Lead bassist Drew Roulette sipped a margarita as he excitedly talked about his upcoming DVD/CD release and accompanying tour.

Named the ultimate progressive rock band by critics and music listeners alike, dredg (spelled with a lower case “d”), an Interscope-signed group, incorporates unusual instruments such as the xylophone and slide guitar in their music while maintaining a conceptual theme with each album they produce.

Dredg is gaining recognition as similar bands such as The Mars Volta and Queens of the Stone Age become popular.

“They’re just a killer live band,” said Sara Scroggins, a fan and friend of the band. She said she is excited to see the boys she grew up with in the sleepy mountain community of Los Gatos perform next week in Santa Cruz.

Formally known as “bi-standard” to its die-hard fans, dredg is comprised of Gavin Hayes on vocals, Mark Ingles on lead guitar, and Dino Campanella on drums. The band began playing at Bay Area nightclubs while they were still attending Los Gatos High School in the mid 1990s. After signing with Interscope, dredg acquired an almost immediate cult following with their first album release, titled “Leitmotiv.”

The album describes a journey across several continents to rid someone of a moral disease. “El Cello” followed shortly after, having been released in fall 2002. Their latest album, “Catch Without Arms,” is their third concept album, which Hayes said is about the yin and yang of things. It has gained the most recognition due to the rise of progressive rock and its influence on the mainstream genre.

According to MTV.com, there has been a long-held belief in the music industry that today’s music fans do not have the attention span for concept albums. Lead singer Gavin Hayes credits their popularity to the sound of bands like The Mars Volta and Queens of the Stone Age. He said a few years ago, dredg’s sound would not have translated into the mainstream.

“I believe that when credible and creative bands like The Mars Volta and Queens of the Stone Age reach a greater level of success, it is always beneficial, not only to bands such as ourselves, but to music in general,” Hayes said.

According to Roulette, the new DVD/CD will be released within the next few months. The band has been working on the album for more than a year, and Roulette said it will give fans a chance to relive some of their most memorable stage performances.

“It will be a collection of some of our live performances we’ve done over the last year, mostly shows we played at the Fillmore,” Roulette said.

Their dreamy, ambient sound has hooked even listeners in Australia, who have set up an online petition to have dredg play in their country.

Dredg has become the most requested Bay Area radio band, along with Korn and Rage Against the Machine. The band has acquired a large cult following since the release of their first album, according to sing365.com, which is a San Francisco based Web Site devoted to informing members of up and coming bands and artists.

Amidst the popularity, being a small band on a major record label as Interscope can still affect up and coming bands like dredg. Hayes said his most memorable fan reaction was receiving a sea of middle fingers while opening a show for Alien Ant Farm a few years ago.

“It was beautiful,” Hayes said.

Although dredg grew up in the Silicon Valley in the late 1990s, the band was not influenced by the pop-punk movement, which was prevalent at the time. Hayes said dredg has always been looking to reinvent itself and progress quickly.

“I think early in our career we were inspired by everything that was happening at the time, but once it started to catch on we looked to change,” Hayes said. “If you see the bandwagon, you are already too late.”

The band will perform two shows at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on Sept. 14 and 15.