Seattle Subsonic

Listen to Middle Cyclone on NPR

February 24th, 2009

Do you remember when I told you about Middle Cyclone, the new album from that broken-hearted redhead from Tacoma, Neko Case? Do you also, per chance, remember when I told you about NPR’s First Listen Series? (Mostly in the context of Merriweather Post Pavilion, which you should be addicted to now, btw.) Well, the two have now been wed into a perfect union of listening pleasure.

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Go here to listen to the new record. I’m listening to it for the first time right now, so I can’t give you a lot of description other than it sounds like her earlier stuff, only newer (?), and, apparently it’s an hour and 13 minutes long (!). I guess the last track is a 31-minute field recording of crickets chirping…wtf? I’ve seen some less than favorable opinions floating out there recently, but I’ll reserve judgement upon further review. I do know that it contains the talents of numerous guests, including M. Ward, Garth Hudson, Sarah Harmer, and members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico, The Sadies, Visqueen, The Lilys, and Giant Sand.

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You can also sample Neko’s animal awareness prowess here.