After touring relentlessly with Bay Area noise-rockers Deerhoof and releasing Calamity (Asthmatic Kitty) with his new full-time band, The Curtains, Oakland, CA-based Chris Cohen is ready to give his side project du jour, Cryptacize, some attention. Featuring former Curtains collaborator (and well-recognized solo artist in her own right) Nedelle, Cryptacize is a melancholic drift toward the outer orbits of indie. Fusing flamenco-esque percussion and raw electric-guitar lines, the band’s creepy pop template will surely have coffee houses and dive bars in awe.

Asthmatic Kitty is celebrating its newest signing with another series of Unusual Animal parties, with nights in Portland and Houston on October 20. The label has already showcased its roster in Brooklyn, Indianapolis, and at the 2007 South by Southwest festival, and now it’s time for the series’ second round. The Houston party will showcase Cryptacize, Future Rapper, Hearts of Animals, The Wiggins, Space City Gamelan, and Austin-based Moth Fight. Portland will feature Half-handed Cloud, The Beauty, Upsidedown Cat, and Kelli Schaefer.

Tour Dates
10/13 Oakland, CA: Mama Buzz Cafe
10/14 Los Angeles, CA: Spaceland
10/18 Phoenix, AZ: The Trunk Space
10/19 Austin, TX: Okay Mountain Gallery
10/20 Houston, TX: Diverseworks
10/21 Birmingham, AL: The Bottletree
10/22 Knoxville, TN: The Pilot Light
10/23 Williamsburg, VA: College of William and Mary
10/24 Baltimore, MD: Floristree Space
10/26 Philadelphia, PA: The Vacuum
10/27 Queens, NY: The Silent Barn
10/28 Somerville, MA: P.A.’s Lounge
10/29 Middletown, CT: Eclectic House/Wesleyan University
10/30 Oberlin, OH: Oberlin College
10/31 Indianapolis, IN: Harrison Center for the Arts
11/01 Chicago, IL: The Empty Bottle
11/02 Grinnell, IA: Grinnell College
11/03 Denver, CO: Rhinoceropolis
11/04 Salt Lake City, UT: Kilby Court
11/05 Santa Barbara, CA: Muddy Waters Cafe
11/06 Los Angeles, CA: The Echo