# Neko Case: The Middle Cyclone Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092 "2009-03-03T02:45:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/1 "2009-03-03T02:45:41Z")
One day to go… ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/2 "2009-03-03T21:50:04Z")
Bumping, out of curiosity. Anybody get this yet? How is it? Reviews are widely positive. No surprise there. I’d hoped to be able to purchase it from emusic like most of her previous albums, but not this time. That means I’ll have to wait until this wkd to buy the physical CD :(. On the upside, I’ll actually have a physical copy of that awesome CD cover. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/3 "2009-03-03T22:02:20Z")
I’m downloading it from iTunes as I type. 🙂 I’ve already heard the first single, “People Got a Lotta Nerve,” which is incredibly catchy. (I love her songs – “Furnace Room Lullaby” and “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” are two other ones – where she sings mostly in a lower register and then breaks into a higher range with that angelic voice right at the end.) I love her like crazy. Doesn’t this album cover, like, perfectly nail how _kick-ass_ she is? Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/4 "2009-03-03T22:43:18Z")
Oh, man. I had no idea. This is my present to me out of this paycheck. I have a super stupid question. How do you pronounce her name? There, I said it. ---
**Author:** ![JackofHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@JackofHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackofHearts)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/5 "2009-03-03T23:31:18Z")
I downloaded this from iTunes this morning and have been listening on repeat for most of the day at work. It is uniformly excellent and well worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/6 "2009-03-04T01:54:58Z")
> [@niblet\_head](#): > > Oh, man. I had no idea. This is my present to me out of this paycheck. > > I have a super stupid question. How do you pronounce her name? There, I said it. “Neeko” (long E sound) This is fantastic – it’s like every song is better than the next. I was stuck on “Polar Nettles” for a while and had to make an effort to move on, and holy cats, “Vengeance Is Sleeping” is _still better_. I’m in love. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/7 "2009-03-04T06:48:03Z")
I got it today as well (I started another thread about it a few days ago, but it sank like a stone). Anyway, the album sounds great. Metacritic’s got it at 83, which is pretty high. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/8 "2009-03-04T14:08:26Z")
_closely monitoring_ I will get this - the question is sooner vs. later. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/9 "2009-03-04T14:09:22Z")
Interesting… I have been considering starting a thread on her. I’ve heard about Neko Case for a few years and just read a profile of her in the NYT magazine, and was intrigued. I had never heard any of her music and didn’t know where to begin, so mainly because I liked the title, I downloaded _Fox Confessor Brings The Flood_ from iTunes. It’s, um, hard to get. I’m forcing myself to listen to it a few times, trying to appreciate the positive, but I’m not hearing it. I’m having trouble describing what it sounds like to me, but it’s almost as if it’s purposefully melodramatic. No question she has a strong voice with a lot of range. I find myself frustrated that she makes melodic choices that are intentionally unpleasant; the chord she chooses to use could have completed a musical phrase in a pleasant way, but she chose a different direction and it sounded unsatisfying. It’s the kind of music that I’d never put on in my house if we had company, even sitting around on the deck having a drink, because I think everyone would sort of look around and go “what the hell is this, corkboard?” I’m totally willing to accept that it’s me that’s not getting it, but what is it? Do her fans get her immediately, or is there a “break-in period”? Is there another album that would be a better introduction to her? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/10 "2009-03-04T14:22:45Z")
I hope that didn’t come off as threadshitting. I’m really trying to appreciate her music and just need a little guidance. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/11 "2009-03-04T14:28:36Z")
They had a story about her and the new album on NPR over the weekend. She wasn’t even on my radar up until now but I think I might have to check this one out. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/12 "2009-03-04T14:48:43Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Interesting… I have been considering starting a thread on her. I’ve heard about Neko Case for a few years and just read a profile of her in the NYT magazine, and was intrigued. I had never heard any of her music and didn’t know where to begin, so mainly because I liked the title, I downloaded _Fox Confessor Brings The Flood_ from iTunes. > > It’s, um, hard to get. > > I’m forcing myself to listen to it a few times, trying to appreciate the positive, but I’m not hearing it. I’m having trouble describing what it sounds like to me, but it’s almost as if it’s purposefully melodramatic. No question she has a strong voice with a lot of range. I find myself frustrated that she makes melodic choices that are intentionally unpleasant; the chord she chooses to use could have completed a musical phrase in a pleasant way, but she chose a different direction and it sounded unsatisfying. > > It’s the kind of music that I’d never put on in my house if we had company, even sitting around on the deck having a drink, because I think everyone would sort of look around and go “what the hell is this, corkboard?” > > I’m totally willing to accept that it’s me that’s not getting it, but what is it? Do her fans get her immediately, or is there a “break-in period”? Is there another album that would be a better introduction to her? I hear what you are saying and agree - I have Blacklisted, the CD prior to Fox, and it has some of that, but not as much from what I hear. I think that is part of the artistic process - an artist either has an intentionally jarring view they want to include in their music, or they haven’t streamlined their messages and emotions quite enough to fit within a more standard melodic approach. The Kings of Leon tightened things up and colored more within the lines on their latest and are much, much better off for it IMHO - that CD is wonderful. That is kind of why I am waiting to hear about this one - is it too purposefully jarring or does Neko sell her messages more within the lines? ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/13 "2009-03-04T14:53:58Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I’m forcing myself to listen to it a few times, trying to appreciate the positive, but I’m not hearing it. I’m having trouble describing what it sounds like to me, but it’s almost as if it’s purposefully melodramatic. No question she has a strong voice with a lot of range. I find myself frustrated that she makes melodic choices that are intentionally unpleasant; the chord she chooses to use could have completed a musical phrase in a pleasant way, but she chose a different direction and it sounded unsatisfying. As much as I love “Fox…”, I don’t think it’s a really good intro to Neko. She’s intentionally branching out into unfamiliar territory on that album. I think you’d gain a greater appreciation of it if you have a better understanding of where she’s coming from. I’d highly recommend the haunting “Blacklisted”, which is the album which made me fall in love with her, and for a rollicking, kick-ass good time, nothing beats the live set “The Tigers Have Spoken”. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/14 "2009-03-04T15:02:10Z")
I totally agree about ‘Blacklisted’. I didn’t like “Fox Confessor…” much. But blacklisted is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/15 "2009-03-04T15:11:39Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > They had a story about her and the new album on NPR over the weekend. She wasn’t even on my radar up until now but I think I might have to check this one out. Here’s a link. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101373780](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101373780) ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/16 "2009-03-04T15:29:31Z")
Thanks, I’ll check out Blacklisted. Here’s a link to her profile in the NYT Magazine, by the way (free registration required): [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15neko-t.html?\_r=1&ref=magazine](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15neko-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine) ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/17 "2009-03-04T16:30:59Z")
I have\* Fox Confessor\*, and have used several of her songs in my poetry classes: \*Margaret vs. \*_Pauline_ is so full of teenagey insecurity, and _Dirty Knife_ is based on a real story in the 1800’s where a family went insane due to ergot poisoning, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![chrissysissystar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrissysissystar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrissysissystar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/18 "2009-03-04T16:50:43Z")
I’m taking a while to warm up to it. I really really really want to see her when she’s in Raleigh in early April. I may have to convert a friend or two and get them to go with me. ---
**Author:** ![bighead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@bighead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bighead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/19 "2009-03-04T18:13:50Z")
I have not logged on since 10/12/04, and can’t believe that I even remembered my user name and password. Guess it pays to have a big head… I just had to reply to this. _Fox Confessor_ is the first Neko Case album I bought, and the first time I listened to it I felt only lukewarm about it as well. However, I defy anyone to hear it numerous times over a few weeks and not have it get under your skin. I agree that she makes choices that are initially surprising but over time I have come to see them as rather apt or brilliant. It is always hard to put it into words, but for me the way her lyrical imagery and musical choices work together are captivating. I saw an interview she did once where she said she strives to create “hooks” - the catchy easily digested material - in her songs, and then deliberately only places them once or twice in the recording. For me it is a formula that works because it allows a song to build, or move into other directions, instead of hitting you over the head repeatedly with the hook like much pop music. It allows a song to be multi-dimensional and/or dramatic instead of one dimensional. So my suggestion is to give her music time. By the time you will have gotten sick of that catchy, repetetive, pop tune, you will just be getting to appreciate Neko’s style and continue to enjoy it for a long time. Another thing I picked up from an NPR interview from around the time of _Fox Confessor_ is Neko’s referring to her style as “Country noire”. This designation may give new listeners a frame to put around the sound, and in retrospect is a perfect example of the way she paints with words. It captures the flavor of her music while saying nothing exactly. What, after all, is “country noire”? Needless to say, I cannot wait to buy _Middle Cyclone_. ---
**Author:** ![chrissysissystar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrissysissystar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrissysissystar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092/20 "2009-03-04T18:52:11Z")
Okay, what the blue hell is up with the last cut?! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neko-case-the-middle-cyclone-thread/488092.md?page=2)