NPR Music to feature Neko Close live in concert Thursday

NPR Music’s “Live in Concert from All Songs Considered” series will webcast a live concert with mesmerizing singer-songwriter Neko Close, from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 9. Case, who also performs as part of The New Pornographers, will play songs from her eighth solo album, Middle Cyclone. The entire show will be available for live, free streaming beginning at 9:30PM (ET) at NPR Music -- www.NPR.org/music -- with an opening performance from Eric Bachmann’s Crooked Fingers. The show will later be archived and podcast at the site.

The sold-out concert will showcase Case’s unique blend of classic country and gospel, which NPR Music calls “one of the most memorable and seductive voices in music.” Her latest album Middle Cyclone, comprised of what Case says are “a bunch of love songs,” offers a rare treat, with tracks ranging from heartbreaking, to conventional and comical. In February, as part of NPR Music’s “Exclusive First Listen” series, audiences were able to preview the entire album ahead of its release; in comments, listeners called the record “a gift,” “solid gold” and simply “brilliant.”

On tour with Case is Crooked Fingers, a Denver-based indie rock band fronted by Eric Bachmann, formerly of Archer of Loaf. Since its first release in 2000, Crooked Fingers has developed a rich and diverse sound; its sixth album Forefeit/Fortune, features Case on a few tracks.

NPR Music frequently live webcasts concerts from venues across the country as part of its expanding “Live in Concert” series. Recently, NPR Music webcast complete concerts from Leonard Cohen, Andrew Bird, Tom Waits and Of Montreal. Last month, NPR Music live webcast and broadcast performances by nine artists and bands during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. All SXSW coverage is archived at: www.NPR.org/sxsw

The “Live in Concert” series is one feature of NPR Music, a free, multimedia music discovery Web site at www.NPR.org/music The site offers content from NPR and 12 NPR Member public radio stations, including live performances, studio sessions, first listens to new albums, interviews, reviews and blogs. The site’s continuously expanding sections are dedicated to rock/pop/folk, classical, jazz/blues, world and urban music. NPR Music culls from NPR’s and the stations’ extensive music archives to present thousands of features; more than 250 new features are added to the site every month.