Neko Case and The Tremors

Bought some Neko Case, finally. I'd gone to Polyester Music to get a CD as a birthday gift for my cousin. Youth Group's Shadowlands album was playing. They seem to be getting more popular, espeically with their song being chosen for the OC soundtrack (of all things!). Kudos to them, although maybe they're wondering why it didn't 5 years ago with their first album. So I bought the Youth Group album for B but couldn't resist getting something for myself. I asked for Neko Case and the guy immediately handed me Blacklisted. When someone is that keen and clear about which album to choose you just take their advice. And it's a good album. The tinnitus I had from The Shine's gig the night before made her voice sound all the more piercing; there's some quality to it that falls just short of being physically uncomfortable and stays this side of beautiful. It's simultaneously hollow and full. There's a bit on her underconstructed website where she talks about deer in Washington State, and there are some deer on the album cover. That struck me. So, more Neko Case listening coming up. Maybe I'll also get the live album that features her cover of the Shangri-La's song Train from Kansas City.

D bought the Tremors, think the album is called Can I Get A Whiskey?, and it's pretty similar to that dirty tight jerky SixFtHick sound. It's good. The keyboardist Eleanor Logan sings riot-grrl style on some songs, which made me feel initially affronted by the yelling and then I realised it's actually OK to yell and she's also actually in tune despite the vocals. I never have had the attitude I guess. She also uses a Hammond organ to provide cheesy chords. Some of the vocal style also reminds me of Ian McKaye for some reason; maybe the dynamics.