Neko Case returns triumphantly with her sixth album, Middle Cyclone, which hits stores next week. A bit of a nomad, Case has lived in Vancouver, Chicago, the Seattle area, Tucson, and Vermont, and the players she’s assembled here are a testimony to the ease with which she’s befriended like-minded individuals in those locations. Her regular band features vocalist Kelly Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, and drummer Barry Mirochnick; M. Ward, Garth Hudson, Sarah Harmer, members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico, The Sadies, Visqueen, The Lilys, and Giant Sand also guest here. Julia Clarke will bring you up to speed on the album’s sonic landscape in this Songlines podcast.
New York Times Magazine did a fantastic feature on Case recently that really captures her spirit. Check it out; it’s well worth the time.