Psychedelic Waves Top 25 Albums of 2017
This year proved particularly difficult to narrow down a Top 25 because there were just so many great albums that came out in 2017. I started with a shortlist of 58! Ultimately, this list represents the albums I enjoyed the most this year; the albums that thrilled me, moved me and inspired me. There are always some albums that might have made the list, but that I just missed or haven't had the chance to listen to yet. But as of the end of this year, based on what I've been listening to through the year, these were my favourite releases for 2017.
25. Mark McDowell And Friends - Dark Weave Groovy, psych/folk tunes from this UK artist. Very trippy at times.
24. Moonwagon - Devil's Labyrinth These Finnish explorers deliver more solid prog/psych on this EP.
23. Fos - Captain Free A unique blend of breezy electronica, Krautrock and folk from Greek born, UK based musician Katerina Koutouzi. Quite beguiling!
22. Scared Bunny - 3:33 am Toronto, Canada based artist pushes the boundaries on this, his fourth album, blending kosmische, experimental and ambient sounds into his unique style of psych rock.
21. Nik Turner - Life in Space The Space Gypsy returns with another solid album, returning to more song-based space rock once again.
20. Eat Static - Last Ship to Paradise Veteran UK electronica artists go completely analogue and modular for more of their complex style of electronic music.
19. Earthling Society - Zen Bastard Fred Laird and company create a couple of new pieces and re-imagine a couple of their classics, capturing their raw, live sound in the studio.
18. Hawkwind - Into the Woods A surprisingly strong entry for the veteran UK space rockers, coming down from the stars and getting all earthy and back to nature. Pure listening pleasure.
17. Gyspy Sun Revival - Journey Outside of Time Sophomore effort from these Texas psych rockers. A fantastic set of songs that are both heavy and spaced out.
16. Hadal Sherpa - Hadal Sherpa New Finnish band that absolutely stuns with a truly unique sound combining psych and jazz rock into an eminently listenable experience.
15. Thurston Moore - Rock N Roll Consciousness Sonic Youth frontman returns on his latest solo effort, with long exploratory guitar based songs exploring spiritual, sexual, emotional and mystical themes.
14. Jess And The Ancient Ones - The Horse and Other Weird Tales Finnish band leave their more metal roots behind for a full on 60's blast of rockin' psychedelia. Great organ playing!
13. Moon Duo - Occult Architecture Vol. 2 The lighter companion to their darker volume from earlier this year finds the duo producing some nice mellow vibes with their novel concoction of psych and Krautrock.
12. Black Moon Circle - Flowing in the 3rd Dimension Two lengthy studio space rock improvisations from this Norwegian band take you into the dark cosmos.
11. The Sonic Shamen - Tribute to Lemmy Fantastic album from psych/space supergroup of lengthy cosmic improvs.
10. Alice Coltrane - World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda A gorgeous collection of music that late jazz musician Alice Coltrane recorded for her spiritual students; devotional music blending chants, world music and spacey electronics. Truly moving.
9. King Black Acid & the Crystal Unicorn - Super Beautiful Magic Portland, Oregon psych/prog rocker Daniel Riddle returns with possibly his best album to date. Definitely one of his most focused efforts, with some great songwriting.
8. Moths & Locusts - Intro/Outro Canadian band returns for their third full-length, this time really amping up the space rock elements of their sound as they explore acid clouds and gaze at Martian sunrises. Their best yet!
7. Juju - Our Mother Was a Plant Former Lay Llamas wizard Gioele Valenti in his latest incarnation, this sophomore release is a heady brew of Krautrock, electronica and funk that will have your head bopping.
6. Earthling Society - Crooked Under Moonlight EP The third release from the UK band this year, more excellent music that delves into blistering space rock freak outs, hallucinatory folk music and even some jazzier explorations.
5. The Green Ray - Half Sentences Spacey psychedelia that draws on folk and country influences from this UK band with touches of blues, surf and early Pink Floyd. It all makes for a very trippy and satisfying listen.
4. Jonathan Heron - Skylark The alter ego of Jon Chinn of Darkships creates an amazing and distinctive brew of folk music, experimental and Krautrock tunes that explore the psychogeography of the English countryside.
3. Earthling Society - Ascent to Godhead The best of three releases from Earthling Society this year runs the gamut from upbeat space rock to heavy psych to meditative raga to free form experimental sounds, yet it all comes together magically for another amazing release from these guys.
2. Moongazer - Swimming in Mirrors This new band out of Miami, Florida blew me away with their spacey and mellow, unfettered, free floating sonic dreamscapes. Can't wait to hear more from them!
1. Yoskos in the Cosmos - The Will of the Warrior The laid back and spacey folk songs from this Australian artist have captivated me all year. His ayahuasa inspired lyrics are dreamy, frightening, beautiful and touching, his melodies memorable and the gentle touches of psychedelia bring both light and dark shadings to his music.
