Beyond vague descriptions that have occasionally, and often inaccurately, applied indie or emo modifiers to both bands, Minus the Bear and Cursive have few common strands. Matt Bayles—the former Minus the Bear keyboardist/ producer who manned the boards for Cursive's latest disc—serves as the common link between the intricate technicality of MTB's mathy prog-pop and the stormy catharsis of Cursive's heavy, theatrical narratives. Though the quality of each band's output has declined over the past half-decade, this is nevertheless an interesting pairing of dynamic, left-of-center rock outfits. Future post-rock stars Caspian open. —Spencer Griffith