Cursive “Art Is Hard”

CursiveArtist:
CURSIVE
Label:
SADDLE CREEK
Video:
“ART IS HARD”
Director:
Travis John Dopp
Add Date:
August 25, 2003

 

“Art is Hard” is the song featured in the new video from Cursive, a gifted, eclectic quintet from Omaha, Nebraska. It’s culled from their fourth full length CD, The Ugly Organ, on Saddle Creek -the Midwest label home to other artists including Bright Eyes, the Faint, and Desaparecidos. Saddle Creek embodies close knit, family oriented DIY aesthetics. All “indie rock” labels these days aspire to acquire the enviable (and often elusive) state of buzz that Saddle Creek has created in their first fifty releases (visit www.saddle-creek.com for more info).

Fierce and relentless, Cursive balance incendiary, cathartic gusto with tension and drama. The video opens, and later closes, on a stage. Using a series of scenes, director Travis John Dopp (of Small Brown Bike) and the band take the viewers through a hectic, sometimes frenetic, just this side of chaotic ramble through the opening moments of a memorable performance. The action takes us backstage into a tense dressing room, and culminates in a raucous punch up. It’s not a performance video by any stretch, though – it’s a tightly structured tour de force.

“Art is Hard” is unusual in almost every respect. The structure is far removed from any tried and true formulas, but remains insatiably listenable. The song is cleverly arranged, and Tim Kasher’s intense yet perfectly phrased vocals accent the sense of power, even grandeur that develops all through “Art is Hard.”

Cursive lie away from most of the beaten paths of today’s music, but this CD and video demonstrate clearly that it’s worth making the trip to explore. Here at HIP Video we are very psyched to be working with the crew at Saddle Creek to make sure all your Cursive requests are attended to in a timely fashion. The band will be on tour in September and will be available for video interviews and video IDs. We are going for adds for “Art is Hard” on August 22nd and August 25th so feel free to call Andy Gesner at HIP Video Promo at 732-613-1779 or e-mail info@HIPVideoPromo.com to find out more about Cursive.