Pitchfork

Photo by David Hill

New Pornographers crooner and solo star in her own right Neko Case is all set to release her new album, Middle Cyclone March 3 on Anti-. Crafted during a sort of whirlwind tour of North America's studios-- it was recorded in parts in Tucson, Brooklyn, Toronto, and Vermont-- Case's follow-up to 2006's excellent Fox Confessor Brings the Flood was produced by Case and Darryl Neudorf.

The album finds Case joined by both her core backing band-- guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, vocalist Kelly Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, and drummer Barry Mirochnick-- and a very impressive array of guest stars. The 15-song Cyclone is bolstered by appearances from M. Ward, Calexico, the Band's Garth Hudson, Los Lobos, Giant Sand, the Sadies, the Lilys, Visqueen, Sarah Harmer, and several of Case's New Pornographers bandmates. In addition to a baker's dozen new Case originals, the disc sees her wrapping that voice around Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me".

Neither Case or The Pornos don't have any live engagements coming down the pipe, though bandleader Carl Newman recently told us he'd been working up demos for the band's next record. UPDATE: Neko Case has an appearance scheduled for January 28 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, as part of the City Arts & Lectures "in conversation and song" series. Thanks readers!

Middle Cyclone:

01 This Tornado Loves You
02 The Next Time You Say Forever
03 People Got a Lotta Nerve
04 Polar Nettles
05 Vengeance Is Sleeping
06 Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth [Sparks cover]
07 Middle Cyclone
08 Fever
09 Magpie to the Morning
10 I'm An Animal
11 Prison Girls
12 Don't Forget Me [Harry Nilsson cover]
13 The Pharaohs
14 Red Tide
15 Marais La Nuit