CURSIVE (BAND)

'Cursive' is an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records.

Contents

History

Band members

Former members

Discography

Albums

Singles & EPs

Splits

Various Artists Compilations

Videography

References

External links

Interviews

See also

History

The band was formed in 1995 by Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Steve Pedersen (all formerly of Slowdown Virginia), and drummer Clint Schnase. In 1997, they released "Such Blinding Stars For Starving Eyes".After a few years of touring the band broke up in 1998^[1]. They posthumously released "" in the Fall of that year. A year later in the summer of 1999 the band reformed. Pedersen had started law school^[2] so Ted Stevens (formerly of Lullaby for the Working Class) stepped in and joined the band. In 2000, their album, ''Domestica'', a concept album written like a one-act play documenting the lies, hate and deceit associated with a divorce, gained them much attention from fans and critics alike and they toured with At the Drive-In.
Cursive added Gretta Cohn in 2001 on cello. The strings added complimentary sounds to that summer's "Burst and Bloom". In 2002, the band toured on the Take Action! Tour.
Saddle Creek Records released ''The Ugly Organ'' in 2003, a series of internal monologues that reflects insecurities and self-doubt amidst the turmoil of life on an ever-turning emotional carousel. The music magazine, Rolling Stone, gave the album a 4-star rating^[3], while alternative music magazine Alternative Press rated the album a perfect 5 out of 5^[4]. In 2004 The Cure selected Cursive to tour with them on their Curiosa tour alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, Scarling, and The Cooper Temple Clause. Afterwards the band went on hiatus with no specified return date^[5].
The label put out a compilation album of unreleased songs and B-sides, ''The Difference Between Houses and Homes'' on August 9, 2005. In mid-2005 Gretta left the band to pursue other musical opportunities^[6], and has since formed Brooklyn, NY-based band Twin Thousands. Instead of replacing her, the band remained a four-piece.
After Cursive's hiatus, Saddle Creek announced that Kasher had temporarily stopped his work on his side project, The Good Life, to start recording an album with Cursive. The new album, ''Happy Hollow'' (named for an area of Omaha around Happy Hollow Boulevard, running parallel to Saddle Creek Road,
^[7] and, perhaps, a comment on midwestern city life), was released August 22, 2006. Its first single was "Dorothy At Forty," released on July 11th, 2006. With this album Kasher turned his focus away from self-reflective lyrics to concentrate on what he thought were bad politics, empty suburban lives, and religious hypocrisy. Music Magazines Spin, URB, Time Out New York and Blender gave the record a 4 star rating, and Rolling Stone, gave the album a 3.5-star rating, while alternative music magazine Alternative Press rated the album a perfect 5 out of 5^[8] saying “Cursive haven't just redefined their sound--they've transcended it.” "Happy Hollow" features a five-piece horn section, a concept first introduced on the songs "Art is Hard" and "Gentleman Caller" on "The Ugly Organ"
The October following the release, the band revealed plans to bring audience participation to its catalog, offering fans a chance to remix its song "Bad Sects" through a competition on the website, [1]. The finalist is scheduled to appear as a B-side on an upcoming Cursive single^[9].

Band members

★ Tim Kasher : Lead vocals, guitar, piano (1995 - Present)

★ Matt Maginn : Bass guitar (1995 - Present)

★ Ted Stevens : Guitar, vocals (1999 - Present)

Former members

★ Gretta Cohn : Cello (2001 - 2005)

★ Steve Pedersen : Guitar (1995 - 1998)

★ Clint Schnase : Drums, percussion (1995 - 2007)

Discography

Albums

★ ''Such Blinding Stars For Starving Eyes'' (1997 · Crank!) - CD / 12"

★ '' (1998 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

★ ''Domestica'' (2000 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

★ ''The Ugly Organ'' (2003 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

★ ''The Difference Between Houses and Homes'' (2005 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

★ ''Happy Hollow'' (2006 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

Singles & EPs

★ ''The Disruption'' (1996 · Saddle Creek) - 7"

★ ''Sucker And Dry'' (1997 · Zero Hour) - 7"

★ ''The Icebreaker'' (1998 · Saddle Creek) - 7"

★ ''Burst and Bloom'' (2001 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 12"

★ ''Art Is Hard'' (2003 · Saddle Creek) - CD

★ ''The Recluse'' (2004 · Saddle Creek) - CD

★ ''The Recluse/Art Is Hard'' (2004 · Robotic Empire) - 10"

★ ''Dorothy At Forty'' (2006 · Saddle Creek) - CD / 7"

Splits

★ ''Cursive/Silver Scooter Split'' (2000 · Crank!) - CD / 10"

★ ''Cursive/Small Brown Bike Split'' (2001 · Makoto) - 7"

★ ''Cursive/Eastern Youth Split'' - 8 Teeth to Eat You'' (2002 · Better Looking Records / Five One, Inc.) - CD

Various Artists Compilations

★ ''Holiday Matinee, Vol. 2'' (2000 · Better Looking) - CD
::song: "The Radiator Hums"

★ ''Stay Tuned For The Holidays'' (2001 · Crank!) - CD
::song: "Tides Rush In"

★ ''NE vs. NC'' (2002 · Redemption Recording Co.) - 2xCD
::song: "Fairytales Tell Tales"

★ ''Saddle Creek 50'' (2002 · Saddle Creek) - 2xCD / 12"
::songs: "The Martyr," "Nonsense"

★ ''No Time For Sleep'' (2003 · Atlas Life Media) - CD
::song: "The Recluse"

★ ''Take Action, Vol. 3'' (2003 · Sub City) - 2xCD
::song: "Gentleman Caller"

★ ''How Soon Is Now? The Songs Of The Smiths'' (2004 · Sorepoint) - CD
::song: "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"

★ ''Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina'' (2005 · Saddle Creek) - CD
::song: "Ten Percent to the Ten Percent"

★ '' (2006 · -ismist Recordings) - CD/MP3
::song: "Pivotal (demo)"

Videography

★ "Big Bang" (2007)

★ "Dorothy At Forty" (2006)

★ "Spend An Evening With Saddle Creek" (2005) (DVD-appearance)

★ "The Recluse" (2004)

★ "Art is Hard" (2003)

References

1.
2.
3. The Ugly Organ : Review, , Kelefa, Sanneh, Rolling Stone,
4. Cursive Album Reviews, , , , Alternative Press,
5. Saddle Creek Records
6. Cellist Gretta Cohn leaves Cursive
7.
Cursive: Happy Hollow
8. The Da Vinci Code for Indie Rockers., , Tim, Karan, Alternative Press,
9.
Bad Sects Remix Contest

External links

★ Official Website

★ MySpace Profile

★ Cursive Song Meanings

★ Saddle Creek Records

★ Punknews.org Profile

Interviews

★ Lazy-i Interview: January 1999

★ Lazy-i Interview: June 2000

★ Lazy-i Interview: March 2003

★ Lazy-i Interview: May 2004

★ Lazy-i Interview: November 2005

★ Interview at ''wenn's rockt! WebTV'' (8/06)

★ Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Cursive

See also

★ Slowdown Virginia

★ The Good Life (band)

★ Smashmouth

★ Criteria (band)