Here's what we had to say about it the first time around:
C.O.B. (Clive's Original Band) was the creation of Incredible String Band founding member and one of the grandfathers of today's fringe folk scene, Clive Palmer. We don't know if you got the chance to see Mr. Palmer alongside fellow ISB founder Mike Heron at last year's reunion show, but it definitely seemed like his banjo-picking was a little rusty and he looked kind of dazed (no wonder, what with 35 years out of the spotlight). When this record (C.O.B.'s second and best, or at least most exotic and weird) was made in 1972, though, he was in top form, and the result is such beautiful melancholy! Some of the instrumentation here is similar to that of ISB (acoustic guitar, banjo, clarinet) but with lots of harmonium and the addition of a dulcimer with a widened bridge (invented by C.O.B. band member John Bidwell), an odd droning sound that darkens the mood a bit more than most stuff you'll hear from ISB. If you're a fan of British folk in the traditional and/or acid vein such as Shirley Collins, Trees, Forest, Fairport Convention, or current underground folkies such as Espers, Vashti Bunyan, or Current 93, this cd promises to be a true wistful pleasure. WAY recommended!!
MPEG Stream: "Eleven Willows"
MPEG Stream: "Oh Bright Eyed One "

CALIFONE Chicago (Road Cone) cd 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
This may in fact be another eponymous release from Califone and not titled "Chicago" inspite of that word's prominent position on the front cover. Anyway, this five track cdep is the second release from Red Red Meat's Tim Rutili of front-porch acoustic slow-mo bluegrass melodicism spiced up with studio experimentation not unlike Loftus or even Souled American.

CALLIER, TERRY Timepeace (Verve) cd 15.98
Folk/soul legend returns with this new album. The line-up includes Pharoah Sanders on tenor saxophone.

CAMPBELL, GLEN Meet Glen Campbell (Capitol) cd 17.98
It's tempting with this new Glen Campbell record to assume it must have been produced by Rick Rubin, since at first glance, it does seem like Campbell is pulling a Johnny Cash, revitalizing his career by taking on some unlikely covers (Travis, Velvet Underground, etc.). But just like in the case of Cash, who while very likely got some new fans out of the deal, hardly needed a reinvention, as he was about as bad ass as they come. Well damn it if the same isn't true of Campbell. C'mon. "Wichita Lineman", Rhinestone Cowboy", "Galveston", he's been recording nonstop since the early sixties, and while he wasn't quite as much of a bad ass as the man in black, you just can't fuck with Campbell. And this new disc just drives that point home.
Some strange song choices, but some incredible arrangements, some amazing playing, and Campbell's voice sounds amazing nearly 50 years on. The opener, a cover of "Sing" by the band Travis, who we had never really paid too much attention to, is just gorgeous, exultant, soaring and triumphant. So much so that it almost has us reconsidering our inadvertent Travis boycott.
The other stone cold classic is Campbell's reinterpretation of The Velvet Underground's "Jesus", with its simple acoustic guitar, soaring strings, and sweet angelic female background vocals. His cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days" is also gorgeous, heartfelt and bittersweet. Paul Westerburg's "Sadly Beautiful" is so good, so pretty, and weirdly timeless. The whole production is very sixties / seventies soft pop, all warm and fuzzy and dreamy, string wrapped around subtle orchestrations, stripped down when it suits the song, lush and over the top when it doesn't, perhaps due in no small part to the fact that Campbell's band features Robin Zander of Cheap Trick as well as 2/3 of Jellyfish! The two Tom Petty covers are obscure enough to sound like they could be Campbell originals. There's a U2 cover which is pretty nice too. The weirdest covers are probably "Times Like These" by the Foo Fighters, which to be fair gets a pretty appropriately Campbell-y makeover, and Green Day's "Good Riddance", which while it does sound pretty good sung by Campbell, it's probably too familiar to remind you of anything but the original.
But small complaints really. A gorgeous disc of classic soaring lush countrified orchestral pop from one of the best performers of the last 5 decades.
MPEG Stream: "Sing"
MPEG Stream: "Jesus"
MPEG Stream: "These Days"

CAMPILONGO, JIM & THE 10 GALLON CATS Heavy (Blue Hen) cd 15.98
More fab western swing sounds from local guitar hero Campilongo and his band, also starring Joe Goldmark on pedal steel. Together Jim & Joe conjure the spirits of Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West. Adventurous, snappily dressed, fun stuff. Includes a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" (alongside originals like "Mozart Woulda Played A Tele").

CAMPILONGO, JIM, & THE TEN GALLON CATS Loose (Blue Hen) cd 14.98
Definitely one of San Francisco's musical treasures, here's the country/jazz guitar master and band, with instrumentals inspired by robots, Pee Wee Herman, and the alien autopsy, along with versions of "Harlem Nocturne" and "Mr. Sandman"...wonderful. Fans of Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant will be happy (the pedal steel player is amazing!), and I could see folks into the likes of Man or Astroman? also digging this.

CANNON'S JUG STOMPERS Best of (Yazoo) cd 16.98
Yazoo has just released an entire cd's worth of songs by Cannon's Jug Stompers who've previously apppeared on numerous compilations of American roots music put out by the label. Cannon's Jug Stompers were a country blues trio led by banjo player Gus Cannon (who had a rack made to fit the jug around his neck so he could blow it and play banjo simultaneously.) The backbone of Cannon's accompaniment was harmonica player Noah Lewis, who has oft been viewed as one of the best harmonica players that ever lived. The two shared vocal duties along with original guitarist Ahsley Thompson and later Hosea Woods (another guitarist, Elijah Avery, served in several sessions merely as an instrumental accompanist.) Though the Jug Stompers recorded as early as 1916, the tracks here are all taken from sessions recorded between 1928 and 1930.
RealAudio clip: "Going To Germany"

CANTERBURY FAIR s/t (Sundazed) cd 13.98
From Sundazed - the garage / psychedelic label that re-issued such notables as The West Coast Pop Experimental Group - comes Canterbury Fair: Renaissance faire-esque folk-psych from California circa 1969.

CANTRELL, LAURA Humming By The Flowered Vine (Matador) cd 14.98
To tell ya the truth, Laura Cantrell could be singing the table of contents of a lawnmower manual, and still enchant the pants off of her listeners. Her newest album (and first on Matador Records) picks right up from where 2002's When The Roses Bloom Again left off. Her voice ringing as clear as a crystal dinner bell and as sweet as a bumbleberry pie at the state fair, and she's accompanied by a superb cast of players including those fellows from Calexico. Along with her original numbers she sings beautiful versions of an early previously unreleased Lucinda Williams' song "Letters", "Wishful Singing" a song originally sung by Skeeter Davis and penned by Wynn Stewart, and the old traditional murder ballad "Poor Ellen Smith". Actually if you like another lovely old tyme country style chanteuse who has great taste in cover material, namely Ms Kelly Hogan (or vice versa), this might be your new summer love.
MPEG Stream: "Letters"
MPEG Stream: "Wishful Thinking"

CANTRELL, LAURA Humming By The Flowered Vine (Matador) lp 11.98
To tell ya the truth, Laura Cantrell could be singing the table of contents of a lawnmower manual, and still enchant the pants off of her listeners. Her newest album (and first on Matador Records) picks right up from where 2002's When The Roses Bloom Again left off. Her voice ringing as clear as a crystal dinner bell and as sweet as a bumbleberry pie at the state fair, and she's accompanied by a superb cast of players including those fellows from Calexico. Along with her original numbers she sings beautiful versions of an early previously unreleased Lucinda Williams' song "Letters", "Wishful Singing" a song originally sung by Skeeter Davis and penned by Wynn Stewart, and the old traditional murder ballad "Poor Ellen Smith". Actually if you like another lovely old tyme country style chanteuse who has great taste in cover material, namely Ms Kelly Hogan (or vice versa), this might be your new summer love.
MPEG Stream: "Letters"
MPEG Stream: "Wishful Thinking"

CANTRELL, LAURA When The Rose Blooms Again (Diesel Only) cd 15.98
Hailing from Nashville and currently in NYC, chanteuse Laura Cantrell possesses a voice that's bell-clear, as clean and fresh as a glass of milk. Her second album is crisp, simple, classic country (with touches of bluegrass and folk) along the lines of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, even a little Freakwater, and especially Nanci Griffith. No fake twang, very sincere. Singalong-able, catchy, touching. It makes me wanna go to a thrift shop immediately to buy one of those cotton flower print thrift store dresses I wore back in the late '80s. Languid pedal steel, jangling mandolin, and lots of acoustic guitars. Unfortunately the best songs on the record weren't written by her, but that's ok. You could say the same about goddesses Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffith. Give the soundclips a try -- fantastic! Windy likes this a lot.
RealAudio clip: "All the Same to You"
RealAudio clip: "Don't Break the Heart"

CARTER, ANITA Ring of Fire (Bear Family) cd 21.00
Of the three generations of country music's royal family -- the Carters, Anita (sister of June) possessed perhaps the most perfect voice, so bell clear and pure that it's almost unearthly. This compilation on the esteemed country-reissue label Bear Family contains mostly recordings from 1961-64, 26 tracks in all, featuring crystal clear, spacious production. Just amazing Anita and acoustic guitar. This record has made me cry. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "(Love's) Ring of Fire"
RealAudio clip: "Voice of the Bayou"
RealAudio clip: "I Never Will Marry"

CARTER, TOM Glyph (Digitalis) cd 12.98
For some reason, Tom Carter always seemed like some mysterious musical alchemist, lurking in the shadows, cloaked in the relative anonymity of his group Charalambides. But lately, as his solo efforts outnumber Charalambides releases, and with a move to right here in the Bay Area, he has become one of a handful of modern guitarists representing this new movement of neo-folk, neo-Appalachia, new weird America or whatever people want to call it. Jack Rose, James Blackshaw, Matt Valentine, Ilyas Ahmed, Ben Chasny, and Carter, all offering their own spin on the guitar, and the legacy of John Fahey.
Carter, like his fellow six stringers, explores the modern raga, utilizing the buzz as much as the notes that precede it. On Glyph, the last recordings in his old studio and the last before his big move, Carter stretches out on 3 lengthy guitar pieces, all thematically linked, but each quite individual in its own way, from the sort of guitar played to the actual structure and composition.
Glyph 1 is all acoustic steel string guitar, and is a sweet slab of tangled neo-Appalachia, fast fingerpicking, some slippery slide, minor key and lots of angular buzz. In fact if there is anything distinct about Carter's style, it's an odd angularity, unlikely melodies, and a strangely jagged technique, but it serves him well, giving his pick and strum an otherworldly vibe.
The final track, the quite brief "Glyph 3", is all nylon string acoustic guitar and is thus much softer and less metallic sounding. But as if to make up for that Carter's playing is even more manic and convoluted, dense flurries of notes, and impossible fast fingerpicking, a murky dizzying swirl of abstract guitar exploration, fuzzy and impenetrable.
But it's between the two where we find the record's 35 minute centerpiece "Glyph 2", a dreamy trippy psychedelic soundscape for lap steel guitar. Much more minimal and ambient, huge stretches of single notes drifting aimlessly and slowly fading into nothingness, slipping and slithering, all wraithlike, the slide drifting up and down the neck, with haunting melodies floating up like spirits rising from their graves. Lots of buzz, and bits of percussive thump, but more than anything "Glyph 2" is open and endless, an ultra minimal expanse, the abstract twang drifting and shimmering amidst lots and lots of space. So gorgeous.
Packaged in a cool hand screened on the outside, hand painted on the inside, thick cardstock sleeve, with liner notes/insert.
MPEG Stream: "Glyph 1"
MPEG Stream: "Glyph 2"

CASE, NEKO button 1.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Show your love for this lady! 1" button with red text / blue stripes on white background (very similar to the disc artwork on her Blacklisted album except the word 'beaver' is replaced with her name).

CASE, NEKO Blacklisted (Lady Pilot / Bloodshot / Mint) cd 14.98
Watch her legion of admirers increase tenfold with every passing moment! Will you join them/us? On this, her third full length, Neko Case's voice pours forth in such an untethered and unaffected manner, yet with such power and control. It's truly something to behold. Through seemingly endless touring since Furnace Room Lullaby (on her own, as well as with the New Pornographers) she's honed her voice into an incredibly dynamic instrument. She delivers old classics like "Runnin' Out of Fools" or "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)" with such ease and conviction so seamlessly amid her own splendid songs like "Deep Red Bells" and "I Wish I Was The Moon" as well as "Pretty Girls" from The Gift soundtrack. On much of Blacklisted, her delivery is not unlike that of a lone, world-weary torch singer. Quite simply, her performance is arresting - deeply dramatic and haunting. Perhaps this may be attributed, in part or in whole, to the fact that these days she's holding all the reins. She co-released this album on her own label Lady Pilot with Bloodshot Records, and produced and mixed it with Darryl Neudorf and Craig Schumacher. Also noteworthy is the absence of "and the Boyfriends" from her name, but she's by no means flying solo - although she did play a greater number of the instruments this time around (various guitars, saw, piano). Speaking of which, the accompanying music is a perfect, richly hued match that warmly envelops and lingers around her every word. She's surrounded by an impressive group of musical friends including Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Kelly Hogan, Brian Connelly of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, Dallas Good of the Sadies, John Rauhouse, Tom Ray, and Mary Margaret O'Hara. A stunning album that glistens and glows from start to finish. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Deep Red Bells"
MPEG Stream: "Pretty Girls"
MPEG Stream: "I Wish I Was The Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)"

CASE, NEKO Blacklisted ( Lance Rock) lp 22.00
NOW ON VINYL! At long last this AQ fave, a Record Of The Week back 2002, in appears on wax.
Watch her legion of admirers increase tenfold with every passing moment! Will you join them/us? On this, her third full length, Neko Case's voice pours forth in such an untethered and unaffected manner, yet with such power and control. It's truly something to behold. Through seemingly endless touring since Furnace Room Lullaby (on her own, as well as with the New Pornographers) she's honed her voice into an incredibly dynamic instrument. She delivers old classics like "Runnin' Out of Fools" or "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)" with such ease and conviction so seamlessly amid her own splendid songs like "Deep Red Bells" and "I Wish I Was The Moon" as well as "Pretty Girls" from The Gift soundtrack. On much of Blacklisted, her delivery is not unlike that of a lone, world-weary torch singer. Quite simply, her performance is arresting - deeply dramatic and haunting. Perhaps this may be attributed, in part or in whole, to the fact that these days she's holding all the reins. She co-released this album on her own label Lady Pilot with Bloodshot Records, and produced and mixed it with Darryl Neudorf and Craig Schumacher. Also noteworthy is the absence of "and the Boyfriends" from her name, but she's by no means flying solo - although she did play a greater number of the instruments this time around (various guitars, saw, piano). Speaking of which, the accompanying music is a perfect, richly hued match that warmly envelops and lingers around her every word. She's surrounded by an impressive group of musical friends including Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Kelly Hogan, Brian Connelly of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, Dallas Good of the Sadies, John Rauhouse, Tom Ray, and Mary Margaret O'Hara. A stunning album that glistens and glows from start to finish. Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Deep Red Bells"
MPEG Stream: "Pretty Girls"
MPEG Stream: "I Wish I Was The Moon"
MPEG Stream: "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)"

CASE, NEKO Canadian Amp (Lady Pilot) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hurrah for yet another dose of Neko Case! Yes, along with her new album Blacklisted which we just reviewed in AQL 144, there's this special collection released by the lady herself (also just released on vinyl by her friends at Lance Rock Records). There's been plenty of conflicting reports on the status of the cd even from those very close to the source. Initially a tour-only cd, it seems to be in a very nebulously limited pressing - most likely it'll continue to be in print just as long as the Lady Pilot fancies. That said, doncha think it's high time you had your very own copy!? Anyways, let's get to the actual music, shall we? She recorded these songs in her kitchen while reportedly clad in her trademark flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Her dear Boyfriends are notably absent, although she did get a bunch of her pals to join her refrigerator-side for these intimate recordings. Her partners in crime? Tom Ray, Jon Rauhouse, Andy Hopkins, Robert Lloyd, Brett Sparks, Chris Von Sneidern, Kathleen Judge and Kelly Hogan. Much more spartan than her two previous albums, yet still so rich and haunting with some gorgeous banjo, accordion and an impressive array of guitars. There's stirring renditions of the classic "Poor Ellen Smith", Neil Young's "Dreaming Man" and Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken" as well as covers of tunes by her Canadian friends Mike O'Neill of The Inbreds, Sook-Yin Lee, Lisa Marr of cub, Buck and The Beards - each an amazing songwriter him/herself - showing once again what a knack she has for choosing great material to cover. And to top off all this goodness, she reworks two of her own lovely songs "Make Your Bed" and "Favorite". Her voice is an unquestionably mighty force unto itself, but her singing performance is so far beyond mighty lungs and vocal chords. Seeming effortless, it flows from somewhere deep within and beyond, which makes listening such a wonderful, deeply moving experience. Pure, honest and powerful!
RealAudio clip: "Andy"
RealAudio clip: "Make Your Bed"
RealAudio clip: "Alone And Forsaken"
RealAudio clip: "In California"

CASE, NEKO Canadian Amp (Lance Rock) lp 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hurrah for yet another dose of Neko Case! Yes, along with her new album Blacklisted which we just reviewed in AQL 144, there's this special collection released by the lady herself (also just released on vinyl by her friends at Lance Rock Records). There's been plenty of conflicting reports on the status of the cd even from those very close to the source. Initially a tour-only cd, it seems to be in a very nebulously limited pressing - most likely it'll continue to be in print just as long as the Lady Pilot fancies. That said, doncha think it's high time you had your very own copy!? Anyways, let's get to the actual music, shall we? She recorded these songs in her kitchen while reportedly clad in her trademark flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Her dear Boyfriends are notably absent, although she did get a bunch of her pals to join her refrigerator-side for these intimate recordings. Her partners in crime? Tom Ray, Jon Rauhouse, Andy Hopkins, Robert Lloyd, Brett Sparks, Chris Von Sneidern, Kathleen Judge and Kelly Hogan. Much more spartan than her two previous albums, yet still so rich and haunting with some gorgeous banjo, accordion and an impressive array of guitars. There's stirring renditions of the classic "Poor Ellen Smith", Neil Young's "Dreaming Man" and Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken" as well as covers of tunes by her Canadian friends Mike O'Neill of The Inbreds, Sook-Yin Lee, Lisa Marr of cub, Buck and The Beards - each an amazing songwriter him/herself - showing once again what a knack she has for choosing great material to cover. And to top off all this goodness, she reworks two of her own lovely songs "Make Your Bed" and "Favorite". Her voice is an unquestionably mighty force unto itself, but her singing performance is so far beyond mighty lungs and vocal chords. Seeming effortless, it flows from somewhere deep within and beyond, which makes listening such a wonderful, deeply moving experience. Pure, honest and powerful!
RealAudio clip: "Andy"
RealAudio clip: "Make Your Bed"
RealAudio clip: "Alone And Forsaken"
RealAudio clip: "In California"

CASE, NEKO Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti) cd 16.98
Simply in a class of her own. We've said it before and yes, we'll say it again... Neko Case's voice can invoke a power capable of levelling anything in its path emotionally and maybe even physically too -- leaving some hearts melted, some empowered and some broken. That said, this lady knows that you must wield such a force responsibly and wisely, and over the years she's attained full mastery of its might. On Fox Confessor brings The Flood as on her past albums, an ample serving of reverb in the recording process has ensured that her voice embraces your ears with utterly dreamy warmth, but it doesn't overpower its characteristic nuances. We all know (no doubt herself included) that she could floor you just by singing the alphabet or a grocery list, but we (and she) know that there's more to *it* than that. With each album she's steered clear of trends, reinvented herself subtly and honed a different facet of her craft. Here its her songwriting inkwell which has been given a thorough loving and it runneth over with the deepest indigos and the reds of blood and rubies. Yes, the most noticeable shift / development on Fox Confessor is definitely in the lyrics department. An ever-evolving and maturing lyricist, Case has honed her lyrical imagery into what very well are her least literal, but most poetic and vivid to date. The songs are definitely less immediate with fewer obvious hooks than those of her last three albums, but Fox Confessor inhabits a different realm, and is so very deeply moving and enchantingly special in its own ways. Indeed, it comes across much more as the work of a wise, seasoned storyteller than a flavor of the day pop songstress. Certainly not one to rest on her laurels, for her fourth album Case raises the bar once again, challenging both herself and her fans. Plus with the support of her revolving cast of supremely talented players, her musical tapestry has never been more lushly and intricately detailed. This time she's invited Garth Hudson of The Band into her collaborative fold/family which already shines with the likes of The Sadies, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Ms Kelly Hogan, Tom Ray, Jon Rauhouse, Brian Connelly, Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino. Each of her albums has been lauded as "her best yet", but with Fox Confessor we'd dare to say she's taken things to a whole 'nother spine-tingling level.
A side note for fans of her live show... you'll be pleased to find that "John Saw That Number" (or perhaps you might know it as that "holy to the world" song) makes a rousing appearance midway through the proceedings. With its soaring rounds of choruses, it's a particular crowd favorite at her shows she shares with her singin' pals Kelly Hogan and Carolyn Mark ('tho the latter is sadly missing this time around). Need we say? Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Star Witness"
MPEG Stream: "John Saw That Number"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Knife"

CASE, NEKO Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Lance Rock Records) lp 22.00
And also, Fox Confessor has just been put out on vinyl (no five song bonus disc though, unlike the new deluxe cd edition). Sorta pricey due to the walloping Canadian dollar, unfortunately. But if you gotta have vinyl, here 'tis.
Simply in a class of her own. We've said it before and yes, we'll say it again... Neko Case's voice can invoke a power capable of leveling anything in its path emotionally and maybe even physically too -- leaving some hearts melted, some empowered and some broken. That said, this lady knows that you must wield such a force responsibly and wisely, and over the years she's attained full mastery of its might. On Fox Confessor brings The Flood as on her past albums, an ample serving of reverb in the recording process has ensured that her voice embraces your ears with utterly dreamy warmth, but it doesn't overpower its characteristic nuances. We all know (no doubt herself included) that she could floor you just by singing the alphabet or a grocery list, but we (and she) know that there's more to *it* than that. With each album she's steered clear of trends, reinvented herself subtly and honed a different facet of her craft. Here its her songwriting inkwell which has been given a thorough loving and it runneth over with the deepest indigos and the reds of blood and rubies. Yes, the most noticeable shift / development on Fox Confessor is definitely in the lyrics department. An ever-evolving and maturing lyricist, Case has honed her lyrical imagery into what very well are her least literal, but most poetic and vivid to date. The songs are definitely less immediate with fewer obvious hooks than those of her last three albums, but Fox Confessor inhabits a different realm, and is so very deeply moving and enchantingly special in its own ways. Indeed, it comes across much more as the work of a wise, seasoned storyteller than a flavor of the day pop songstress. Certainly not one to rest on her laurels, for her fourth album Case raises the bar once again, challenging both herself and her fans. Plus with the support of her revolving cast of supremely talented players, her musical tapestry has never been more lushly and intricately detailed. This time she's invited Garth Hudson of The Band into her collaborative fold/family which already shines with the likes of The Sadies, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Ms Kelly Hogan, Tom Ray, Jon Rauhouse, Brian Connelly, Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino. Each of her albums has been lauded as "her best yet", but with Fox Confessor we'd dare to say she's taken things to a whole 'nother spine-tingling level.
A side note for fans of her live show... you'll be pleased to find that "John Saw That Number" (or perhaps you might know it as that "holy to the world" song) makes a rousing appearance midway through the proceedings. With its soaring rounds of choruses, it's a particular crowd favorite at her shows she shares with her singin' pals Kelly Hogan and Carolyn Mark ('tho the latter is sadly missing this time around). Need we say? Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Star Witness"
MPEG Stream: "John Saw That Number"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Knife"

CASE, NEKO Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Special Edition (Anti) 2cd 16.98
Just in time for the holiday gift-givin' season, here's something for that special someone who has somehow yet to be turned onto the powerhouse pipes of Neko Case! This is a new special cd edition of Ms Case's most recent album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood. It comes with a 5-song bonus disc! If you're a diehard fan, Anti Records is forcing you to prove your completist-ness! You'll no doubt already have all the songs here except one -- an unreleased demo of "Behind The House"! The rest of the extra tracks are a pair off of her second album 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby and another two from her third album 2002's Blacklisted. (FYI: both albums have been recently remastered and reissued by Anti too).
Here's what we said about this album when it first came out early last year:
Simply in a class of her own. We've said it before and yes, we'll say it again... Neko Case's voice can invoke a power capable of leveling anything in its path emotionally and maybe even physically too -- leaving some hearts melted, some empowered and some broken. That said, this lady knows that you must wield such a force responsibly and wisely, and over the years she's attained full mastery of its might. On Fox Confessor brings The Flood as on her past albums, an ample serving of reverb in the recording process has ensured that her voice embraces your ears with utterly dreamy warmth, but it doesn't overpower its characteristic nuances. We all know (no doubt herself included) that she could floor you just by singing the alphabet or a grocery list, but we (and she) know that there's more to *it* than that. With each album she's steered clear of trends, reinvented herself subtly and honed a different facet of her craft. Here its her songwriting inkwell which has been given a thorough loving and it runneth over with the deepest indigos and the reds of blood and rubies. Yes, the most noticeable shift / development on Fox Confessor is definitely in the lyrics department. An ever-evolving and maturing lyricist, Case has honed her lyrical imagery into what very well are her least literal, but most poetic and vivid to date. The songs are definitely less immediate with fewer obvious hooks than those of her last three albums, but Fox Confessor inhabits a different realm, and is so very deeply moving and enchantingly special in its own ways. Indeed, it comes across much more as the work of a wise, seasoned storyteller than a flavor of the day pop songstress. Certainly not one to rest on her laurels, for her fourth album Case raises the bar once again, challenging both herself and her fans. Plus with the support of her revolving cast of supremely talented players, her musical tapestry has never been more lushly and intricately detailed. This time she's invited Garth Hudson of The Band into her collaborative fold/family which already shines with the likes of The Sadies, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Ms Kelly Hogan, Tom Ray, Jon Rauhouse, Brian Connelly, Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino. Each of her albums has been lauded as "her best yet", but with Fox Confessor we'd dare to say she's taken things to a whole 'nother spine-tingling level.
A side note for fans of her live show... you'll be pleased to find that "John Saw That Number" (or perhaps you might know it as that "holy to the world" song) makes a rousing appearance midway through the proceedings. With its soaring rounds of choruses, it's a particular crowd favorite at her shows she shares with her singin' pals Kelly Hogan and Carolyn Mark ('tho the latter is sadly missing this time around). Need we say? Highly recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Star Witness"
MPEG Stream: "John Saw That Number"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Knife"

CASE, NEKO Live From Austin TX - Austin City Limits (New West) cd 15.98
Ooooh Neko fans, this will surely send glorious shivers down your spine! Back in 2003 shortly after the release of Blacklisted and prior to The Tigers Have Spoken, beloved chanteuse Neko Case performed before a studio audience on the venerable country music tv program Austin City Limits (now over thirty years old!). This cd offers up her complete set of fourteen songs from that show (psst, there's also a dvd version for a few bucks more!). A well balanced mix of originals and covers, it inevitably ends up being sort of a 'Best of Neko Case' compilation (well, up to that year at least!). It offers more proof (not that any more is really needed) that she's definitely one of the few artists around whose performance and personality are just as potently captivating and affecting live in person, on live recordings and on studio productions.
As always, she's supported by a stellar group of musical friends -- Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel, guitar and banjo, Tom Ray on stand up bass and Kelly Hogan on backing vocals. The latter once again provides her trademark high dulcet tones as a sweet counterpart to Case's lusty smoldering delivery. It's almost as though Case is being accompanied by an angel. Lovely!
Many many fan favorites are included: "Deep Red Bells", "Hex", "Furnace Room Lullaby", "Outro With Bees", and yes, "Favorite"! Plus many wonderful covers too: "Hank Williams' "Alone And Foresaken", Bob Dylan's "Buckets Of Rain", Catherine Irwin's "Hex" and a smokin' rendition of "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)" an ol' classic popularized by Sarah Vaughan. Need we say? Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Favorite"
MPEG Stream: "Outro With Bees"
MPEG Stream: "Maybe Sparrow"

CASE, NEKO Live From Austin TX - Austin City Limits (New West) dvd 21.00
Ooooh Neko fans, this will surely send glorious shivers down your spine! Back in 2003 shortly after the release of Blacklisted and prior to The Tigers Have Spoken, beloved chanteuse Neko Case performed before a studio audience on the venerable country music tv program Austin City Limits (now over thirty years old!). This dvd offers up her complete set of fourteen songs from that show (psst, there's also a cd version for a few bucks less!). A well balanced mix of originals and covers, it inevitably ends up being sort of a 'Best of Neko Case' compilation (well, up to that year at least!). It offers more proof (not that any more is really needed) that she's definitely one of the few artists around whose performance and personality are just as potently captivating and affecting live in person, on live recordings and on studio productions.
As always, she's supported by a stellar group of musical friends -- Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel, guitar and banjo, Tom Ray on stand up bass and Kelly Hogan on backing vocals. The latter once again provides her trademark high dulcet tones as a sweet counterpart to Case's lusty smoldering delivery. It's almost as though Case is being accompanied by an angel. Lovely!
Many many fan favorites are included: "Deep Red Bells", "Hex", "Furnace Room Lullaby", "Outro With Bees", and yes, "Favorite"! Plus many wonderful covers too: "Hank Williams' "Alone And Foresaken", Bob Dylan's "Buckets Of Rain", Catherine Irwin's "Hex" and a smokin' rendition of "Look For Me (I'll Be Around)" an ol' classic popularized by Sarah Vaughan. Need we say? Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Favorite"
MPEG Stream: "Outro With Bees"
MPEG Stream: "Maybe Sparrow"

CASE, NEKO The Tigers Have Spoken (Anti) cd 13.98
Yay! How long has it been since we've had a new album from Neko? Over two years now, and that's too damn long. In lieu of her new studio album, due out sometime in the near future, we're graced with a nice live album by one of our favorite voices. All the tracks were recorded within the last year and more importantly, all but two (including the title track to her last studio album) are either covers or songs which Neko collaborated on with co-conspirators The Sadies. The exciting news is that the two exceptions are brand new originals ("If You Knew" and the title track to this here cd), and it's no surprise that they're pretty darn great! Neko picks up tunes by a wide range of songwriters including Buffy Sainte-Marie ("Soulful Shade of Blue"), Loretta Lynn ("Rated X"), The Shangri-Las ("Train From Kansas City") and old standards like "This Little Light" (an absolutely rip-snortin' rendition!) and "The Wayfaring Stranger" which is graced by a full chorus of voices on the, uh, choruses. Take that, Grand Ol' Opry! Plus she includes some of her own crowd faves such as the aptly titled, achingly beautiful "Favorite". Knowing Neko, you can bet there's gobs and gobs of 'room' on this recording, and by that we mean the gal loves her reverb. Neko is joined on stage here by The Sadies along with Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel, guitarist Brian Connelly, Kelly Hogan and Carolyn Mark among others.
MPEG Stream: "Train From Kansas City"
MPEG Stream: "Wayfaring Stranger"

CASE, NEKO AND HER BOYFRIENDS Furnace Room Lullaby (Bloodshot / Mint) cd 14.98
Here it is! The much anticipated follow-up to Neko Case's fabulous debut album of 1997 "The Virginian". Have no fear, this ain't no faux-country a la Shania Twain or Dixie Chicks, No! Ms Case has some unbelievable true blue old-school country pipes and spirit (that have drawn many comparisons to kd lang and Loretta Lynn). Indeed, hers is a voice that can lift your heart and let it soar or wrap it in velvet aches... or pick you up by the seat of your pants and give it a swift kick. This time around she's got a band with a solid line-up backing her up; one with whom she's toured and written most of the songs on this album. Plus her usual lengthy list of guest players among them Brian Connelly (formerly of Shadowy Men From A Shadowy Planet, a truly awesome guitarist in his own right but perhaps most noted for writing the theme to 'Kids In The Hall'), Carl Newman (guitarist/vocalist of Zumpano, Superconductor, and The New Pornographers) and her labelmates The Sadies and Kelly Hogan. Whereas on her first record half of the songs were loving cover versions of many of her old favorites and inspirations, this album is wonderfully all her own.
MPEG Stream: "Set Out Running"
MPEG Stream: "Bought & Sold"
MPEG Stream: "Mood To Burn Bridges"
MPEG Stream: "Furnace Room Lullaby"

CASE, NEKO AND HER BOYFRIENDS The Virginian (Bloodshot / Mint) cd 12.98
If you've recently been floored by the voice and music of "Furnace Room Lullaby" (Neko Case and Her Boyfriends' second full length), then you surely must grab hold of this beauty. The Virginian is what started Neko on her recording career down the old country path. Formerly the drummer for Vancouver based pop punk bands Maow and cub, Neko returned to her roots with this album comprised of equal parts originals and covers. Schooled in her youth by her grandmother in the sounds of such country greats as Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson, Neko can belt them out with the best. The twelve tracks here run the gamut from rollicking, playful numbers such as "Karoline" and "Honky Tonk Hiccups" to moving heartbreakers such as "Somebody Led Me Away". Also check out the great version of "Bowling Green". Guest stars include: Brian Connelly (Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet), Rose Melberg (Softies, Tiger Trap), Carl Newman (Zumpano, Superconductor). Very recommended, just ask Cup who got to hear these songs on a daily basis when she and Neko were roomies.
MPEG Stream: "The Virginian"
MPEG Stream: "Karoline"
MPEG Stream: "Somebody Led Me Away"