Cursive
If you know nothing of Nebraska, indie-rock or penmanship, Cursive is a good place to start. The Omaha quintet has earned plenty of indie-rock accolades behind breakout albums like Domestica and its follow-up, The Ugly Organ. Frontman Tim Kashner's torturous divorce made for prime, if convenient, fodder for the latter, a remarkable album of sexual and emotional metaphors played out in intricate tracks that strayed from the band's classic emo-screamo roots. Cursive's relatively recent addition of cellist Gretta Cohn has helped the band turn the corner into more experimental sounds and concepts, to say nothing of politics. After all, the band is touring as a member of the Plea for Peace tour, the intention of which is to promote voter registration and political awareness. Heady stuff. The group's penmanship, on the other hand, we can't vouch for.
