The creative, genre-defying musical force known as Why? started almost a decade ago as a one-man show with ex-cLOUDEAD member Yoni Wolf.

Why? became an original member of the close-knit, Anticon Records indie hip-hop family back in the '90s and in 2005 evolved into a three-piece to release the soft-spoken, cute, indie rock record "Elephant Eyelash."

The band kicked off 2008 by relocating from its Oakland home to the cruel winter of Minneapolis, grew into a five-piece and recorded another album.

Why? is now Yoni Wolf, his brother Josiah Wolf, Doug McDiarmid, and Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson of the band Fog.

Why?'s latest LP, "Alopecia," comes out March 11, so, of course, there is a tour in the works, and yes, it includes Milwaukee.

Why? takes over the Cactus Club on Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m.

From the band's Myspace page, "'Alopecia' is a fantastic offering of raw sweat and dreams inspired by nothing more or less than the infinite erring bits of daily existence."