Oryx and Crake is a 9-person band from Atlanta, GA whose lyrical beauty and musical complexity contains “hints of Sparklehorse, Portishead, Wilco, and even The Mamas and The Papas” (The Moon and Pluto), but with a sound that is uniquely their own. Husband-and-wife songwriting team Ryan Peoples and Rebekah Goode-Peoples offer lyrics that are influenced by both real life stories and overly active imaginations, and music that juxtaposes sounds of the past, present and future. Oryx and Crake strives to make music that takes traditional instruments to modern, surprising places: a banjo plucking over beats created in Ableton Live; wicked electronic effects on a cello blending with a singing saw; three and four-part harmonies layering over the tiny tinging of a toy piano. Named after the speculative fiction novel by Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake brings together the diverse talents of Ryan Peoples (acoustic guitar/lead vocals/autoharp/singing saw/etc.), Rebekah Goode-Peoples (keyboard/vocals), Matt Jarrard (cello), Karyn Lu (violin), Matt Gilbert (electronic drums, home-made midi), Eric Wildes (electric guitar/vocals), Anna Wildes (banjo/vocals), Keith Huff (bass/vocals), and Chris Vanbrackle (percussion). Together, they create orchestral pop that offers “one of the most unique, spine tingling, unbelievably beautiful sounds”

—Shawn Williams, 99x.