Blacklisted

Performer: Neko Case
Artist: Joey Burns; Howe Gelb; Kelly Hogan
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Contains an untitled hidden track following "Ghost Wiring". Personnel: Neko Case (vocals, acoustic & eletric guitars, piano, drums, tambourine, percussion, saw); Joey Burns (acoustic & electric guitars, cello, accordion, organ, vibraphone, acoustic & electric basses); Dallas Good (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars); Jon Rauhouse (pedal steel guitar, Hawaiian steel guitar, banjo); Brian Connelly (baritone guitar); Howe Gelb (piano, Wurlitzer piano, organ); Tom V. Ray (upright bass); John Convertino (drums); Kelly Hogan, Mary Margaret O'Hara (background vocals). Producers: Neko Case, Darryl Neudorf, Craig Schumacher. Recorded at Wavelab, Tucson, Arizona and Prarie Sun Studios, Cotati, California between January 2001 and February 2002. Personnel: Neko Case (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 6-string guitar, piano, drums, tambourine, percussion, background vocals); Joey Burns (guitar, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, cello, accordion, pump organ, vibraphone, upright bass, electric bass); Dallas Good (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, baritone guitar); Jon Rauhouse (steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, Hawaiian steel guitar, banjo, steel bowls); John Rauhouse (steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, drums); Brian Connelly (baritone guitar); Howe Gelb (piano, organ, pump organ, Wurlitzer organ); Tom V. Ray (upright bass); John Convertino (drums); Kelly Hogan, Mary Margaret O'Hara (background vocals). More subdued than its predecessor (FURNACE ROOM LULLABY), Neko Case's 2002 album, BLACKLISTED, is the singer/songwriter's first outing not co-billed to "Her Boyfriends." Backed by a cadre of intuitive musicians that includes multi-instrumentalist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino (both of Calexico) and their Giant Sand peer Howe Gelb (on various keys), Case offers up a largely down-tempo set that's steeped in a dreamy, noir-like atmosphere. The haunting "Deep Red Bells" masterfully showcases the range of Case's resonant voice, while "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)" evokes the cinematic mood of a vintage black-&-white thriller as narrated from the perspective of the femme fatale. Even BLACKLISTED's most upbeat moments--the soaring "Lady Pilot" and the twangy "Stinging Velvet"--carry a palpable sense of melancholy, resulting in a record that's in line with Nick Cave's dark aesthetic. (In fact, Case would go on to open for Cave on tour, and the two would become label-mates on Anti- with subsequent releases.) Arguably Case's most focused and consistent album, BLACKLISTED is the perfect portal into her gorgeously half-lit world.

Entertainment Weekly (9/13/02, p.156) - "...In this trans-American setting, Case emerges as a roots powerhouse..." - Rating: A- Uncut (1/03, p.95) - Ranked #35 in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year" Uncut (11/02, p.130) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...BLACK LISTED is a brilliantly twisted odyssey of unrequited love...Stylistically exultant...A candidate for country album of the year." Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.76) - Ranked #37 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002" - "Her best album yet....The album places her at the top of the new country diva pile..."

Armed with one of the most lush and disarming voices in pop music, Neko Case brought the DIY approach of her punk past to bear on the country singer-songwriter tradition. Releasing her first album in 1997 under the moniker Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, Case has proven herself to be both an adventurous interpreter (with unlikely renditions of Queen and Scott Walker songs) as well as a skilled songwriter. By faithfully covering standards by Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb, Case declared her allegiance to country's proud heritage, but collaborations with the likes of Giant Sand and indie-popsters The New Pornographers point to a restless creative spirit.

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