California’s Cryptacize Float Into Fargo

What do you get when you mix two parts showtunes, one part flamenco, and a dab of free jazz here and there?
Asthmatic Kitty recording artists Cryptacize, a band that definitely keeps up the eclectic tradition of label-mate Sufjan Stevens with their album Dig That Treasure.

The three-piece, comprised of Chris Cohen (of Deerhoof fame), ex-Kill Rock Stars solo artist Nedelle Torrisi, and Michael Carreira, will be joining too-cool-for-school rockers, Islands, next Wednesday at the Aquarium in what is sure to be one of the better indie shows of the year.

Not as weird as Deerhoof or as angry as the typical Kill Rock Stars artist, the band attributes a few of Dig That Treasure’s influences to elements of West Side Story and The Wizard of Oz. The songs are light and breezy, yet the lyrics tap into a timeless theme of forever searching for something or someone, only to discover the goal was never reachable in the first place. With Nedelle’s sweet vocals trading off with Cohen’s, but never in equal measures, accented by Carreira’s drums and lazy harmonica, Cryptacize fills one’s home like a nice summer day, with the windows open and a fresh breeze blowing through the front of the house to the backyard.

The one thing missing from the new disc, though, is their new single (a split 7” with WHY?) a cover of Steely Dan’s masterful Peg. With cool indie bands covering Steely Dan and Kanye West sampling Kid Charlemagne on his last disc, can we expect a Dan resurrection among the youth? One trip to Hot Topic will be all it takes to see if that is indeed the case.

If You Go

Who: Cryptacize
What: Opening for Islands, with special guests AWOL One and Sister Suvi
Where: The Aquarium
When: Wednesday, June 4, early show at 6:30
How Much: $10, All Ages
Info: (701) 235-5913