Fans of the Doors and the Animals will also get a kick out of Calliope's self-titled debut album, a rollicking collection of retrofitted psychedelic blues songs. Recorded September of 2012 under the ears of Milwaukee rock veteran Mike Hoffman, Calliope set the band up in a log cabin in the northern woods of Wisconsin and did most of the recording live. Together with Victor Buell IV on guitar, John Larkin on Bass and Eric Gornoll on drums, they played as a band, capturing the raw power of their live performances. I saw them for the first time at Yield a few weeks back and was stupefied. They play so tight but also were able to keep the music loose, never skipping a beat and pushing the performance straight through to doomsday. There is an influence of Blue Cheer, The Sonics, Frank Zappa, The Pretty Things, The Doors, Alice Cooper or any of the more grandiose garage or psychedelic Rock and Roll groups of the late 60’s and early 70’s giving Calliope’s sound darker narrative roots. But more importantly, the music begs for live performance interaction, easily lost in multi-track recording’s infinite possibility. The old, “F-it, let’s do it live,” camaraderie of the blues with a fuzzy psychedelic twist that transcends the influence into something fresh. The dynamics of the album functions like a live performance, keeping your ear fixed to hear the movement within the songs and the flow from song to song. Leading with this new kind of future blues in the first few tracks, including the prevailing guitar riff and harmonica drone of the single ‘Miller City Blues.’ The “black as sackcloth” dirty funk of ‘La Catalina’ and driving guitar hook of ‘Blue Ribbon Boogie,” turning straight into the jazzy instrumental other world of tracks like “Penitent Man,” and “Rising Water,” the latter featuring Kramer on Saxophone in the groove an extended solo section. Progressing to dissonance in the guitar riff and vocal harmonies of ‘Wild Eye,’ and an almost raga drone feel of ‘Woodland Stomp’ that switches 180 degrees to more electric bluegrass mid-song. It’s all here. Apocalyptic crusades, screaming call and response sections, subtle vocal harmonies, a bit of crunchy guitar echo and even a “Happy Song” wrapping up album to play the band off at the end of the performance. It is an album that will require many listenings and never lose the unrestrained energy occurring in the live performances captured in those 3 short days of recording. If you can't guess from the early reference to their home town city by name, this is a Milwaukee band through and through. From album opener "Miller City Blues" (video) to early hit "Blue Ribbon Boogie," the Brew City gets a fair share of recognition right off the bat. And while one band member smartly attributed "Blue Ribbon Boogie" to a song ideal for a Led Zeppelin album, the vocals of the album suggest a decidedly different artist, albeit from an overlapping era. The very next track, "Penitent Man," is one of many that seem choreographed by Jim Morrison himself. In theme, poetic quality, delivery and even voice, his legacy is alive and well all these decades later. To say that Calliope is classic rock is not to discount their creativity, however. The album, overall, is interesting both musically and lyrically. A heavy blues influence can be heard throughout, 60s guitar riffs, Jim Morrison-esque vocals, and a youthful energy that keeps the classic from sounding stale. When asked about the inspiration behind the album, Kraemer explained, "We wanted to show people we could play some songs." A noble goal, and a mission successful.