Editing Neko Case (section)

==Music career==
===Vancouver===
In 1994, Case moved to [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, to attend the [[Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design]]. While attending, she played drums in several local bands, including the Del Logs, the Propanes, the Weasels, [[Cub (band)|Cub]], and [[Maow]]. These bands  were, for the most part, local [[Punk rock|punk]] groups. Case said of the vibrant Vancouver punk rock scene at that time, "A lot of women wanted to play music because they were inspired, because it was an incredibly good time for music in the Northwest. There was a lot of clubs, a lot of bands, a lot of people coming through, a lot of all-ages stuff—it was a very exciting time to live there."<ref name=Furious-Thrice />

In 1998, Case left without finishing her [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]] degree, which meant the loss of her student [[visa (document)|visa]] eligibility.<ref>Francois Marchand, [https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/music/the-miseducation-of-neko-case "The miseducation of Neko Case"], ''The Vancouver Sun'', April 8, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2018.</ref> She left Canada for [[Seattle]], Washington. Before going, Case recorded vocals for a few songs that ended up on ''[[Mass Romantic]]'', [[the New Pornographers]]' first album. Her lead vocals on songs like "Letter from an Occupant" are straightforward, full-volume [[power-pop]] performances,  shedding any country elements. Released on November 28, 2000, ''Mass Romantic'' became a surprise success.<ref name="WMC">{{cite web | title=Support Women Artists Sunday: Neko Case | author=Brian C. | website=Women’s Media Center | date=5 February 2011 | url=https://womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/support-women-artists-sunday-neko-case | access-date=14 February 2025}}</ref> Although the band was originally conceived as a side project for its members, the New Pornographers remain a prominent presence in the indie rock world, having released their ninth album in 2023.

In addition to recording with the New Pornographers, Case frequently collaborates with other Canadian musicians, including [[the Sadies]] and [[Carolyn Mark]], and has recorded material by several noted Canadian songwriters, in particular on her 2001 [[Extended play|EP]] ''[[Canadian Amp]]''. As a result, she is also considered a significant figure in Canadian music—both [[CBC Radio 3]] and the [[Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada]] have referred to Case as an "honourary Canadian".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/news_events/feature_stories/Neko.jsp |title=Neko Case: Honourary Canadian, Proud SOCAN Member |author=Jim Kelly |date=2003-01-19 |access-date=2014-08-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030119234628/http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/news_events/feature_stories/Neko.jsp |archive-date=January 19, 2003 }}</ref> In 2018 Case performed at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.<ref>[https://vancouverweekly.com/41st-vancouver-folk-music-festival-still-true-to-tradition-still-young-at-heart-61154-2/ "41st Vancouver Folk Music Festival still true to tradition, still young at heart"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713225922/https://vancouverweekly.com/41st-vancouver-folk-music-festival-still-true-to-tradition-still-young-at-heart-61154-2/ |date=July 13, 2019 }}. July 14, 2018, ''Vancouver Weekly'', Paul Hecht and Elmira Kuznetsova</ref>

===Seattle===
Case embraced country music on her 1997 album, ''[[The Virginian (album)|The Virginian]]''. The album contained original compositions as well as covers of songs by [[Ernest Tubb]], [[Loretta Lynn]] and the 1974 [[Queen (band)|Queen]] song "[[Misfire (song)|Misfire]]".<ref name="Peppiatt2004">{{cite book|author=Francesca Peppiatt|title=Country Music's Most WantedTM|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huXRARoi8vcC&pg=PT190|date=19 February 2004|publisher=Potomac Books, Inc.|isbn=978-1-61234-241-2|pages=190–}}</ref> When the album was released, critics compared Case to [[honky tonk|honky-tonk]] singers like Lynn and [[Patsy Cline]], and to [[rockabilly]] pioneer [[Wanda Jackson]], particularly in her vocal timbre.<ref>{{cite news|first=Grant|last=Britt|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record-grant-britt-neko-case/130981137/|title=Neko Case performance is a chance to live in the moment|newspaper=News and Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)|date= January 18, 2018|page=13-Go Triad|access-date=August 31, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

On February 22, 2000, Case released her second solo album, ''[[Furnace Room Lullaby]]''. The album introduced the "[[country noir]]" elements that have defined Case's subsequent solo career. That tone was evident even from the cover photo, featuring Case sprawled out corpse-like on a concrete floor. On the album itself, her vocal style moves away from outright honky-tonk but retains her twang, garnering comparisons to musicians such as Cline, Lynn, [[Hazel Dickens]], [[Tanya Tucker]], and [[Dolly Parton]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2012}} The title track was included on the soundtrack to [[Sam Raimi]]'s film ''[[The Gift (2000 film)|The Gift]]'',{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} and "Porchlight" was featured on the soundtrack to ''[[The Slaughter Rule]]''.

Case sometimes tours with Canadian singer and songwriter Carolyn Mark as [[the Corn Sisters]].<ref name=holliston>Tom Holliston, [http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/The-Corn-Sisters "The Corn Sisters"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301002442/http://music.cbc.ca/ |date=March 1, 2016 }}. [[CBC Music]]. Retrieved 10 April 2013.</ref> One of their performances, at Seattle's Hattie's Hat restaurant in [[Ballard, Seattle, Washington|Ballard]], was recorded and released as an album, ''[[The Other Women (The Corn Sisters album)|The Other Women]]'', on November 28, 2000.<ref name=holliston />

===Chicago===
In October 1999, around the time ''Furnace Room Lullaby'' was released, Case left Seattle<ref name=Furious-Thrice /> for Chicago because she felt that Seattle was no longer hospitable to its local artists.<ref>{{cite web|last=Scanlon |first=Tom |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000615/4026820/country-singer-neko-case-is-movin-on |title=Living &#124; Country singer Neko Case is movin' on |publisher=Community.seattletimes.nwsource.com |date=2000-06-15 |access-date=2014-08-11}}</ref>

Case's first work in Chicago was an eight-song [[Extended play|EP]] that she recorded in her kitchen. ''[[Canadian Amp]]'', her first recording without Her Boyfriends, was released on her own Lady Pilot label in 2001. She wrote two of the tracks, with the remaining six being covers, including [[Neil Young]]'s "Dreaming Man" and Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken". Four of the covers were written by Canadian artists. The EP was initially available only at Case's live shows and directly from Mint Records' website, but it eventually saw wider release.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78018/canadian-amp|title=Canadian Amp|magazine=Billboard.com|access-date=20 July 2015}}</ref>

Case also recorded her third full-length album, ''[[Blacklisted (Neko Case album)|Blacklisted]]'', while living in Chicago.

In April 2003, Case was voted the "Sexiest Babe of Indie Rock" in a Playboy.com internet poll, receiving 32% of the vote. ''[[Playboy]]'' asked her to pose nude for the magazine, but she declined their offer. She told ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that

<blockquote>I didn't want to be the girl who posed in ''Playboy'' and then—by the way—made some music. I would be really fucking irritated if after a show somebody came up to me and handed me some naked picture of myself and wanted me to sign it instead of my CD.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Valby |first=Karen |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/06/06/lovably-foulmouthed-neko-case-sounds/ |title=Gloves Off |magazine=EW.com |date=2003-06-06 |access-date=2014-08-11 |archive-date=May 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504113344/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,455377,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote>

In later interviews, she declined to discuss the survey at all.

===Neko Case & Her Boyfriends===
Case recorded and toured for several years as '''Neko Case & Her Boyfriends''' before performing solely under her name. She primarily performed her own material, but also performed and recorded [[cover version]]s of songs by artists such as [[My Morning Jacket]], [[Harry Nilsson]], [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Tom Waits]], [[Nick Lowe]], [[Buffy Sainte-Marie]], [[Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]], [[Randy Newman]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Neil Young]], [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]] and [[Hank Williams]].  
Albums released included ''[[The Virginian (album)|The Virginian]]'' and ''[[Furnace Room Lullaby]]''.

===New Pornographers===
[[The New Pornographers]]' second album, ''[[Electric Version]]'', was released on May 6, 2003. Case sang lead on even more of the songs on this album, and toured with the group again.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}

''[[Twin Cinema]]'', the New Pornographers' third album, was released on August 23, 2005, with Case again providing vocals on several tracks. In addition to providing backing vocals on several songs, Case performs lead vocals on two ballads, "The Bones of an Idol" and "These Are the Fables". She opted out of most subsequent touring duties with the band; however, her parts were taken over by [[Kathryn Calder]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}

On ''[[Challengers (album)|Challengers]]'', released on August 21, 2007, Case contributes lead vocals to the title song as well as "Go Places", in addition to her backing vocals on the other tracks.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}

The 2010 album ''[[Together (New Pornographers album)|Together]]'' features Case as lead vocalist on "Crash Years" and "My Shepherd."<ref>{{cite web|title=Together Credits|url=http://allmusic.com/album/together-r1743496/credits|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

The 2014 album ''[[Brill Bruisers]]'' features Case as lead vocalist on "Champions of Red Wine" and "Marching Orders."

The 2017 album ''[[Whiteout Conditions]]'' features Case as lead vocalist on "Play Money" and "This is the World of the Theater."

===''case/lang/veirs''===
[[File:Case-lang-veirs concert.jpg|alt=The band onstage|thumb|[[case/lang/veirs]] in 2016]]
{{main|case/lang/veirs}}

In 2016, Neko Case, [[k.d. lang]], and [[Laura Veirs]] announced the case/lang/veirs project, with an album released in June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/63846-neko-case-kd-lang-and-laura-veirs-team-for-new-album-caselangveirs-share-track-plot-tour/ |title=Neko Case, k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs Team for New Album case/lang/veirs, Share Track, Plot Tour |work=Pitchfork Media|access-date=2 June 2016|author=Jazz Monroe|date=February 29, 2016 }}</ref>

===Solo ===
====''Blacklisted''====
Case recorded her third full-length album, ''[[Blacklisted (Neko Case album)|Blacklisted]]'', in [[Tucson, Arizona]]. It was the first full-length album credited to Case alone, without Her Boyfriends, and was released on [[Bloodshot Records]] on August 20, 2002. Some believe the title ''Blacklisted'' alludes to Case being banned for life from the ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' because she took her shirt off during a performance on August 4, 2001, at one of their outdoors "Opry Plaza" concerts,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/neko-case/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223144357/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/neko-case/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 23, 2011|title=Neko Case - Biography|publisher=rollingstone.com|access-date=20 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=guardian13Mar2009>{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Leonie|title=The banned played on|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/13/neko-case-middle-cyclone-interview|access-date=February 2, 2011|newspaper=The Guardian|date=March 13, 2009}}</ref> though Case herself has denied this.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nekocase/articles/story/5934106/neko_cases_country_lust |title=Neko Case's Country Lust: Neko Case : Rolling Stone |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=2002-10-15 |access-date=2014-08-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505015825/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nekocase/articles/story/5934106/neko_cases_country_lust |archive-date=May 5, 2009 }}</ref> Asked about the incident in 2004, Case said "I had [[heatstroke]]. People would love it to be a 'fuck you' punk thing. But it was actually a physical ailment thing."<ref>[http://www.richmond.com/music/6962]{{dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Neko Case at All Points West (edit).jpg|alt=Case's face|thumb|Case in 2009]]

Most of the album's fourteen songs are originals; the exceptions being covers of "Running Out of Fools", previously a hit for [[Aretha Franklin]], and "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)" previously performed by [[Sarah Vaughan]]. ''Blacklisted'' finds Case even deeper in a "country noir" mood, and was described by critics as lush, bleak, and atmospheric. Case cited filmmaker [[David Lynch]], composer [[Angelo Badalamenti]], and Neil Young's soundtrack to the film ''[[Dead Man]]'' as influences.<ref name=nekocaseinterview>{{cite web|last=Matos|first=Michaelangelo|title=Neko Case: Thrice All American| url=http://www.furious.com/perfect/nekocase.html|work=Perfect Sound Forever | date= October 14, 2002 |access-date=2011-08-14}}</ref>

{{blockquote|I hope I can comfort people a bit—maybe show people that making music is fun and accessible to them as well. I'm not out to become [[Faith Hill]], I never want to play an arena, and I never want to be on the [[MTV Video Music Awards]], much less make a video with me in it. I would like to reach a larger audience and see the state of music change in favor of musicians and music fans in my lifetime. I care very much about that.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=12437 |title=Neko Noir by Julianne Shepherd - Seattle Music - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper |publisher=Thestranger.com |access-date=2014-08-11}}</ref>}}

====''Live from Austin, TX''====
2003's ''[[Live from Austin, TX (Neko Case album)|Live from Austin, TX]]'' was an album of live recordings made for the "Austin City Limits" television series.

==== ''The Tigers Have Spoken'' ====
In April 2004, Case played several shows with longtime collaborators [[the Sadies]] in Chicago and [[Toronto]]. These shows were recorded and released as a live album, ''[[The Tigers Have Spoken]]'', by Anti Records in October 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nicholasjennings.com/2004/neko-case |title=Neko Case |publisher=Nicholasjennings.com |date=August 17, 2009 |access-date=2013-09-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922090920/http://www.nicholasjennings.com/2004/neko-case |archive-date=September 22, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

====''Fox Confessor Brings the Flood''====
''[[Fox Confessor Brings the Flood]]'' was released on March 7, 2006. The album was recorded primarily in Tucson, over the course of two years as Case worked on the live ''The Tigers Have Spoken'' and continued to play with the New Pornographers. Critics hailed the record not only for Case's trademark vocals but also her use of stark imagery and non-standard song structures. ''Fox Confessor Brings the Flood'' wound up on many "Best of 2006" lists, such as No.1 on the Amazon.com music editors' picks and No.&nbsp;2 on [[NPR]]'s ''[[All Songs Considered]]''. The album debuted at No.&nbsp;54 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] albums chart. It contains Case's most autobiographical song, "Hold On, Hold On". Case said: "the song is actually about me. It's not metaphorical about other people. It's not little pieces of my life made into a story about someone else or someone fictitious."<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan |first=Kyle |url=https://www.avclub.com/neko-case-1798209313 |title=Neko Case |newspaper=The A.V. Club |access-date=2010-07-10}}</ref>

"Hold On, Hold On" has since been covered by [[Marianne Faithfull]] on her 2009 album ''[[Easy Come, Easy Go (Marianne Faithfull album)|Easy Come, Easy Go]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Easy Come, Easy Go track listing|url=http://allmusic.com/album/easy-come-easy-go-r1450216|publisher=allmusic.com|access-date=September 2, 2011}}</ref>

"Hold On, Hold On" was used over an episode of [[The Killing (U.S. TV series)|''The Killing'']] (Season 1 Episode 6) before the final credits.

"Hold On, Hold On" was used in the 2015 drama film [[One More Time (2015 film)|One More Time]].

"John Saw That Number" was used in the snowboarding movie "City. Park City".

====''Middle Cyclone''====
Case's next album, ''[[Middle Cyclone]]'', was released on March 3, 2009. In advance of a U.S. and European tour, Case appeared as a musical guest on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''. Later in 2009 she also appeared on ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]'' and ''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]''. Amazon.com rated ''[[Middle Cyclone]]'' the number one album of 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/11/amazon_says_nek.html |title=Amazon says Neko Case put out the best album in 2009 |publisher=Brooklynvegan.com |date=November 6, 2009 |access-date=2010-07-10}}</ref> ''Middle Cyclone'' debuted at No.&nbsp;3 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts in its first week of release, making it Case's first album ever to reach the top ten in the United States.

At the time of its release, no other record from an independent record company had debuted at a higher position in 2009.<ref>
{{cite news
 |url         = http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090410/FEATURES02/904100305/1011/FEATURES02
 |title       = Neko Case Retreats to Vermont
 |work        = [[Times Argus]]
 |access-date  = June 10, 2009
 |last        = Huntington
 |first       = Tom
 |date        = April 10, 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090715071737/http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090410/FEATURES02/904100305/1011/FEATURES02
 |archive-date = July 15, 2009
 |df          = mdy-all
}}
</ref> She toured extensively to promote ''[[Middle Cyclone]]'' with dates in North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as a performance at [[Lollapalooza]] 2009 in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], Chicago.

====''The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You''====
In June 2013, Case announced a new album, ''[[The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You]]'', which was released on September 3.<ref name="13album">{{cite news |last=Eakin |first=Marah |url= https://www.avclub.com/neko-case-announces-new-record-due-out-sept-3-just-th-1798238633 |title=Neko Case announces new record due out Sept. 3, just three days before she plays A.V. Fest  |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>

====''Hell-On''====
In early March, 2018, Case released a teaser for an album titled ''[[Hell-On]]'', her first solo work in almost five years. The teaser featured Case lying down singing a song of the same name while snakes move around her.  The album was released on June 1, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Neko Case |date=2018 |title=Hell-On (ANTI-, 2018) Neko Case |author=Pitzer, Andrea |url=https://nekocase.com/about |access-date=2019-11-29|author-link=Andrea Pitzer}}</ref>

====''Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule''====
On November 13, 2015, Case released a compilation vinyl box set containing eight of her solo albums. The set contains her first six studio albums, including the first vinyl pressing of ''[[The Virginian (album)|The Virginian]],'' as well as a live album.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/truckdriver-gladiator-mule-mw0002888617 | title=Truckdriver Gladiator Mule | work=Allmusic | access-date=9 January 2016 | author=Timothy Monger}}</ref>

====''Wild Creatures''====
On April 19, 2022, Case released ''[[Wild Creatures]]'', described as "digital-only, career retrospective".<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Neko Case |date=2022 |title=Neko Case Announces 'Wild Creatures', A 23-song Career Retrospective Album |url=https://www.anti.com/news/neko-case-announces-wild-creatures-a-23-song-career-retrospective-album/ |access-date=2022-07-26}}</ref> The album was released on CD, double vinyl, and MP3. It contains 22 tracks from Case's discography, plus one new song, "Oh, Shadowless".