Calliope Musicals “Wasted Space” and “Looking for the One I Love” 2017. Self-released, clear smoky vinyl, limited edition 10/100. We picked up this 7″ (along with their full-length Time Owes You Nothing, 2016) at Mile of Music festival in Appleton this past weekend after being blown away by their performance. (Performances: after seeing them the first night of the fest at the Spats stage, we vowed to catch them again the following night at the Alley Project). We saw a ton of great bands, a total of 21 shows in just over 3 days, and Calliope Musicals was one of the most dynamic. From Austin, TX, they play quirky, infectious, loopy psychedelic pop with a stage show like no other: weird dance routines, some stage scaffolding climbing, a most excellent hype-man who dressed alternately as a space alien, tiger and hazmat guy with an amp and/or iPad strapped to his chest, confetti cannons, smiley-face sticks…I took about a million photos but none of them really do the concerts justice (I’m still sharing them here, though). So delightful and uplifting; NPR called them “A vibrant psych-folk band whose shows are spectacles of concentrated celebration.”

Carrie Fussell, singer/guitarist/front-woman, has a clear dynamic range and a powerful presence, perfect for their brand of out-there space pop. She is also super-sweet; I got a chance to chat with her for a few moments when I picked up the single and the LP. “Wasted Space” is super-swirly and psychedelic. I really love “Looking for the One I Love,” the track they opened both sets with at Mile of Music. It’s got kind of an 80′s new wave vibe that dropped acid at a massive all-night raver. It’s perfect music to spin on the day after a long weekend of fabulous music.