Cursive - “Art Is Hard”
Yesterday’s Daytrotter session with Cursive (which includes two unreleased tracks) got me listening to them again, and I can’t believe it took this long. This track is from their album The Ugly Organ, which is more of a concept album, than an album of songs in their own right.
It tells the story of an ugly organist’s life of lust and empty sex.The songs, however, do stand out on their own, regardless of the somewhat pretentious concept. “Art Is Hard” was the first single from the album, back in 2003.
Pretentious concept? You’re a daily music tumblr feed. And I’m not sure you ever read the linear notes. Back to school, with you.
Anyway. Forgiving Cursive of their indulgences, they’re fantastic and completely underrated. I once saw Tim Kasher play a two hour Good Life set at Kilby Court. He got so drunk (in Salt Lake City! Novelty!) he couldn’t even stand, let alone decide what to play, so he just took requests until they’d exahusted every shitty b-side nobody wanted to hear. In the spirit of masochism, more Cursive love from my short-lived, too-stoned tenure as a full-scholarship editor at The Chronic. I hope I was no older than 18 when I wrote it. Truly.