It’s interesting to note that bluegrass bastion Alison Krauss has, to date, won a career total of 26 impressive Grammys — more than any other female artist. Her recent collaboration with Robert Plant, “Raising Sand,” in itself earned a whopping six.
Neko Case may be a Grammy-nominated punk/alt-country/rockabilly kitten. But she’s also turning into quite the philanthropist. In an unusual online raffle she’s dubbed the “Mercury Cougar-Rama Muscle Car-’Splosion,” the Anti-signed singer will be giving away her beloved 1967 Mercury Cougar, recently displayed prominently on the cover of her “Middle Cyclone” album.
Periodically, we’ll feed you Next Big Thing bulletins. This week’s installment: Anna Calvi, a sinister, Weimar-Republic-spooky chanteuse who gets into the gravelly grit of a song like a female Nick Cave. No wonder Cave himself has already professed himself a fan, inviting her to open his recent European tour with Grinderman.
The last time they blasted through S.F., Rhett Miller’s tangy twangsmiths Old 97s played a strange gig indeed, appearing free at Justin Herman Plaza on behalf of the Texas Tourism Board.
Just when everyone was probably wondering “Say! What in the heck are our local heroes Green Day up to?” the titanic, Broadway-immortalized power trio is back with an unexpected surprise. On March 22, they’ll unleash “Awesome As F---,” a brand-new live album-DVD, culled from their recent 2009-10 tour backing the Grammy-winning “21St Century Breakdown.”
Sometimes you can overlook great songwriting, even when it’s right under your nose. Such could be the case with Ireland’s deft little trio The Script, which has quietly come up with unsuspecting humalongs like “Breakeven” from its eponymous debut.
Also finally hitting these shores next week: “Ritual,” the Gothic sophomore release from London drone-rock trio White Lies, following their overseas smash debut from ’09 “To Lose My Life.”
