Bits of news on Andrew

Former power-pop titan-turned-guitar-slinging troubadour Peter Case celebrated the release of his latest album -- the wonderful Flying Saucer Blues (Vanguard) -- on Thursday at Largo. Case has evolved from L.A. pop music maven to folk/blues balladeer more than gracefully. He's occasionally returned to his pop roots with various Plimsouls reunions, but at Largo, he was in fine form, dishing out country honk, hillbilly blues, and New Zealand mining songs with a band that included his producer Andrew Williams (who has also helmed records for the Old 97's, the Negro Problem, and the upcoming disc by singer/songwriter Kim Fox).

Williams is a nephew of pop icon Andy Williams who spent several years playing with his brother David in a folk-pop duo called, duh, the Williams Brothers. One of the things that made him a particularly good fit for the 97's was his firsthand experience with classic harmony singing, and he delivered in spades on that front. Fight Songs succeeds largely because of the strength of the vocal performances and arrangements, both on Miller's leads and Hammond's backing tracks.