Live from Austin TX  (Audio CD) 
by Neko Case

What k.d. lang branded "torch and twang" might serve as a starting point for a description of Neko Case's music, but the uniqueness of a style that incorporates country roots, punk attitude, and supper-club sophistication defies classification. Her 2003 debut performance on the Austin City Limits series (also available on DVD) showcases Case's artistry in a stripped-down setting, with stand-up bassist Tom Ray serving as a one-man rhythm section, Jon Rauhouse providing multi-instrumental virtuosity on banjo and a variety of guitars, and Kelly Hogan supplying impeccable harmony support. Case was touring at the time behind her Blacklisted album, though the setlist strays farther. On "Hex," written by Freakwater's Catherine Irwin, Case and Hogan could pass as the Louvin Sisters, while Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain" receives a languid reading punctuated by Rauhouse's Hawaiian lap-steel guitar. "Deep Red Bells" emphasizes the western side of country & western, with the more experimental "Maybe Sparrow" combining banjo and edgy atmospherics. Throughout, the bare-bones arrangements let the songs breathe and Case's voice soar. --Don McLeese