Cursive

Trying to pull off a cello in today's indie/alternative rock scene is tricky. On one hand, a cello can set a band apart from a mass of whiny, boring acts, and having an accomplished cellist adds a touch of class that bearded, flannel-loving four-piece bands from the Pacific Northwest will never attain. On the other hand, it's gimmicky. Omaha indie rockers Cursive added cellist Gretta Cohn in 2001 because they knew it would provide them with a sound that no one else in their scene could achieve — a sound that celebrates the appeal and delightfully scraggly, nerdy vocals of Tim Kasher. The band has been reaping benefits ever since. Fresh off the release of their hotly anticipated Mama, I'm Swollen, Cursive descend upon the Valley to showcase their new material. Their new stuff is more subdued than the enthusiastic pop songs on 2006's Happy Hollow, but that demure attitude gives the band a polished, mature sound. The band has an impressive catalog of music — including 2003's blueprint on how to make a genre-defying album, The Ugly Organ — to unleash upon devoted fans.