Neko Case’s highly regarded solo albums include her 1997 debut The Virginian, Furnace Room Lullaby (2000), and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, which topped many critics’ “Best of 2006” lists. Case is also a member of Vancouver-based band the New Pornographers with Carl (A.C.) Newman. The New Pornographer’s albums include Mass Romantic (2000) and Challengers (2008). Newman, who formerly led the band Zumpano, released his 2004 solo effort The Slow Wonder on Matador Records.
RELATED NEWS ITEM: “BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS RELEASED IN KANSAS”
“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”—Confucius
Our 10th compilation CD features positive thinking—and inspired songwriting—from 12 musical acts who we invited to choose and interpret pieces of news they felt could be construed as “positive” to use as the inspiration for brand-new songs. Topics ranged from Liza Minnelli’s speedy recovery from a stage fall (Man Man), the black-footed ferret’s rebound from near-extinction (Neko Case and Carl Newman), the opening of a “death hotel” in Japan with coffins for beds (The Real Tuesday Weld), the U.S. government’s forthcoming income-tax rebate (Chris Rehm), and the miraculous tale of a Manhattan window-washer who fell 47 stories and survived (Marnie Stern and Artificial Workshop).