Cursive

Cursive was one of the bands that helped put Omaha, Nebraska, and Saddle Creek Records on the map. Starting in 1995, in the post-hardcore milieu that would serve as the roots of modern emo, Cursive always seemed to make music that never really fit in a specific genre outside of rock. Tim Kasher’s earnest vocals, the driving but veering rhythms, the pretty but bizarre melodies and fractured songwriting that somehow ended up cohesive and catchy has made Cursive one of the most interesting pop bands in recent memory. Often sounding like it’s about to come apart at the seams, the act displays a clear need to exorcise personal demons during live shows by transforming desperate melancholy into anthems of self-affirmation. Cursive may be sensitive, but its sentimentality comes with unapologetic, searingly honest self-examination.