Top 6@6 Week 30 Supplemental Poll: Post Your 6 Fave Songs by Neko Case

Cafe Society
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Subtitled: Welcome to the Interrobang!? Supplemental poll of the week. (Jayhawks & Cowboy Junkies fans Need Apply)

First: The Who’s, What’s, Where’s & Why’s of the Supplemental Poll

In an attempt to squeeze as many bands in the shortest amount of time possible, The Monday 6 @ 6 Poll, is once again featuring a supplemental poll. A couple weeks ago, Interrobang!? requested we commission a Neko Case / New Pornographers poll…Here it is. This supplemental poll, like the regularly scheduled Cars thread will be closed and tallied 7 days from today, Monday November 19, 2002 at or about 6PM EDT. Results from both polls will be posted a few minutes later on that same day in Week #31’s regularly scheduled Captain Beefheart 6 @ 6 Poll.

Second: The Poll & How it Works

It’s simple enough, post your 6 favorite songs by the artist. Personal observations, opinions, liner notes, comments and the like are always welcome but are in no means required.

Third: The Supplemental Poll Artist’s Discography (Reader’s Digest Version)

If your memory of the featured artist isn’t exactly up to speed, here’s a link to their discography with 30 second cuts of some of track previews when you drill down through the albums:

For Neko Case Solo: Blacklisted.

For Neko Case & Her Boyfriends: Furnace Room Lullaby & Virginian.

For Maow: Self-Entitled & The Team Mint Compilation.

For The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic.

The links, (sorry I couldn’t find one for the Weasles) are provided by CD Now, is meant to refresh your Neko Case “101” knowledge & jar loose any forgotten titles. (Please refrain from voting based on .wav previews)

Lastly: The Supplemental Poll Artist of the Week

Without further ado, the Indie Goddess from Virginia: Neko Case.

As with The Bonzo Dog as well as the Belle & Sebastian polls…I can not post my 6 NEKO CASE selections:

The only thing I have is the “Furnace Room Lullaby” album and my knowledge isn’t up to par to vote based on 1 album worth of work. I will keep an eye out for what tracks do receive votes and may even pick up the Blacklisted or (TNP’s) Mass Romantic album after polling has closed.

So tell us…What are your 6 favorite tracks by Neko Case?

Thanking you all in advance. Have a great week.

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  1. Furnace Room Lullaby. Of course. I get goose bumps just reading the title, I am still under the spell of hearing her in concert in Montreal on September 27.

  2. I Wish I Was the Moon. Chillingly sad.

  3. Deep Red Bells.

  4. Things That Scare Me.

  5. Stinging Velvet.

  6. Favorite.

Of course, I assume you are asking about the songs she both wrote and sings. Some of her covers are the best versions of those songs I’ve ever heard.

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  1. Whip the Blankets

  2. Thrice All American

  3. Honky Tonk Hiccups

  4. Misfire

  5. Thanks A Lot

  6. Bowling Green ( Yeah, I know its a cover, but its my favorite version!)

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I’m glad to see I’m not the only one responding to my requested poll.

(And the Corn Sisters probably qualify for this survey as well – Neko Case/Carolyn Mark. But tempted as I am to vote for “Corn on the Cob,” it doesn’t quite clear my top 6.)

  1. Letter from an Occupant (New Pornographers) – the tune you’ll be humming forever, all the words are replaced and wrong.

  2. Make Your Bed – chilling and funny in equal measure

  3. No Need to Cry – simply lovely

  4. Wish I Was the Moon – god bless me I’m a free man, with no place free to go

  5. Deep Red Bells – edges out “Stinging Velvet” because of the “Does your soul cast about?” verse; probably the most beautiful song ever inspired by a serial killer (and certainly by the Green River Killer)

  6. Mood to Burn Bridges – the song that sold me on Neko in the first place; I think the lyrics in the last verse are a little forced, but I love the song

There are a lot of near misses – “Outro with Bees” would be #6.5 – but I’ll commit to these as favorites. For now.

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This is a tough one!
6. ** I Wish I was the Moon** – her voice is perfect

  1. Furnace Room Lullaby – could “a demon holds my place on earth till I die” be an allusion to Dante?

  2. Twist the Knife – I just love the “you took what’s young from me” concept; see Bought and Sold for another variation

  3. Deep Red Bells – I didn’t know it was about the Green River Killer…that’s interesting.

  4. Blacklisted – so menacing!

  5. Ghost Writing – can’t explain why this is my favorite. The melody is repetitive and it doesn’t show off her great voice, but I could put this on “repeat” for hours and not get sick of it. I love the starkness of her voice when she sings, “Why can’t you be smarter, girl? Lift up your face.”
    Honorable mention: Thrice All American – because I’m often compelled to sing this in the car, a capella, for no discernable reason

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<hijack>
I didn’t think I knew who Neko Case is, but I do! Although I’m going to have to try to find which songs of hers I liked, while I look, does anyone know what movie’s DVD includes a " Furnace Room Lullaby" video? It was probably a horror movie from 2000(The Gift? Skeletons in The Closet?), but I know I looked the band/singer up after seeing it.
</hijack>

Now back to your poll already in progress…

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The only song I know well enough to vote for is Twist the Knife, which is an excellent song.

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You got it in one. I think the song’s on the soundtrack, but if I remember correctly it isn’t actually used in the film (last minute cuts).

9

I don’t know her whole repertoire that well, but please put me down for a vote for “Mood to Burn Bridges”. I love that song.

10

Ok, I looked up the songs I’m familiar with :slight_smile: Since the new polls haven’t yet been posted maybe I can squeek in a last minute vote.

  1. furnace room lullaby
  2. tightly
  3. twist the knife
  4. deep red bells
  5. things that scare me
  6. blacklisted

Thanks, Interrobang!? I only watched the video once, but I remember it being rather chilling, much like the “half light” video from Low on the Mothman Prophecies DVD.