The music of Neko Case has roots in everything from punk to country and pop to indie rock, all without sacrificing a cohesive sound that is uniquely her own. That sound is often described as “country noir”, an enticing blend of alternative country music with penetrating lyrics of a more melancholic nature. However, Case’s lyrics aren’t limited to the somber in the same way that her music isn’t limited to an alternative country sound. Indeed, a punk rock spirit is to be found even in Case’s latest release, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, with such subversive lyrics as “I’m a man, that’s what you raised me to be/ I’m not your identity crisis/This was planned”.
Neko Case may be at times restrained, at times rambunctious, but at all times a performance to be heard. Whether or not you’ve already seen her at ACL 2013, you can listen to an intimate performance from Case below, recorded live in KUTX’s Studio 1A.
