Cryptacize Cover Steely Dan
We don't mean to dwell on Coachella, but when our plane touched down at LaGuardia late Monday night, they were playing Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen." We notice things like this because we like Steely Dan ... and that song could make a grown man cry. Looks like Cryptacize are fans as well. We've posted about the California trio previously, but for playing and singing along to their own Dig That Treasure tunes. Here, they take on the classic Dan track, "Peg." Sacred! In case you can't recall the original -- for shame -- here's some history before you imbibe:
All caught up?
Cryptacize - "Peg" (MP3)
Cryptacize's "Peg" is the their half of a split 7" with WHY?, who take on Bob Dylan's "As I Went Out One Morning." It'll be out one morning (7/22) as part of Asthmatic Kitty's "Unusual Animals" series. AK's been busy these days. On top of this 7", the label's signing more new artists than you can count on one hand. Seven to be exact. There are so many new names and faces over there that they've created a Muxtape and a free download compilation called Works In Progress at their site to better acquaint you. You already know about Cryptacize, though, so why not catch them on tour?
05/01 - Portland, OR @ Rotture w/ Dead Science
05/02 - Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
05/03 - Vancouver, BC @ Media Club w/ Kelly Stoltz, Vetiver
05/04 - Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond's Garage
05/17 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
05/31 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
06/02 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
06/03 - Lincoln, NE @ Box Awesome
06/04 - Fargo, ND @ Aquarium (Dempsey's Upstairs, early show) w/ Islands
06/05 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
06/06 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
06/07 - Bloomington, IN @ Art Hospital
06/08 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
06/10 - Providence, RI @ As220
06/11 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
06/12 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory w/ MV & EE with the Golden Road
06/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas w/ MV & EE with the Golden Road
06/14 - Baltimore, MD @ Floristree w/ MV & EE with the the Golden Road, Jana Hunter
06/15 - Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat w/ Shearwater
06/16 - Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
06/18 - Hot Springs, AR @ The Exchange
06/19 - Houston, TX @ The Mink
06/21 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
06/23 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Cultural Gallery
06/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
Posted at 2:22 PM in MP3, Tour Dates
Tags: Cryptacize | Steely Dan
Super weak.
I just whistled a "cover" of "The Fez" that destroys this shit, but sadly, there was nobody here to blog about it.
Posted by: The Skunk at May 1, 2008 3:48 PM | ReplyScore = 3
The band has stripped the song of every ounce of soul the original had. It was a difficult listen.
Posted by: rc at May 1, 2008 3:53 PM | ReplyScore = -1
The band stripped the song of every ounce of soul the original had. This was difficult to listen to.
Posted by: rc at May 1, 2008 3:55 PM | ReplyScore = -1
This band SUCKS live.
Posted by: Greg at May 1, 2008 4:03 PM | ReplyScore = -1
Call me crazy, but I love Steely Dan and Cryptacize. I think this is an interesting interpretation.
Posted by: Big Gray at May 1, 2008 4:22 PM | ReplyScore = 1
You guys are just mad 'cuz they're cute - I saw them back in March w/ Why and they were the perfect opener!! This cover is fun, stop taking yourselves so seriously.
Posted by: evs at May 1, 2008 4:23 PM | ReplyScore = 1
You guys are just mad 'cuz they're cute - I saw them back in March w/ Why and they were the perfect opener!! This cover is fun, stop taking yourselves so seriously.
Posted by: evs at May 1, 2008 4:24 PM | ReplyScore = 0
why are people so afraid of adventurous reinterpretations? i love it when a band finds their own voice in another group's music. this is a great. i prefer it to the original.
Posted by: ryan at May 1, 2008 4:36 PM | ReplyScore = 0
lovely arrangements as always and this is nothing but some great artists having fun. that's what's so cool about this band. i hope that why most people still play...
Posted by: ellul as blankethead at May 1, 2008 4:37 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Only now, in 2008, can you claim without irony that someone has stripped the soul from a Steely Dan song. This version is a good, bedroom pop version of song that's silly to begin with. No complaints.
Posted by: Robert at May 1, 2008 4:38 PM | ReplyScore = 1
cryptacize is so awful
Posted by: joe at May 1, 2008 4:48 PM | ReplyScore = 0
It was OK. Musically I liked how it started, but then the limp vocals kicked in. The chorus, reinterpretation or not, was a train wreck.
Posted by: Chris at May 1, 2008 4:50 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Well, no one I know of has recorded a Steely Dan cover that equals the original, and I don't imagine that's what they had in mind. It's an interpretation and tribute by a modest indie band. From a Steely Dan and Cryptacize fan- just listen and form your own opinion.
Posted by: CLD at May 1, 2008 5:10 PM | ReplyScore = 1
While it may not surpass the original, Ben Folds Five did a more than respectable cover of "Barrytown."
Posted by: Chris in reply to CLD's comment at May 1, 2008 5:42 PM | ReplyScore = 0
This baby is a turd no matter how many heartfelt comments are left in its defense. Terrible bad. Terrible bad.
Posted by: Don Fagan at May 1, 2008 5:12 PM | ReplyScore = 1
that's exactly why the Dan had to chill for years. Don you just you never really connected with the kids. this is what the kids want, everybody knows it.
Posted by: walt becker at May 1, 2008 5:45 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Far superior to the original!! They took an insufferably wanked out track (somebody count the studio musicians here!) wiped off the white leather upholstery, and fixed it up real nice. real soul like.
Posted by: bridger at May 1, 2008 5:47 PM | ReplyScore = -2
Hey, leave the studio musicians out of this. They're a hard working bunch, putting forth a lot more work and effort (for no credit) than your typical indie musician.
And you'd be surprised by how many of your favorite indie (or any genre) band's guitar/drum/bass (*specifically* drum) parts are actually being played by hired musicians. It's sort of a dirty little secret in the industry, although everyone in the recording field is aware of it. Sometimes hired musicians replay parts, recording afterhours, without the band ever knowing it (a lot of studio musicians are masters at emulating someone's sound). That's why you run into a lot of bands that seem to be able to play on record, but suck live.
Posted by: HuphScore = 0
Wow this is terrible. Just awful. You really could not do a worse job if you tried. Stripped of everything interesting about the original. Someone needs to tell somebody that bad musicianship plus this chanty singsong twee avant-folk infection is not really a positive development.
Posted by: Paul at May 1, 2008 5:53 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Wilco's "Any Major Dude" cover is pretty damn great as well.
Posted by: Stephen B. at May 1, 2008 6:49 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Posted by: fred at May 1, 2008 11:21 PM | Replycover songs aren't about mimicking the original artist. they're about putting you're own spin on someone else's work. like a book being adapted for film. don't think of this as a remake of the steely dan song. think of it as a cryptocize song. if you're not a fan of crypotcize, but are a fan of steely dan, odds are you won't like this. that's not saying anything about the quality of the cover. it's just taste.
Score = 0
Yeah that was pretty rough. I think I'd rather listen to the Michael Macdonald harmony parts from the video acapella all day long than sit through that chorus again.
Posted by: Cheef at May 2, 2008 12:15 AM | ReplyScore = 2
oh god - that was awful...it should be deleted.
Posted by: jonas at May 6, 2008 1:28 PM | ReplyScore = 0