As of November, this is my favorite CD of 2009 | Middle Cyclone

One of the best indie of 2009 | Middle Cyclone | Neko Case

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	• Middle Cyclone Neko Case Anti, 2009 average customer review:based on 102 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Soulful and stirring, again!

Wonderful, wonderful music from the voice that can always move me. She is a storyteller in the lineage of Tom Waits; eclectic, dark and often sweet.

As of November, this is my favorite CD of 2009

I had never heard Neko Case before a friend played this for me. Now this CD is on heavy rotation at home, in the car, and at work.

One of the best indie of 2009

I don't write many reviews since I rarely have anything to add, but since this currently has less than 100 ratings, I guess I'll give "Middle Cyclone" a review.

Bear in mind that this is the first album from Neko Case that I've ever heard/bought (including anything from the New Pornographers). This is also one of the first indie albums I ever bought.

Here's my thoughts on "Middle Cyclone":

Vocals: 5/5! Neko Case has one of the most powerful voices in music today, and she has a lot of variety in her singing style, including using very cool harmonies occasionally.

Lyrics: 3.5/5. They can get kinda strange sometimes. I'm thinking of "Fever" in particular, but others are strange too. She insists that she intended all the lyrics to be taken literally, which makes lines like "It [the killer whale] took half your leg and both your lungs/And I craved I ate hearts of sharks, I know you know it" have a totally new meaning. On the other hand, "Magpie to the morning" has beautiful lyrics.

Musicianship: 4.5/5. She has a great blend of pop and country, and she uses a wide variety of instrumentation. For some tracks she invited a LOT of musicians for some songs (including the New Pornographers on at least 2 tracks, and a piano orchestra of something like 8 pianos). On other tracks it's just her and Paul Rigby.

Innovation/"New"-ness: 5/5. She BUILT a music box for a couple tracks. I mean, really, who builds their own instruments and then only uses it on 1 or 2 songs?

Packaging: 4/5. I hate it when musicians don't include lyrics in the booklet, but the artwork makes up for it. I'm a graphic artist, so when a singer releases really good liner notes, I love it. There's a really interesting mix of hand-drawn doodles and great photography here - the cover is a good sample of it.

All in all, I'm very glad this album high on Amazon's "Best of 2009" list. Neko Case is a phenomenal singer/songwriter, and this is possibly her best effort to date.
Thanks for reading!

My favorite tracks:
"Magpie to the morning"
"This tornado loves you"
"Middle cyclone"
"Prison girls"

One more note:
If "Marais al nuit" doesn't make any sense, I've included an explanation on the comments page.

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Cover Art

This is a very good album from Neko.

Given the title of Middle Cyclone, it makes me wonder why she is perched on top of a Mercury Cougar and not a Mercury Cyclone.
Was that intentional or ...

Neko is perched on the hood of a 1967 Mercury Cougar standard coupe.

A couple of examples of the Mercury Cyclone are here:
1968: [...]
1970: [...]

Oh...details...details... :-D

Somewhere between dreaming and facing reality...

I love this CD. Yes, even the frogs. I feel like NC really captures the feeling of being in a dream but understanding and accepting the harshness and disappointment of reality at the same time. I think that people who think this album is negative or despressing are only hearing the more superficial layers of these songs. Wholistically, this album is a journey through the human experience -- our desires, the pain we experience as a result of others, the pain we inflict on others, and our connectedness with the earth -- all wrapped up in a lovely metophoric bow.

I'm so glad that Ms. Case is coming to Houston next month so that I can see her live!

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The fifteen-track Middle Cyclone is Neko Case's first release since 2006's Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, the best-reviewed and best-selling album of her career. Middle Cyclone was produced by Case with Darryl Neudorf and recorded in Tucson, Brooklyn, Toronto, and Vermont. It features Case backed by her core band - guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, backing vocalist Kelly Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, and drummer Barry Mirochnick - along with numerous guests 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. In addition to twelve new songs written by Case, Middle Cyclone includes covers of 'Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth' by Sparks, and "Don't Forget Me" by Harry Nilsson.

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