Cursive

A fixture of the early-2000s Omaha, Nebraska, indie-rock scene gathered around Saddle Creek records, Cursive purveyed a style of rock that incorporated the energy of punk with the angular, shifting structures of classic early-1990s indie bands. Lyrically, Cursive won over hearts and mind with an emotionally direct approach that was both honest and revealing, yet too literary to fall squarely into the emo camp. Creative, proficient, and intelligent, Cursive's music gives new meaning to the term "heartland rock."

• rock