Cursive Update, Plus General Saddle Creek News

There are a few writers here at Synthesis who swear by Omaha noisy indie-rockers Cursive. Personally, I’m on the fence about them, having seen some hit-or-miss shows. But they’re at least worthy of a listen, and with their new album dropping this April, I plan on letting them have another shot at winning my heart.

Cursive – Mama, I’s Swollen – CD/Digital March 10, 2009, LP April 21, 2009

…Mama, I’m Swollen is an album brimming with the universal, questioning the human condition, social morality, and the ”Peter Pan Syndrome” of grown men. From the charging bass lines of album opener ”In The Now” to the quiet first chords of confessional closer ”What Have I Done?,” Mama, I’m Swollen is a natural progression that remains distinctively Cursive: a fluid amalgamation of the band’s sound past, present, and future – a band that both your punk kid sister and English lit grad student best friend can call their own.

They’re on tour this March, with a stop at SXSW. You can peep Cursive’s last tour video diary HERE. There’s a lot more Saddle Creek news. Sure, you can find all this info and more at http://www.saddle-creek.com/…but you could also just check out more after the jump…which is far more badass.

1. The sophomore record from Ladyfinger (ne), Dusk, is out now…as of today, actually! Put simply, it rocks. The 10 song set takes the power Ladyfinger showed on their debut and expands to create a much more diverse record.

The band has announced the first stretch of tour dates leading up to SXSW, including a few shows with Cursive. Check out the dates below.

Current tracks available for stream or download on any sites or podcasts are:
- A.D.D.
- Little Things
There is also a video in the works for Little Things, which will be done very soon.

Ladyfinger (ne) – Dusk CD/Digital – February 3, 2009
Dusk is Ladyfinger (ne) at the peak of their powers, with one foot in the sounds of early 70′s classic rock and another in the punk and hardcore scenes of the late 80′s and early 90′s. Recorded once again with Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus the Bear, Isis), this is a more diverse and refined though no less intense collection of songs than their debut–witness Chris Machmuller’s confidence in his vocals grow exponentially and Pat Oakes’ powerhouse drums finding a firmer root to propel every snare hit and bass kick. An album clearly born of playing local dives and national tours over the last couple of years, Dusk is a statement of intent. The dynamics of each song and across the album are more evident, from the opening 1-2 punch of ”Over and Over” and the bass growl of ”A.D.D.,” through the sharp riffs and aggressiveness of ”Work Party,” the plaintive ”Plans,” and into the hit-in-the-making ”Let’s Get Married.”

Ladyfinger (ne) – Winter 2009
Sat-Feb-14, Kansas City, MO, The Riot Room
Sat-Feb-21, Omaha, NE, Slowdown
Wed-Mar-04, Denver, CO, Hi-Dive
Thu-Mar-05, Colorado Springs, CO
Fri-Mar-06, Billings, MT, Railyard
Sat-Mar-07, Missoula, MT, The Other Side
Sun-Mar-08, Portland, OR, Doug Fir
Mon-Mar-09, Seattle, WA, Sunset Tavern
Wed-Mar-11, Santa Rosa, CA
Thu-Mar-12, Upland, CA, The Wire
Fri-Mar-13, Los Angeles, CA, Troubadour
Sat-Mar-14, San Diego, CA, Casbah
Sun-Mar-15, Phoenix, AZ, Rhythm Room
Mon-Mar-16, Albuquerque, NM, Launchpad
Mar-18-21, Austin, TX, SXSW
2/14 with Roman Numerals
3/4-9 with Little Brazil
3/12-16 with Cursive

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2. The second record from Beep Beep, Enchanted Islands, will be released on CD/Digital on March 24, 2009.

We guarantee you one of the most interesting listens of your young year. Enchanted islands will blow your mind in different ways…from insane guitar playing to soon-to-be-classic melody to just plain oddness. It’s the whole package.

The first round of tour dates are below. Check out the list and drop us a line if are interested in checking out one of the shows!

Beep Beep – Enchanted Islands CD/Digital – March 24, 2009
Enchanted Islands is a bewitched fantasia for a mysticized and genetically mutated Galapagos Islands. Beep Beep takes you on a delicate disjointed voyage in the spirit of Ruiz’s Three Crowns of the Sailor where no distinction is made between the real and the impossible, a voyage anchored only by the inherent truths of human desire and despair. The Journey is equivalent to a night’s worth of vivid dreaming where time is out of place, every location makes sense only within it’s own context, yet abrupt transitions through eras and settings leave the first-person narrative undaunted as the newly defined roles are exactly understood the moment these new adventures begin.

For Beep Beep, it is a journey illuminated by the clash of willful escapism with the looming inevitability of ”adult” choices. Together, they crafted a hidden realm where they are free to roam as their majestic selves unencumbered by the contingencies of the American Dream. Enchanted Islands exists as an exotic snow globe allowing them to peer into the window of their taxidermied essence, preserved in its most magnificent form. Beep Beep resides evermore in this sacred place and Enchanted Islands is your invitation. Hello children…

Beep Beep – Spring 2009
Sun-Mar-15, Denton, TX, NX35
Mar-18-21, Austin, TX, SXSW
Tue-Mar-24, Phoenix, AZ, The Rhythm Room
Thu-Mar-26, Los Angeles, CA, Knitting Factory
Fri-Mar-27, San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill
Sun-Mar-29, Portland, OR, Someday Lounge
Wed-Apr-01, Boise, ID, Neurolux
Thu-Apr-02, Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court
Fri-Apr-03, Denver, CO, Larimer Lounge
Sat-Apr-04, Omaha, NE, The Waiting Room
Tue-Apr-07, Chicago, IL, Bottom Lounge
Wed-Apr-08, Dekalb, IL, The House Cafe
Sun-Apr-12, New York, NY, Cake Shop
Mon-Apr-13, Philadelphia, PA, Jonny Brenda’s
Tue-Apr-14, Washington, DC, Velvet Lounge
Thu-Apr-16, Charlotte, NC, The Milestone
Sat-Apr-18, Atlanta, GA, Drunken Unicorn
Sun-Apr-19, Orlando, FL, Backbooth
Mon-Apr-20, Tampa, FL, New World Brewery
Sat-Apr-25, St Louis, MO, The Firebird

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3. Cursive will release their sixth studio album, Mama, I’m Swollen, on March 10, 2009. The 10 song set was recorded over the past summer and fall with AJ Mogis at ARC studios in Omaha.

The band just wrapped a quick midwest and east coast tour. Entertaining videos from each day of the tour have been posted on that internet thing:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0886035A079F25EE

or

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cursive/20915032677

More touring is on the horizon. Dates announced thus far are below.

Cursive – Mama, I’s Swollen – CD/Digital March 10, 2009, LP April 21, 2009
Since Cursive burst onto the music scene with their 1997 debut album, the band has consistently and continually churned out heady albums heralded by critics and fans alike. Wrestling with life’s miseries and mysteries, Mama, I’m Swollen is an album brimming with the universal, questioning the human condition, social morality, and the ”Peter Pan Syndrome” of grown men.

From the charging bass lines of album opener ”In The Now” to the quiet first chords of confessional closer ”What Have I Done?,” Mama, I’m Swollen is a natural progression that remains distinctively Cursive: a fluid amalgamation of the band’s sound past, present, and future – a band that both your punk kid sister and English lit grad student best friend can call their own.

Mama, I’m Swollen is also one very simple thing: an amazing Cursive record, proving yet again why–after all these years–the quartet remains one of the most exciting and inventive rock bands today.

Cursive – Winter 2009
Mon-Mar-09, Brooklyn, NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg
Tue-Mar-10, New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom
Thu-Mar-12, Los Angeles, CA, Spaceland
Fri-Mar-13, Los Angeles, CA, Troubadour
Sat-Mar-14, San Diego, CA, Casbah
Sun-Mar-15, Phoenix, AZ, Rhythm Room
Mon-Mar-16, Albuquerque, NM, Launchpad
Mar-18-21, Austin, TX, SXSW
3/12-16 with Ladyfinger (ne)

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4. O+S, the debut album from the collaboration of Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, Art in Manila) and Cedric LeMoyne (Remy Zero) will be released on March 24, 2009. The band is also gearing up to play their first ever live shows, including a visit to SXSW. FUll dates for the late winter tour are below!

O+S – O+S CD/LP/Digital – March 24, 2009
What started as a friendship nearly 20 years ago in Birmingham, AL, has bloomed into an intriguing musical collaboration between Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, Art in Manila) and Scalpelist, aka Cedric LeMoyne (Remy Zero), otherwise known as O+S. Now transplanted Fink parlayed her art residency at Omaha’s esteemed Bemis Center of Contemporary Arts to what is now a dynamic union complete with a debut album. Originating from Fink’s sound-collection excursions ranging from Alabama to Haiti, LeMoyne helped mold captured moments of time into seamlessly crafted pop songs. Their self-titled melodious reverie thrusts forward with a constant thump of drum loops, shifting from acoustic guitar and angelic coos to plodding piano, tinkling bells and a melange of unidentifiable voices. Fink’s celestial vocals float along like a cloud, ever so gently peeking in and out on cue. Drawing inspiration from David Lynch and old 4AD records, the beautifully haunting collection is a symmetrical balance of light and dark, a jagged collage of sound stitched together and aided by producer Michael Patterson.

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5. The following is a list of tour dates not listed above.

Tokyo Police Club – Winter 2008/2009
Tue-Feb-24, Providence, RI, Lupo’s
Wed-Feb-25, New York, NY, Webster Hall
Thu-Feb-26, Washington, DC, Black Cat
Sat-Feb-28, Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Smalls Theatre
Sun-Mar-01, Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop
Mon-Mar-02, Columbus, OH, The Basement
Tue-Mar-03, Cincinnati, OH, The Mad Hatter
Thu-Mar-05, Atlanta, GA, The Earl
Fri-Mar-06, Elkton, FL, Harvest of Hope Festival
Sat-Mar-07, Orlando, FL, The Social
Tue-Mar-10, New Orleans, LA, The Parish @ House of Blues
Wed-Mar-11, Houston, TX, Walters on Washington
Thu-Mar-12, McAllen, TX, Cine El Ray
Fri-Mar-13, San Antonio, TX, The White Rabbit
Sat-Mar-14, Dallas, TX, Granada Theatre
Mon-Mar-16, Omaha, NE, Slowdown
Wed-Mar-18, Chicago, IL, The Metro
Thu-Mar-19, Pontiac, MI, The Crofoot Ballroom
Sat-Mar-21, Geulph, ON, Peter Clark Hall
Wed-Mar-25, Kingston, ON, The Ale House
Fri-Mar-27, Montreal, QC, La Sala Rossa
Thu-Apr-02, London, ON, Call the Office
2/25-26, 3/18-19 with Born Ruffians
2/24-3/7 with Harlem Shakes
2/28- 3/16 with Ruby Coast
3/10-3/16 with Ra Ra Riot

Sebastien Grainger – Europe 2009
Fri-Feb-06, London, UK, Islington Academy
Sat-Feb-07, London, UK, Water Rats
Sun-Feb-08, Nottingham, UK, Bodega
Tue-Feb-10, London, UK, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen
Wed-Feb-11, London, UK, The Lexington
Fri-Feb-13, Groningen, AN, Vera
Sat-Feb-14, Offenbach, DE, Hafen 2
Sun-Feb-15, Dresden, DE, Beatpol
Mon-Feb-16, Berlin, DE, LiveatDot
Tue-Feb-17, Hamburg, DE, Molotow
Wed-Feb-18, Antwerp, BE, Trix
Thu-Feb-19, Mulhouse, FR, Noumatrouff
Fri-Feb-20, Belfort, FR, Poudriere
Sat-Feb-21, Dijon, FR, L’Atheneum

Son Ambulance – Europe 2009
Tue-Feb-17, Copenhagen, Denmark, Loppen
Thu-Feb-19, Berlin, Germany, Cafe Zapata
Sat-Feb-21, Zurich, Switzerland, El Local
Sun-Feb-22, Heidelberg, Germany, Karlstorbahnof
Mon-Feb-23, Munich, Germany, Feierwerk
Tue-Feb-24, Frankfurt, Germany, Broftabrik
Wed-Feb-25, Stuttgart, Germany, Schocken
Fri-Feb-27, Rorschach, Switzerland, Marienberg
Mon-Mar-02, Vienna, Austria, B72
Tue-Mar-03, Salzburg, Austria, Rockhouse
Wed-Mar-04, Ulm, Germany, Roxy (Halle 3)
Thu-Mar-05, Fulda, Germany, Kulturkeller
Sat-Mar-07, Dusseldorf, Germany, ZAKK
Sun-Mar-08, Bonn, Germany, Harmonie
Mon-Mar-09, Brussels, Belgium, Botanique (Rotonde)