Las Vegas Weekly

NOISE: Three Questions with Tim Kasher of Cursive

Considering how much Cursive has become associated with the cello in recent years, has it been tough moving forward without [departed cellist] Gretta Cohn?

What was really tough was trying to decide on doing another record and still using cello. That's kind of how we parted ways—we were trying to politely figure out how to continue without having to be bound to cello. She's as good as any player I've ever played with, but we don't like being bound to certain things that might come off as novelty after a while. There's a lot of freedom with the cello—it's a pretty versatile instrument—but we brought her into the band at the time and a few years later we realized maybe it's not the way we always want to represent ourselves. But out of consideration for fans of The Ugly Organ, we decided we would still bring a cellist out for these legs of touring, just to not be so erratic with our style.

You guys have horns on the record and along on this tour, which I understand has necessitated the use of a second van for transport. Do you think the added expense has been worth it?

It's all part of the bigger gamble of going out and seeing what we can do, which I'm kinda into. We can afford to do it, and it's fun to go big, go big-band like that. And it's all been working out pretty well; it feels like we're presenting a nice show. We've been doing this for years and years and we started doing it with more of a punk ethic, where you kinda just go out and play a show. And then you get older and you recognize the importance of actual, quality playing, and bringing quality musicians to the stage to try to perform something that you're trying to brand as unique, and hopefully make a special event out of it.

[Latest album] Happy Hollow seems very different from its two predecessors in that it's less about your own personal emotions and more about the world around you. Was that an intentional move on your part?

Yeah, we recognized the importance of continuing to push ourselves, and trying to avoid too much of what might feel like a sequel to a record. Sometimes, a continuation of thoughts or ideas works great. Sometimes you're just not done working through certain ideas that you're working on. But at the time that we were starting to work on this record I looked over the catalog of what we'd been doing and recognized that it was important to move into a different direction and try to flex our lyrical muscle, I suppose. We're pushing ourselves into storytelling and it's a great challenge.

THE WEEKLY PLAYLIST: The Week In Rock

A classic-rocking, days of the week-themed playlist guaranteed to get you amped over emo-rockers Thursday's appearance at the House of Blues.

1. Simon and Garfunkel: "Wednesday Morning, 3 AM" (Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, 1964) The soundtrack of your liquor-store-robbing, lover-leaving life.

2. David Bowie: "Thursday's Child" (hours..., 1999) Not so fast there, Thin White Duke. According to Wikipedia, you were actually born on a Wednesday.

3. The Cure: "Friday I'm in Love" (Wish, 1992) No one describes a bad couple of days like Robert Smith. Nor does anyone better structure an entire career around a chronically bad hair day.

4. Elton John: "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973) The ditty solely responsible for 72 percent of all weekend brawls. True fact.

5. U2: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (War, 1983) Established religious fervor + a new political bent = the fist-pumping rally of the century.

6. The Mamas and the Papas: "Monday Monday" (If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, 1966) Dreamy, drug-laced California folk for people who have trust issues with weekday mornings.

7. The Rolling Stones: "Ruby Tuesday" (Between the Buttons, 1967) While the sun is bright, or in the darkest night, she comes and goes ... goes to the House of Blues to see Thursday, that is.

Coming to Town

RAQ

TON THESE (2 stars)

Where: Aruba Hotel. When: October 31, 6 p.m. Price: $10-$15. Info: 383-3100.

The Vermont combo shines brightest when it rides the snarky lyrics, piano-driven melodies and Ben Foldsish pop sensibilities on the disc's first three songs, but it bogs down quickly. The overly funky bass on the nails-meet-blackboard "Bootch Magoo" reminds you why the Spin Doctors went into hiding, and as the rest of it degenerates into echoes of jam-band brethren Phish, you're left wondering what's in the water in the Green Mountain State.

PARTICLE

TRANSFORMATIONS LIVE FOR THE PEOPLE (3 stars)

Where: Aruba Hotel. When: October 31, 6 p.m. Price: $10-$15. Info: 383-3100. 737-7375.

The livetronica faves try on Beck, Meters and Doors covers and jam with Blackalicious, Joe Satriani, DJ Logic and Robby Krieger on this two-hour-20-minute two-disc set, but the LA-based quintet—which includes guitarists Ben Combe and Scott Metzger for the first time here—soars highest on its own electro-flavored material, like 21-minute getaway "Eye of the Storm." Vegoosers left standing post-String Cheese should gravitate over on Sunday morning, with Particle's second set expected to begin around 5 a.m.