I discovered Neko Case by way of The New Pornographers, the Canadian team of musical superheroes for which Case was the calm powerhouse, her strong voice soaring over the band’s power-pop glam-racket on anthems like “Letter From an Occupant” and “Mass Romantic.”
I hadn’t been aware of her solo career already in full swing, but I smartened up quick, getting caught (like so many others) under the spell of her moody, reverb-soaked songs — the twin-voiced falsetto chorus of the waltzing “Porchlight,” the haunting and emotional “I Wish I Was the Moon”— as well as her live shows full of humorous banter with her good friend and backup vocalist, Kelly Hogan.
Case has been putting out critically acclaimed solo work for more than two decades (while still dropping in on The New Pornographers from time to time, plus releasing a cool collaboration with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs in 2016), and everyone has their favorites. I love the upbeat covers on her 2004 live album (Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry’s Shangri-La’s b-side “The Train from Kansas City” and the Nervous Eaters’ rollicking and raucous “Loretta”); a friend was entranced by her latest album, 2013’s “The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You,” especially the a cappella short story “Nearly Midnight, Honolulu,” with its powerful climactic lyric: “Don’t you ever shut up, please, kid, have your say.”
Neko Case plays the Academy of Music on Thursday at 8 p.m. Opening the show is Mt. Joy, a Philly-based self-described “indie-folk” band.
Livingston Taylor (brother of James), at right, is a mainstay of The Iron Horse yearly calendar, and the singer/songwriter returns for two shows at the legendary music hall on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
It’s a western MA triple bill featuringThe True Jacqueline (indie rock), pictured second from top, Bridge of Flowers (lo-fi rock) and Smartyr (punk rockers with their memorable track “Nancy Reagan Went to Smith”) at the next Reanimate the Bay State show at The Sierra Grille on Thursday at 10 p.m.
Local punks Strange Fate share a bill with Ancient Filth (from Boston) and Meat Dreams (Belchertown) at the latest Lowdown show at the Basement in Northampton on Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Joe Belmont Experience — Belmont (guitars), Rudi Weeks (bass) and Eliezer Martinez (drums) — offer up their jazz/funk/blues/jam blend at their monthly residency show at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Greg Abate, at right, is a jazz multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano) and composer/arranger/educator, and he’s returning to the Valley with Orquestra Calle Verde featuring Paul Arslanian, George Kaye, Jon Fisher, and Tony D. Aveni and special guests Juke Joint Jazz for a show at The Iron Horse on Sunday at 7 p.m.
NYC-based saxophonist Stacy Dillard is the guest soloist with the Green Street Trio at the Northampton Jazz Workshop at City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., followed by the ever-popular open jazz jam session at 8:30 p.m.
Ray Mason brings along his trusty Silvertone electric guitar and amp for a solo show featuring his original pop songs (and maybe even a choice cover or two) at Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton on Thursday from 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Boston-based singer/songwriter Will Dailey, bottom right, has a new album on the way, and he’ll take the stage at The Parlor Room in Northampton on Thursday at 7 p.m.