Some band names just totally capture what the band is going to sound like, and Odd Circus is one of them. The Orlando-based avant-rock trio is made up of a guitarist/bassist/drummer, a bassist/drummer, and a saxophonist, and -- in their own (extremely accurate) words -- they make a blend of post-rock, fusion, no wave, noise, experimental, garage rock, psychedelic, and sci-fi prog. It's the kind of thing that fans of Zappa, Mike Patton, Cardiacs, The Residents, etc are gonna eat up, and like all of those artists, Odd Circus really earn the right to be as weird as possible. It's not that the music isn't self-indulgent, it's just that they make self-indulgence sound really fucking awesome.
The trio released their debut LP Lunatic Children in 2019, followed by a mixtape in 2020, and now they're set to release their new EP Mantha this Friday (4/2) via their own Good Idea Music (pre-order). It's not officially out for a couple days, but you can trip out to it right now. A full stream premieres here: