New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards release their video for "Corduroy Jacket" today, the first video release from their upcoming album, BITTER BETTER. The album finds the group drawing on their extensive string music background and knowledge of folk and roots music and incorporating an pop sensibility that expands on what is usually considered indie folk. The result is an album that incorporates dance-worthy foundational grooves, synth, and loops to push the boundaries of the genre. The band has been invited to support The Mountain Goats on their extended US tour, which kicks off in late April; scroll down for complete dates.
Cortese shared the inspiration behind the song with PopMatters: "I wrote this song with Jeni Magana. We were thinking about all the ways that people try so hard to look like they're not trying, and whether all the energy spent on image serves us. We liked the idea of someone who tries too hard, but their friends and lovers see right through them and love them anyway.
Director Luke Zvara was willing to try his luck and take a hammer to some mirrors so we could play with reflection and persona for this video. We were able to film in a creepy old house in Watertown, Massachusetts, that some friends had recently purchased."
A stunning lesson in all the ways string instruments can be played - bowed, plucked, percussively - BITTER BETTER showcases Cortese and multi-instrumentalist producer Sam Kassirer (Lula Wiles, Lake Street Dive) striving to capture the most adventurous approach to each moment.
While the album's 11 tracks provide relief and release, they also encourage self-examination and personal discovery-the work that is necessary to sustain the energy needed to keep striving, to connect, and to continue to make our complicated world a better place. With BITTER BETTER,
Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards throw out the rule book, creating a beautifully vivid, musically unexpected canvas from their refreshingly unconventional perspective.
TOUR DATES:
* All Shows from 4/24 - 5/16 w/The Mountain Goats
Thu, 2 Apr Ghent, Belgium - Trefpunt
Thu, 16 Apr New York, NY - Rockwood
Music Hall
Fri, 17 Apr Hopewell, NJ - Hopewell Theater,
Fri, 24 Apr Cambridge, MA - Club Passim - 2 CD RELEASE shows at 7PM and 9:30PM
Sun, 26 Apr Asheville, NC - The
Orange Peel
Mon, 27 Apr Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
Tue, 28 Apr Birmingham, AL - Saturn
Thu, 30 Apr San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
Fri, 1 May Austin, TX - Mohawk Austin
Sat, 2 May Austin, TX - Mohawk Austin
Sun, 3 May Houston, TX - White Oak
Music Hall
Wed, 6 May
Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
Thu, 7 May
Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
Fri, 8 May Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
Sat, 9 May Denver, CO- Bluebird Theater
Sun, 10 May Fort Collins, CO - Washington's
Wed, 13 May Evanston, IL - Space
Thu, 14 May Evanston, IL - Space
Fri, 15 May Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Sat, 16 May Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
Wed, 20 May Ashland, OR - The
Black Swan Theatre
Thur, 21 May Portland, OR - The Old Church (TOC Concert Hall)
Fri, 23 May Colorado Springs, CO - MeadowGrass
Music Festival.
