Cursive

[nieh]

I just picked up the new single from their upcoming album, Happy Hollow. The single is Dorothy at Forty and it also comes with 2 non-album tracks. If the fact that these two songs didn't make the cut is any indication, this could very well end up being their best album. I was always of the opinion that the best songs on their last album were some of the best they've ever done, but there was too much filler keeping the album as a whole from being really great. Here even the b-sides are quite good though, so we'll just wait and see if I'm right or if I'm just getting my hopes up. Also, since their cello player quit there's no strings this time around. They've started using lots of horns though which sounds quite nice.

Anyway, for those of you that don't currently listen to Cursive (which is probably all of you) you should check them out. They're a very smart band. Very theatrical sounding and dramatic. They sound kind of like if Fugazi wrote a bunch of songs with the intention of them being sung in musicals. They can shift anywhere from soft & pretty stuff to loud & kind of screamy stuff. I just uploaded a few songs from all the albums I have by them so feel free to check them out.

Off the new single (no strings, yes horns. Seems more fun than any of their other stuff):
Dorothy at Forty - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=5A64CB2E11688A3E
The Bitter End - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=AD3A17D80587D474

The Ugly Organ (strings! Has some of their best stuff but too much filler drags the album down as a whole):
Red Handed Sleight of Hand - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=CD8EDAA859CDEC47
The Recluse - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=349488710BB15CEA
Driftwood: A Fairy Tale - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=0AEA64B9413F4E28

Burst and Bloom EP (My favorite release so far. It's their first one with strings, but it's just an EP so there was no room for the filler that would drag down the Ugly Organ when it came out)
Mothership, Mothership, do you read me? - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=832AACB35E5098A0

Domestica (My second favorite, just barely behind Burst and Bloom. Their most consistent album so far. The highs aren't always as high as on their later stuff, but it's very good from beginning to end.)
The Casualty - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E4ACF9CA3B356F00
The Lament of Pretty Baby - http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=046B26577EFE6A17

Anything prior to Domestica really wasn't any good. But yay Cursive!

[nieh]

You're all horrible people and I hope you die.

[Endymion]

i've heard cursive before... doesn't interest me too much, but i might give their new album a go.

[Lars]

I've heard from people that weren't too fond of the new album. I've not checked it out yet.

[coke_a_holic]

I think Isolated Fury showed me this band a few months ago, if he did and they're the band I think they are, I enjoyed them. *downloads*

[nieh]

I've heard from people that weren't too fond of the new album. I've not checked it out yet.

I've heard it's a bit more fun and upbeat than their other stuff and that a few of the songs are simpler than normal, so I can see why that would bother some of their fans.

[nieh]

The album arrived in the mail a few days ago and it's pretty awesome. There's about 3 stinkers on there but the rest is great. It's a concept album and the whole thing involves people from the made up super-conservative small town Happy Hollow. Lots of songs against fundamentalist Christians and right-wing beliefs but not in the ignorant "Fuck Bush! Hail Satan! War is bad!" sense. It's small and personal. There's a song about a priest who has to keep the fact that he once slept with another man hidden or his world will fall apart. There's a song about a young girl who gets pregnant even though her boyfriend's been in Iraq for 6 months and gets an abortion. A song about a young guy who gets pushed into joining the army by his and his girlfriend's parents because they think he's too listless. Things like that for the most part. Here's a few songs!

Bad Sects (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=C4DFA2C65DA97D97)
Flag and Family (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=38C09E8963B4321B)
Retreat! (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E54BABF67D907A52)
Rise up! Rise Up! (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=A60A346B49A1D72B)

[Jebus]

The album arrived in the mail a few days ago and it's pretty awesome. There's about 3 stinkers on there but the rest is great. It's a concept album and the whole thing involves people from the made up super-conservative small town Happy Hollow. Lots of songs against fundamentalist Christians and right-wing beliefs but not in the ignorant "Fuck Bush! Hail Satan! War is bad!" sense. It's small and personal. There's a song about a priest who has to keep the fact that he once slept with another man hidden or his world will fall apart. There's a song about a young girl who gets pregnant even though her boyfriend's been in Iraq for 6 months and gets an abortion. A song about a young guy who gets pushed into joining the army by his and his girlfriend's parents because they think he's too listless. Things like that for the most part. Here's a few songs!

Bad Sects (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=C4DFA2C65DA97D97)
Flag and Family (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=38C09E8963B4321B)
Retreat! (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E54BABF67D907A52)
Rise up! Rise Up! (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=A60A346B49A1D72B)
The vocals are listenable so that automatically gets my thumbs up since I usually hate the vocals on most of the music you like. I've only listend to the first three but I'm liking it so far. The first one isn't as fun as the other two though.

[nieh]

The vocals are listenable

That's funny because normally people's first complaint about the band is the singer. His vocals used to be a lot more grating than they are now though.

[BREAK]

Send me a copy with your next delivery.

Do you like The New Year or The White Octave at all? (I've probably asked you this before)

[Rag Doll]

I was actually thinking of sending you a couple of their cds when I get a chance. You've never really heard more than a few songs by them, have you? I've heard one or two songs by the White Octave and really didn't like them. Maybe they were just bad songs?

-Josh

[BREAK]

Shit, I meant "The Good Life", not "The New Year". I think I got them mixed up because TGL's album is called "Album of the Year".

The two White Octave songs I've heard are great. Scratchy guitarwork, upfront basslines, melodic as hell with amateurish vocals. I should buy one of their albums.

[coke_a_holic]

I just saw Cursive live with Against Me! and These Arms Are Snakes and it was a fucking good show. Didn't stay for Mastodon because I don't like them, but even still. If anyone gets a chance to go to this show and likes music of any kind should attend this tour. Fucking seriously, you get Post-Hardcore/Rage Against the Machine, followed by indie/emo awesomeness, then hardcorepunx, and finish off with metal (if you're into that sort of thing). Fucking cool.

[nieh]

I didn't find out about that show until the day after they played here. I was kind of pissed but I talked myself down by convincing myself that Cursive suck live based on the one youbtube video I've seen of them. And I like Leviathan by Mastodon (the last song almost sounds like water!) but wasn't too thrilled by their most recent album.

[coke_a_holic]

I didn't find out about that show until the day after they played here. I was kind of pissed but I talked myself down by convincing myself that Cursive suck live based on the one youbtube video I've seen of them. And I like Leviathan by Mastodon (the last song almost sounds like water!) but wasn't too thrilled by their most recent album.

They were fantastic live. Sorry.

They played a really balanced set, and based off solely the songs you gave (besides Happy Hollow, which I bought about a week after it came out), I knew more than half the songs. I'm now downloading the rest of the discography because I'm in love. I'm also downloading more Against Me! because they were really good. Despite selling out.

[nieh]

They played a really balanced set, and based off solely the songs you gave

That's totally not fair. It's like it was tailor made for me and I missed it.

[Guerilla Enferma]

Domestica is one of my favorite albums. I havent heard Happy Hollow yet. Ive heard not so great things about it though.

[nieh]

Apparently their drummer quit and was replaced by the guy from Engine Down, who I've never heard. Does anyone know if he's/they are any good?

[Endymion]

after a little detective work on myspace, he's ok but they suck.