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Neko Case at Lounge Ax: The word on Neko Case couldn’t be better. Although the 27-year-old singer now lives in Vancouver, her musical proclivities lean toward Chicago’s earnest, punky, alt-country sound. And lest you think she lacks country cred, her bio states she was born on the same day (Sept. 8) and in the same state state (Virginia) as Patsy Cline. Her Canadian-released album, “The Virginian,” isn’t even out in the United States (Bloodshot Records will release it in February) but it has already been predicted by some as a likely best of ’98. Unfortunately, against this big buildup, Case’s performance Saturday night was a real disappointment. Backed by the Sadies, instead of her usual band the Boyfriends, the young singer’s powerful voice failed to slice through the backing sounds into a dimension of its own, leaving the music sounding flatter than it should. Mixing a bag of country originals, poppy numbers and covers, Case really connected on only a few, including Lorretta Lynn’s “Somebody Led Me Away” and the Everly Brothers’ “Bowling Green,” on which she was ably assisted by Bloodshot Records’ Kelly Hogan. More impressive were her opening acts: the tight-swinging Sadies with their deadpan humor and cleverly goofy instrumentals and the Peterbilts (featuring Waco Brothers mandolinist Tracy Dear), who reeled off loving covers of “Six Days on the Road” and Merle Haggard’s “Big City.”