The Fashionably Late Top 66 of 2017: Moon Duo
It’s been a hell of a year. 2017 was exhausting, stressful, and at times just plain terrifying. But for all the mess that’s happened over the past 12 months, and there’s certainly been so much, there’s also been a lot of good going on in the world. From a musical standpoint, for instance, 2017 was rather exceptional. There were so many glorious new sounds to take in.
I’ve put together my list of favorites from the year that was, a touch fashionably late as always. Once again, I’ve decided to eschew a ranking system and instead give you an alphabetical look at the records I fell for this year. There’s some names here that will come as no surprise to anyone, and perhaps a few that might surprise you. These are simply my favorites from 2017, the albums I went back to again and again, the albums that I swooned over. So, without further exposition, here’s my list. I think you’ll find you can get your kicks from any and all of the 66 records I’ve chosen, and I truly hope you’ll find some treasures to cherish, as I cherish each and every record here. Many, many thanks to the artists who put out this fantastic music, their sounds helped make 2017 bearable.
Who: Moon Duo
What: Occult Architecture Vol. 1; Occult Architecture Vol. 2
When: February 2017; May 2017
Where: Sacred Bones
Why: When it comes to totally far-the-fuck-out cosmonaut psych rock dronescapes, you'll have to search far and wide to find better than Moon Duo. Their two-record masterwork exploring the concepts of Yin (Vol. 1) and Yang (Vol. 2) is a finely-crafted two-headed monster of glacial grooves and spacey sinews. Or, as guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson puts it, Vol. 1 is the "fuzz dungeon" whereas Vol. 2 is "the crystal palace." Each great in their own ways, put the two records together and you've got a triumphant concept album fully and beautifully realized.
I’ve put together my list of favorites from the year that was, a touch fashionably late as always. Once again, I’ve decided to eschew a ranking system and instead give you an alphabetical look at the records I fell for this year. There’s some names here that will come as no surprise to anyone, and perhaps a few that might surprise you. These are simply my favorites from 2017, the albums I went back to again and again, the albums that I swooned over. So, without further exposition, here’s my list. I think you’ll find you can get your kicks from any and all of the 66 records I’ve chosen, and I truly hope you’ll find some treasures to cherish, as I cherish each and every record here. Many, many thanks to the artists who put out this fantastic music, their sounds helped make 2017 bearable.
Who: Moon Duo
What: Occult Architecture Vol. 1; Occult Architecture Vol. 2
When: February 2017; May 2017
Where: Sacred Bones
Why: When it comes to totally far-the-fuck-out cosmonaut psych rock dronescapes, you'll have to search far and wide to find better than Moon Duo. Their two-record masterwork exploring the concepts of Yin (Vol. 1) and Yang (Vol. 2) is a finely-crafted two-headed monster of glacial grooves and spacey sinews. Or, as guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson puts it, Vol. 1 is the "fuzz dungeon" whereas Vol. 2 is "the crystal palace." Each great in their own ways, put the two records together and you've got a triumphant concept album fully and beautifully realized.
[posted 2.18.18]
also yes!
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