Billed simply as "special guest," Cursive finished off the official showcase of the Omaha indie label Saddle Creek at Bowery Ballroom last night. Lucky thing, too: Although the other five bands offered a tantalizing bit of foreplay, the night-closing appearance of Cursive guaranteed a stirring climax.

Kemado's showcase at the Bowery Ballroom last night was a great one, in that it included an incredibly diverse range of performers. Tarantula A.D. were a veritable powerhouse. The combined efforts of three multi-instrumentalists who employed cello, lead guitar, bass, clavichord, drums, and even xylophone in a symphonic/metal hybrid are, to put it mildly, intimidating.

Wipe that pizza sauce off your chin and pay attention, young one. It's Day Two of the CMJ Music Marathon and do you know where your badge is?

Man, being Canadian must be awesome. First there's the free healthcare. Then there's comedic brethren like John Candy and Dan Aykroyd to call your countrymen. Finally, it seems that when you're Canadian, you take the best parts of both (socialism and humor), make it into an orchestral mélange, and call it a rock band.

When improv electronica auteurs Holy Fuck stepped onto the Bowery Ballroom stage Wednesday night, the audience seemed a bit perplexed. Wasn't this the opening act for neo-hippie Devendra Banhart?

The first night of CMJ's Music Marathon isn't much like a marathon at all. It's more like a relay race, the kind common to a sleepaway camp Color War: The goal is to get to the next station as quickly as possible before the clock runs out, or, in rock'n'roll terms, before the set ends. Here at SPIN.com, we divided and tried to conquer, earning many team spirit points in the process.