A Best of 2017 on The Moon


And so, just in time for the main day in The Season of Pagan Cultural Appropriation The Moon presents A Best of 2017. Unfortunately it is not on Playmoss due to developments since A Best of 2017 part 1

Firstly, Soundcloud stopped working on Playmoss; I did expect that Soundcloud might well have disappeared completely by now but it was just due to a change in their "terms of service" and secondly, Playmoss are now attempting to "monetize" by offering subscriptions and have limited new free playlists to just 15 tracks.

Therefore, the full A Best of 2017 on The Moon is brought to you via Spotify. It is not streamable on any old internet connected device but, it can be streamed on any PC or Mac with the odd advert, without having to install Spotify (see below).

With Spotify I am far less restricted on which tracks from each artist I can select, especially as the Vevo/Universal Music restrictions still apply with YouTube and Playmoss. With the loss of Soundcloud, I was able to replace most of the lost tracks in Part 1 with Youtube versions, but could not replace Lana Del Rey or Kathryn Williams.  There are a couple of tracks from Part 1 not on Spotify - The Trimdon Grange Explosion track and there is only one of the two Ty Segall entries included, as there is only two of the many tracks he has released this year on Spotify.

It is 38 more tracks to add to the 50 from Part 1 which now makes an 86 track Spotify playlist. It is a bit less than the last couple of years and it has not been the greatest year for albums, but I have still managed to come across a great deal of top tuneage. Here are The  Moon music Awards:

Best Song: Song For Dora  by Alex Rex
Best Brexshit Blighty Album: You Might Be Smiling Now... by the The Just Joans
Best Album - The Navigator  by Hurray for the Riff Raff
Best Artist: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Thanks go to the usual suspects: The AV Club, A Finest Kiss, Folk Radio UK (FRUK), God Is In The TV and The VPME music blogs, BBC 6Music, Uncut Magazine and the Record Bird Spotify alert service and emails of new releases from Spotify, though it would be helpful if they made the emails readable and with working links in the default email app for Windows 10...

This will also be the last A Best of the year on The Moon as I have decided to not do album Moon posts and instead do monthly(ish) best ofs, just as the likes of A Finest Kiss and VPME have also started to do. The difference is that I will mostly be using the Playmoss free service with the 15 track limit. Therefore, Moon followers will be able to check out top tuneage at regular intervals on any old internet connected device.

There has also been some changes over on Moonblogsfromsyb, as The Moon will be distilling the best of the music blogs/sources above and so GITTV posts etc are longer being automatically added. It has become a less automated, more secure and a more (mostly Brexshit Blighty) news focussed blog.

Part 2 is a bit less diverse but still ranges from Punk Rock, Psych Rock and a bit of electronic Top Pop to Spooky Folk and Americana and a slice of Trip Hop..

As usual it consists of newish tunage I have discovered in recent times and as ever, it will not be comprehensive. Below the playlist is a bit of guff on each artist and links to relevant Moon posts or links to the album Bandcamp page where I have found one. 

Click on the Spotify icon in the playlist or use the link below to open it up in the Spotify Web Player in Chrome and login or register instantly if you have a Facebook account, otherwise it will only play 30 seconds of each track. In Microsoft Edge it will just open up the Web Player when you click to play it, and if you are logged into Spotify already you just need to select play.

If you have the app installed you can set it to not open from a web link in Edit/Preferences/advanced settings. On a smartphone you do have to have the app, and if you are not a subscriber you can only listen to it in shuffle mode.

You can convert it to a number of other streaming services by using Soundiiz

Spotify Web Player link



Part 2

1. The Young'uns - A Place Called England

This is the brilliant opener and only cover from the latest album from this folk trio from the land to the North East of The North. It is full of self-penned brilliance which you can check out on The Moon

This track was first released by Maggie Holland back in 1999, but it does make a great intro to this playlist now that England is a bit woke

2. The Duke Spirit - Magenta

This is a band I was only vaguely aware of when they first appeared in the days just pre Spotify, but in 2015 they came back after a bit of time out on other projects with a very fine new album and with a more expansive sound. The lovely Wounded Wing featuring Mark Lanegan made it onto a Best of 15 and since they have been pretty prolific; releasing an EP in 2016 and then another fine LP this year. This track is a great opener, but the quality is maintained.

3. Ghostpoet  - Woe is Meee

Mr Ghostpoet has quickly become a repeat offender on The Moon as his latest and 2016 LP both featured in Moon posts. This track is one of the more laid-back and features a great contribution from Massive Attack's Daddy G, but the whole album is less guest vocalist heavy.

4. The Velvet Hands  - Games

It is often said these days that there is some sort of crises in guitar music and apparently Kasiban are on a mission to save it, but, as evidenced by this playlist and especially A Best of 16, there is merely a bit of a lack of male led guitar bands. This London/ Cornwall in Brexshit Blighty based band are bucking the trend as they have so far released 8 top tracks that are mostly blistering rock n' roll. This track could be one of the Libertines best but the rest are more akin to the Arctic Monkeys or The Wind-Up Birds

5. Nadine Shah - Evil

From Ms Shah's third and finest LP and second to feature on The Moon and her fourth appearance on a Moon Best Of thanks to her featuring on the excellent Ghostpoet track on a A Best of 16. This track is one of her more straightforward and one that most channels a combination of PJ Harvey and Siouxsie and The Banshees.

 6. Jen Clother -  Regional Echo

Yet another great female singer songwriter from down-under. This track is from her 4th LP  and I have probably only got to know about her due to the fact she is the partner of Courtney Barnett. Her style is similar, though more diverse, more PJ Harvey like, but can also be more mainstream, as with this excellent track. A couple of tracks do plod along a bit, including the 7 minute long second track, but don't let that put you off, as it is a fine album that you can check out via Bandcamp

7. Alvvays  - Your Type

A second Moon Best of entry from this band from the Land of Enlightenment to the north of Trumpyland, as the brilliant Archie, Marry Me was a highlight of a A best of 15, though the rest of their debut album could not quite match it and it could have done with a bit more production and more diversity of sound. Thankfully, their follow up has managed to do that brilliantly and there is also a number of songs that almost match Archie, Marry Me, including this one which is classic C86. Elsewhere there are some great synth sounds and it gets pretty poptastic without getting over-produced; it is a balance I hope they can maintain for album number 3. Check it out via
Bandcamp

7. Juanita Stein - America

Ms Stein is the lead singer of Howling Bells, who are a Brexshit Blighty based band of Australians. I did check out their last highly regarded LP, but it did not manage to float my boat. However, her debut solo LP is the best album of 2017 I have come across not to get a Moon post. The songs and subject matter are rather reminiscent of Lana Del Rey and it is what I would hope Miss Grant would sound like if she decided to do an album of Americana.

 9. Ty Segall   - Pan

This is the second entry on A Best of 17 for the ever prolific Mr Segall, as since the January release of his excellent last album he has released a  couple of EPs plus 5 single releases that will appear on his new double LP out in January.  As ever with the Drag City label, there is a limit to what is streamable, but for some reason the two track Sentimental Goblin EP has been put on Spotify and so I can include Pan here. There are also some excellent tunes on the 5 track  Fried Shallots EP and proceeds from it are going to the American Civil Liberties Movement, though now it is fully streamable via Bandcamp along with his self -titled LP from Jan 2017.

10. Yassassin  -  Cherry Pie

Yassassin are five ladies from London who are the VPME's top tip for 2018 and their output so far has impressed. I could have added Social Politics, their excellent debut single, on a best of 2016, but thought it best to wait to see what followed. There has just been a 4 track EP in 2017, but it maintains a high quality and contains this slice of rock n' roll with a wonderfully deranged ending.

11. Beach Fossills   - Tangerine

From Brooklyn NY and brought to my attention by the A Finest Kiss blog. It is therefore unsurprisingly classic indie rock n' roll. It is their third LP and A Finest Kiss described their sound as reinvigorated after a disappointing second LP.  It is pleasantly varied with guest appearances from Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell and rapper Cities Aviv and has a sound excellently described by A Finest Kiss as "gauzy pop influenced by High Llamas, the Bee Gees and Burt Bacharach". As usual with recommendations from A Finest Kiss the album is on Bandcamp

12. Catholic Action  - Doing Well

This new band from Glasgow in The Land of More Enlightenment to the north of The North take the award for best new band name of the year and are also the most un-Glasgow sounding band from Glasgow  I have ever come across. They are another case of a new band releasing a number of singles, with B sides that are generally more interesting than the A sides, but then releasing an album that does not match up to the pre- released material. Though the album does at least not include all the previous A sides and B sides and their early releases have not been removed from Spotify etc. This track is their most radio friendly and best A side and a playlist of all their releases does create an interesting and varied listen.

13. Widowspeak -  The Dream

Another band from Brooklyn NY and a second entry on a  Moon Best of as the opening track from their late 2015 LP was featured on A Best of 16. Again I have featured the opening track which is just as gorgeous as it's predecessor, however it is less of an obvious standout on a very fine album that is more NY sounding and less Americana, bringing to mind post debut album Mazzy Star, but with better tunes. Check it out via Bandcamp

14. Wild Billy Childish and CTMF - I've Got a Conflicted Mind

CTMF is the latest incarnation of Billy Childish  an outsider artist who has produced a prodigious amount  of music and art since the late 70s.  This year he released his 5th LP since 2013 with CTMF and it is the most polished sounding record I have heard from him. The sound is reminiscent of the excellent 2015 Wave Pictures LP he produced and co-wrote. Some extra diversity is added by two of the best tracks being brilliantly sung by his wife aka "Nurse Julie".

This track is also a cracker and best represents the album as a whole.

15  Phoebe Bridgers -  Funeral

Ms Bridgers hails from Los Angeles, California and her debut recording was released via Ryan Adams PAXAM label and this track is one that would fit very well into Mr Adams classic Heartbreaker album.

Her debut album is a diverse and impressive listen, one of the best I have come across to not get a Moon post. You can check it out on Bandcamp

16. White Wine - The Art of Not Knowing

A second entry onto a Moon best of from this Berlin based American/German band who swiftly became repeat offenders on The Moon

17. Seamus Fogerty  - Number 1

Mr Fogerty is a London based Irishman originally from Co Mayo in what will be over the border into the EU once the little englanders and the Demonic Unionist Party have managed to relegate the whole of the UK to the championship..

He was brought to my attention by the ever excellent FRUK blog, but his sound is pleasingly hard to pigeonhole, his websites bio describes it as  "soul-stirring alt-folk, country, blues and electronica".

18. Torres – Helen in The Woods

This Nashville singers  2015 album featured on The Moon  and I described it as a mixture of quite a bit of PJ Harvey, but with a bit of Lana Del Rey and Sharon Von Etten added in. Her new album is quite different, and it did throw me somewhat to begin with, but eventually I did get it. It is a very modern sounding record, with a lot less guitar and more synth sounds, but is also brilliantly strange as exemplified by this track.

19. Martin Carr  - Three Studies of a Male Back

A second entry for Mr Carr on A best of 17 after Gold Lift his brilliantly political one-off single, released just before the UK June general election, featured on A Best to 17 part 1. This track is from his latest solo LP which is made up of 8 songs he recorded before Gold Lift and though they have a similar poptastic sound, the songs are much more introspective. The results are impressive and it also great to hear there is more to come including more politics you can dance to

This track was inspired by a Francis Bacon painting of the same name and  also has the best opening line of the year.

20. Wooden Arms - 20,000 Streets Under the Sky

From "a genre-fluid contemporary quintet" from Norwich in Brexshit Blighty. They first appeared on The Moon when the wonderful False Start featured on A Best of 2014 . This track shares a title with, and I presume is inspired by, the trilogy on life around a pub in London published in the early 1930s by Patrick Hamilton. Check out all the streamable Wooden Arms tracks via Playmoss on
The Moon

21. Julie & The Wrong Guys – You Wanted What I Wanted

Julie is Julie Doiron an award-winning  singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage from The Land of Enlightenment to the north of Trumpyland.  She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the  band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990 and she has released ten solo albums.

But I have only heard of her with the release of her latest LP with The Wrong Guys. It is apparently a return to her more rock n' roll 90s sound and this track well represents an LP that does rawk splendidly. Check it out on Bandcamp

22. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard With Mild High Club -  The Book

I did mention on A Best of 17 part one that the 3rd of 5 albums they were releasing in 2017 would be  "Jazz based" and I did not hold out much hope for it as I expected it to be mainly overly long instrumentals, but I was pleasantly surprised by an album of mostly song based psychedelic jazz written and recorded with the help of Alex Britten aka The Mile High Club. This is one of the highlights and there are a few instrumentals, but one is a Doctor Who like theme tune highlight. Their fourth album of the year Polygondwanaland was given away for free, including the master tapes for fans to make CDs and records to sell for themselves, but musically it another one for the fans. At time of press they are releasing tracks from the 5th record on Ubend and it sounds like they might be ending the year on a high.....

All of their releases, and probably by now their 5th of the year, can be found on Bandcamp

23. The Luxembourg Signal – There's Nothing More Beautiful Than A Well-Made Machine

This is a bunch of indie veterans from LA, Trumpyland who’s brilliant debut as Luxembourg Signal featured on The Moon back in late 2014 and the last track Let it Go was a highlight of A Best of 2014.

Their second album kicks off and carries on the more expansive sound of Let it Go without quite matching it, but this opener comes close, as do a few others. The album is less varied and indie sounding than its predecessor and is rather New Order like in places.

24. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile – Continental Breakfast

Ms Barnett gets her third entry on to a Moon Best of and Mr Vile gets his second for the year as he also featured with Hope Sandoval in part 1. It comes from an album that was originally going to be an EP, but was made into an LP by doing covers of each others songs and a couple of other covers. The highlight is Ms Barnett's cover of A Fear is Like a Forest originally released by her other half Jen Clother who also features above. Mr Vile also does a great version of Ms Barnett's Otta the Woodwork. This track is a highlight of the new songs, which do tend towards Mr Vile's more laidback style, but Ms Barnetts adds a bit of energy that I find a bit lacking in Mr Vile's solo material. You can check it out on Bandcamp

25. Miss World  - Click and Yr Mine

Miss World is the new musical incarnation of London/Toronto based artist Natalie Chahal previously known as Natalie Bang Bang and also currently half of Shit Girlfriend with a Laura-Mary Carter.

As Miss World she has released a 4 track EP with a more rock n' roll sound compared to her previous incarnation and it is quite a step up. They are the sort of songs I would hope Lana Del Rey would come up with if she decided to go punk, but then if she did no doubt it would be reported that she  approves of the fame obsession of Put Me in a Movie (also a Miss Grant song title) or just wants a man to buy her dinner, is obsessed with internet shopping and thinks lip jobs are great. What would be super- ironic would be a cover of Lip Job by Miss Grant...

Check it out on Bandcamp

26. The Burning Hell - Canadian Wine

A second entry from a Best of 17 from these indie veterans from The Land of Enlightenment to the north of Trumpyland, as the brilliant Fuck the Government, I love You from their 2016 album featured on part 1. They have since released another album in 2017 and though it is not quite as good as their 2016 effort, it is still very good indeed and a lot longer. It features this excellent ditty about gate crashing a wedding as the world ends. Check it out on Bandcamp

27. Deadbeat Beat - Mary Mary

One of my fave discoveries of the year thanks to the October round-up from A Finest Kiss. As before, I may as well just quote them again: "Detroit, Michigan band Deadbeat Beat released When I Talk To You on cassette way back in 2011. Six years later it get’s a vinyl treatment. Make no mistake this record is an early 10’s surfy-garage rock classic that has elements of Buddy Holly, Beach Boys, and Agent Orange."

They have released a new single this year and so I hope a new album of more recently recorded material will be out soon. In the meantime you can find this LP and more on Bandcamp

28. OCS - Memory of a Cut off Head

This band aka The Orinoka Crash Suite Orange County Sound, The Ohsees, The Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees and Oh Sees are mainly the different incarnations since 1997 of  John Dwyer from San Francisco CA in Trumpyland. I have checked out recent Oh Shees albums as they have always had great reviews and are compared to the likes of Ty Segall, but unlike with Mr Segall, I have failed to find the tunes beneath the noise. It has not been helped by the records not all being available in the usual places  and maybe I should give them another go, now that they are, and because this album is a return to the quieter sound of his first incarnation as OCS and it is full of top tunes. Check it out on Bandcamp

29. The Deep Dark Woods -  Fallen Leaves

A very appropriately named band from The Land of Enlightenment to the north of Trumpyland, as they sound like The Tindersticks doing Americana but with great tunes. It is their 6th LP, but they were only brought to my attention by FRUK and they described brilliantly how they are not very folk in sound, but in subject matter they are rather spooky folk as " there are no maypoles to dance around", but "out of the nine tracks, two concern specific deaths, another a murder, a couple dwell on lost loves (and wanting to die) which leaves a song about a terrible flood for light relief."

30. The Just Joans - Biblically Speaking

From one of the albums of the year from these indie veterans from Glasgow in The Land of More Enlightenment to the north of The North. This is just one of many brilliant tracks and is like Belle and Sabastian at their very best only more amusing. Stream the album directly on The Moon via Bandcamp.

31. Ye Vagabonds -  So Long Forgotten

Another discovery via FRUK and one that is actual folk music, but it is my fave sort of dark n' spooky folk. They hail from the south east of the land that will contain the only land border between the Union of Enlightenment and  Brexshit Blighty. It is their debut LP and is available in the usual places and on Bandcamp

32. Wolf Alice  - Space and Time

It took me a while to get into this record, as it had taken an age for them to release their first LP it was a surprise when the second came round so quickly. Andy Von Pip over on the VMPE has described it as a "a brave and bold album which sees the band expand their sonic palette". Which is true but it does not quite all work and it does not have the sheer weight of tuneage of their debut. This track is one of the more straight up tracks that fits into the playlist well, but there are a few other highlights. Don't Delete the Kisses is gorgeous, but I did appreciate it more after hearing it sung live and could actually make out the words..

33. Edward Penfold – Grasshooper

A second entry on a Moon best of from this artist and time traveller (he was born on the Isle of Wight) His first  LP brought to mind a Syd Barrett, Ray Davies inspired collaboration between Graham Coxen and Julian Cope, but this new record is more like Syd Barrett singing songs written with and produced by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy infamy. Check it out via Bandcamp

34. Onsind – Heat up the Blade

I have only recently realised Onsind are most of two time Moon Best of offenders Martha from The Land to the north east of The North.  And this is their 4th LP. It kicks off sounding very Martha like but then from track 3 it becomes less punk and more folky. The lyrics are just as great and are a bit more political. Check it out and much more on Bandcamp

35. Lilly Hiatt   -  Trinity Lane

Another top discovery of some great non-folk music thanks to FRUK. She is the daughter of John Hiatt and she is based in Nashville and her sound is Americana but there is also a big influence from the 90s rock she grew up with, such as the Pixies, Breeders, Dinosaur Jr and  Pearl Jam.

It is a very honest album inspired by heartache and trying to stay sober. This track is one of a few stand outs and one not about lost love, but about getting back to Trinity Lane in East Nashville and getting her shit together. If I had come across it earlier I might well have done a Moon post for it, but you can check it out in the usual places and on Bandcamp

36. The Staves and yMusic - My Silent Side

The three sisters from Watford in Brexshit Blighty have been doing a good job of not getting themselves pigeonholed after their good, but a bit MOR folk second LP and now have their third Moon Best of entry. They have recently released an interesting  EP and a one off foul- mouthed single and then an album with yMusic, a New York City–based ensemble. It is their least folky or Americana recording as it is mainly their voices backed by strings, with the odd instrumental that add a bit of an experimental edge. This track is however one of the more straight up songs and is lovely.

37. Belle and Sebastian -  I'll Be Your Pilot

These indie veterans from Glasgow in The Land of More Enlightenment to the north of The North are going back to their roots and releasing a few EPs over the next few months. The first one has been released and it is a mixed bag of styles and sounds, but this track is a single for presumably the next release and it is a classic slice of Belle and Sebastian lovelynous.

38. Sufjan  Stevens  - Tonya Harding

Mr Stevens has had a busy year, releasing  Planetarium with Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister, which had a tracked featured in Part 1 below, a live album of his 2016 album Carrie and Lowell and then an album of Carrie and Lowell outtakes and remixes which I enjoyed more than the original. However, all of these songs were written well before 2017, but then this month he has released two singles from film soundtracks, firstly The Mystery of Love from the namesake movie and then this track from I, Tonya the biographical sports black comedy about Tonya Harding. And as ever with Mr Stevens it is bloody lovely. With the exception of The Mystery of Love all his releases are on Bandcamp

Part 1

1. Joseph Coward - Coming Down

I would have liked to have kicked off this playlist with the brilliant Coming Down from this LP, but it is not available via Playmoss and so instead we have this single which is Mr Coward at his most poptastic. He is someone with an interesting past of being born into and escaping a religious cult, and his experience is certainly reflected in his music. It is his second LP, his first from 2014 is also very good, but I did discover it until last year. This new LP came out in late 2016 and is my favourite from that year to not have its own Moon post.

2. Ural Thomas and the Pain - Pain (is the Name of Your Game)

This is a new version of a song Mr Thomas first released back in 1967,  but this is a radically different and much improved version released on his latest LP from 2016. The album is very fine soul with soul that can also rock n' roll.

3. Camp Claude - Golden Prize

This is the cracking lead track from a fine album of poptastic electronica from three "citizens of nowhere"  -  The French-American Diane Sagnier, the British Mike Giffts and the Swedish Leo Hellden. It is another album I was not sure about but went back to after hearing this track again in one of Mr Any Von Pip's excellent podcasts from his VPME blog.

4. Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions - Let Me Get There

Ms Sandoval has one of my fave voices and the debut Mazzy Starr LP, from way back in 1990, is a classic. However, subsequent releases have not managed to float my boat, even the much admired second Mazzy Starr LP, but this new Warm Inventions LP has. It is pretty laid back, but it at least manages to almost match the songcraft of the classic Mazzy Star debut, especially this track which is a duet with Kurt Vile. It is now the second entry onto a Moon Best of for Ms Sandoval, as she featured on the gorgeous I Don't Mind  from The Psychic Ills on A Best of 16

5. Puberty - Nature Calls

From one of a number of albums from 2016 I got into belatedly thanks to the end of year best of from the A Finest Kiss blog. They are from Seattle, Trumpyland and a project of The Intelligence frontman Lars Finberg and former member  Susanna Welbourne.  It is a fine album of punky indie rock. This track is a highlight and the most raucous.

6. The Burning Hell - Fu*ck the Government, I Love You

This is the best song I have come across from 2016 that did not get on A Best of 2016. They are a Canadian indie institution, recommended by both A Finest Kiss and FRUK and their sound is like a mashup of the best bits of Belle and Sebastian and The Wave Pictures. I presume this track might have been inspired by the previous Canadian government, but it is now very relevant to Brexshit Blighty in 2017.

7. Flyying Colours - 1987

This is the third time this Australian band have featured on a Moon best of and the second time it has been a track released the year before as I was again alerted to it via A Finest Kiss. The album carries on in the same vein as there previous EPs, though again nothing quite matches Wavy Gravy from their debut EP. This track is their most poptastic to date and is very appropriately named as it a very fine slice of C86 inspired indie pop.

8. Snails  - Jennifer Jones

From another album that featured on the end of year best of from the A Finest Kiss but I had already heard of them from elsewhere, especially this track, which is a great slice of Syd Barretesque like top pop. The album is not available on Microsofts Goove Music and, limited to listening to is via Bandcamp I had not quite got into it in time for A Best of 16, but I did manage to in January and it is a fine LP which is reminiscent of early Belle and Sebastian. They have also released a new 4 track EP this year, which is also available on their Bandcamp site.

9. Hotels - Wildwood

Also via  A Finest Kiss, but this time from their Belated List of 2016 Seattle LP’s
Apparently,  they have been "knocking around Seattle for years, and have released a number of albums and singles but none as good as their latest." This cinematic soul, a one for Dame Shirley Bassey, track is a highlight with a great vocal, but also not very representative as the rest of the album as it has male lead vocals and is also rather like Belle and Sebastian.

10. Austra - Future Politics

Rather like Camp Claude this is an album I was not sure about initially, but it was highly recommended by many sources and always featured this excellent lead track. The rest of the album is also poptastic electronica, but not quite as instantly gettable as this track.

11. The Flaming Lips - The Castle

Into 2017 at last and a track from an album I was looking forward to after their excellent EP from 2015. It did not quite live up to expectations, with quite a bit of filler, but the best of both does make an LPs worth if great and inventive tunage. Although, I am not your typical Flaming Lips fan as I still think their Heady Ffrends collaboration from 2013 is the best LP I have heard from them.

12. Ron Gallo - Young Lady, You're Scaring Me

From a pretty impressive debut LP from this New Yorker who is a bit of a mashup of Ezra Furman and Jimi Hendrix. Although, anyone with kids might not appreciate the rather preachy Why Did You Have Kids, plus it is not a great song, but this opener is one of many highlights.

13. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Billabong Valley

From the first of 5 albums they plan to release in 2017 and it was a great start and meant they gained their third Moon post. The second Murder in the Universe is more for the hardcore, although it is a fun listen. The next LP is apparently jazz based...They were also one of the highlights of my armchair Glastonbury, despite playing mostly tracks I don't like much.

14. Ty Segall - Break A Guitar (not Spotify)

A first appearance from Mr Segall in a Moon Best of since the Grooveshark one from 2012, but he could have been in virtually every year since but for the fact Drag City do not allow his stuff to be streamed from the usual places, in Brexshit Blighty at least. That said, this latest LP is a  return in style to his 2012 releases. It does not quite match a best of the two LPs he released in 2012, but it is the most consistent and varied LP I think he has released. This track is the opener and one of the most conventional tracks. It is not a  particular highlight, but just the one track that has had an official Ubend release, but thankfully not via Vevo and so usable in Playmoss.

15. Trindon Grange Explosion - Weeping and Wailing  (not Spotify)

Sadly not available on Spotify etc, but this is one of many highlights from these London folk rockers. Their sound ranges from being remarkably Teenage Fanclub like to this gorgeous slice of spook folk. You can check it out on The Moon

16. Bleached - Dear Trouble

A track that marries punk rock with an Abbaesqe melody, from the EP of the year so far from a band who featured on The Moon last year, and it  hopefully points to a great third album. The lead singer also pulled together the Can You Deal zine in support of Planned Parenthood.

17. Hurray for the Riff Raff - Living in the City

This is a band I had previously been aware of, but had not floated my boat despite the rave reviews, but for this album Alynda Segarra, put together a new band which managed to create a great new and more modern style. This is one of the many great tracks that together make one of the albums of the year so far. Check it out on The Moon

18. Ryan Adams - It Will Never Be the Same on Spotify or Burn The Night on Playmoss

Mr Adams has been as prodigious as ever and as with the year of his last album release I have pulled all my faves together on Ryan Adams Recent Decent on The Moon

As before, many of the  most interesting tracks are not on the album and ironically, his Ubend content does not work in Playmoss as it is from UMG. So for Playmoss we have one of  his 2015 self released singles via his PAXAM label and on Spotify we have a track from the 18 track Prisoner B Sides, originally released with the box set, but now streamable from the usual places.

19. Ha Ha Tonka - Favor

Their previous album had a Moon post, but this latest effort does not quite match it. That said, I did end up enjoying it despite initial reservations. It follows the same pattern as the last LP by kicking off with some big tunes reminiscent of other more successful bands; beginning with Kings of Leon at their best; then Wilco at their most mainstream; then Coldplay at their worst and then some old skool like Mumford and Sons. It gets better in the second half where they stick to their default mode of early Wilco, although the electronic and poptastic Land Beyond works surprisingly well.

20. Dead Man Winter - Destroyer

This is from the solo project of Dave Simonett, the lead singer of Trampled by Turtles from Minnesota, Trumpyland, who kicked off  A Best of 14 on The Moon. It is more mainstream alt Americana than the more folky Turtles, but the songs are top quality. And this track has a great video featuring a bevy of famous faces.

21. Dear Reader - Oh, the Sky

The gorgeous opener from a brilliant 4th LP from this South African who is now German based. The album is sadly still not on Microsoft's Groove music, but is available to stream on The Moon via Bandcamp and in the other usual places.

22. Hannah Lou Clark - Matilda

This is the opening track from her third EP, all of which are of a very high standard and you can check out on The Moon. I hope a great album, that does not feature many of these tracks follows and none of the EPs disappear from Spotify etc.

23. Laura Marling - The Valley

Her last LP was the first I had got into since her second, as I thought she had been repeating herself a bit. This  new LP carries on where Short Movie left off by bringing more variation to her sound, though it does not quite match Short Movie, mainly because it has only 9 songs. This track is one that would fit into her earlier records, but it is gorgeous.

24. State Broadcasters - I'll Sing With Yer

My song of the Summer and what should be the festival anthem of the year. From a cracking album featured on The Moon by a band from The Land of More Enlightenment to the North of  The North, and who are like a great combination of some of Glasgow's finest bands.

25. Angharad Drake - Baby

The great opening track from this debut album of gorgeous folk from Downunder. She had released 3 mini LPs previously, but this track and a couple of others on the LP introduced a fuller sound that I hope is developed more in the future. Check it out on The Moon

26. Chris T-T - #Worst Government Ever

He is an artist I have been aware of for a while and another one I re-checked out thanks to a VPME podcast and his last 9 track album turns out to be one of the best I missed last year. This track is now more relevant than ever, although with hindsight the UK government of 2015-17 would be hard to beat, but then you could say it is continuing but, thankfully, in a contained way. The track Love Me I'm a Liberal is my personal anthem, it is a re-write/ update of a Phil Ochs song of the same name, but I think he improves the lyrics and gives it a load more melody.

27. Father John Misty - Two Wildly Different Perspectives

From an album that divided critics somewhat, an ambitious effort that does not quite live up to itself. His single track releases last year were promising and if you work in the poptastic Real Love and the weird but wonderful Maybe, Sweet One, You Won't Have Nightmares Tonight, and move the epic but never ending Leaving LA to the end, then it makes for a fine playlist to match his previous efforts, which also have their share of underwhelming tracks. But when he is good he is brilliant, like with this track and he was a highlight of my armchair Glastonbury experience.

28. Monkoora - Bocx World

The lead track from a 6 track EP that is the most distinctive and inventive music I have come across this year. Monkoora is Julie Crawford and hails from Edinburgh in The Land of More Enlightenment to the North of The North. This track also manages to represent the way many must be feeling about the world in general. The EP is available on the main streaming services, except for Microsoft's Groove Music and her previous releases can be found on Bandcamp.

29. Martin Carr - Gold Lift

The main man from the legendary Boo Radleys released this just before #GE2017 and it has turned out to be a great representation of the times we are in. It's lyrics say it all, but the upbeat and dam funkay sound make it make most sense post election result.  It is his only release this year, hopefully there is more to come, but for now check out A Best of Martin Carr on the Moon via Spotify or stream a best of Bravecaptain, his initial post Boo incarnation,  directly on The Moon via Playmoss.

30. The Asteroid Boys - Foreigners

Some Tip Top Hip Hop from Cardiff in The Land of More Enlightenment to the West of The North. They are yet to release an LP but have released a number of EPs and this track is the one of the top political tracks of the year.

31. Gorillaz - We Got the Power

Mr Alburn is the most featured artist in his multiple incarnations on Moon best ofs, and after a year off he is back with one of his most Poptastic moments. He is aided and a abetted by Jehnny Beth from Savages who reveals a fantastic voice that has not been done justice with her bands material so far and by some bloke called Noel Gallagher, who is a big Stevie Wonder fan and this track is reminiscent of Mr Wonder's finest work; it may have been the reason Mr Albarn asked Mr Gallagher to contribute or it may be part of his contribution. The rest of the album is an uplifting and dizzying array of further collaborations with the up and coming and with a couple of legends. It is another remarkable achievement from Mr Albarn.

Check out Gorillaz Live on The Moon

32. Chilli Gonzales and Jarvis Cocker - Tearjerker

Mr Cocker follows up his entry on A Best of 16 with a track from his interesting collaboration with Mr Gonzales. I always wished there were a bit less of talky bits in Pulp records, but in this setting, and with last years Likely Stories EP it works well. Still, it would be great to her him properly sing some new material at some point.

Check out A Yorkshire Treasure: A Best of Pulp and Jarvis on The Moon

33. The Black Angels - Currency

This is from a  psychedelic rock band from Austin Texas, deep in Trumplyand, who have been around for a while but have only come to my attention with their recent release. This is cracking opening track rocks and also gets a bit political. The rest of the album continues in pretty much the same vein, but this track has the most instant impact.

34. Mark Lanegan - Goodbye to Beauty

A track from his latest LP and one of many top songs as usual, but like his last album it is not as brilliant as his Blues Funeral album from 2012. He is repeating himself a bit, I hope his next effort is different, even a change to a very retro style would be welcome as his voice and the quality of the songs will always make it stand out. This track is one of the few quieter moments with a less brooding style and is rather lovely.

35. UV-TV - Run, Run (Morning Sun)

From a cracking debut LP from a trio from Florida in Trumpyland. It kicks off with 4 short burst that sound like The Primatives on steroids, but then this track comes along and is more like  The Vaselines on steroids and then later on there are some epic slower and longer tracks that bring to mind the the likes of Spaceman 3. Unsurprisingly, The Finest Kiss loved it.

36. The Paperhead- The True Poet

A cracking opening track from the third album from "Nashville’s best-kept secret". It is an album of Blighty influenced psychedelic rock n' roll channelling the likes of Ray Davies and Syd Barrett.

37. Charles Latham - Dressed Up For Nothin'

From a top album of alt-folk americana from Virginia Trumpyland, but with formative experience in Brighton, an outpost of enlightenment in what is now Brexshity Blighty. This track is one of the most folky and traditional on an LP that is consistently brilliant but also varied. Check it out on The Moon

38. Alex Rex - Song for Dora

One of the tracks of the year, from one of the albums of the year from the solo project of the leader of Trembling Bells, a folk rock group from Glasgow in The Land of More Enlightenment to the North of The North. Find out more and check out the LP on The Moon

39. Kathryn Williams - Common Ground

Ms Williams has a voice I have admired for years, but I have never been taken by her songs until I heard this track which is a beautiful instant boat floater. It is from an album that is a soundtrack to a novel by Laura Barnett called Greatest Hits. The lyrics were written by Ms Williams with Ms Barnett, and though this track is sonically what I would expect from Ms Williams, this project has resulted in a very varied LP and one that is consistently very good, it even positively rocks in places, just maybe a bit too politely.

40. The Wolfhounds - Stupid Poor

This is a band who featured on the original C86 tape. They then went onto develop their sound to be more akin to the likes of the Pixies or Sonic Youth, but then split in 1990. Then in 2005 they reformed and have bucked the usual trend by managing to produce some great new music. This track jumps out at you, but it is a fine album of politically charged rock n' roll.

41. Sweet Baboo - Humberside

A gorgeous track about getting away to the mystical land of Humberside, it is said that part, or all of it is within God's Very Own County. This is another album not available on Microsoft's Groove Music but inexplicably you can stream it on The Moon via Ubend and find it on Bandcamp. The quality matches his last, also Moon featuring LP, but is just shorter. This track is the most Divine Comedy like and most like the last LP, but the rest of the album is a bit more electronic and with Pink Rainbow it gets a bit funkay.

42. Tender Prey - Bury Me At The Temple

Another fine album from Miss Byron of self-described Sleaze Blues from Cardiff. Which like her debut featured on The Moon  It has no obvious stand out track but this one is a good representation.

43. Cigarettes After Sex - Apocalypse

This is the project of Greg Gonzalez, which he started in 2008 as an experimental recording project in a stairwell in the University of Texas. The results ended up being released as an EP and lead track was recently used to great effect in an very moving scene in The Handmaidens Tale, which is my top telly of the year so far.

He is now New York based and there has been a few single releases, including this track from this year and from the recently released debut LP. This track is a good indication of the album that does not include the early EP tracks, so a very good playlist can be put together from all the releases so far, but it is all a bit one paced, which can also be said about....

44. Lana Del Rey - Summer Bummer

From another overly long and oddly track-listed LP from the ever generous  Miss Grant. But you can make a 12 track LP from it and re-order it to make what would be a very good LP that is pretty diverse and less one paced, although not nearly as diverse or multi-paced as A Best of the Rest of Lana Del Rey on The Moon Part 4

This track is a languid highlight, but it is not her first or best collaboration with ASAP Rocky as you can find the excellent Ridin on A Best of the Rest of Lana Del Rey on The Moon Part 2

45. Algiers - The Underside of Power

This is the brilliant lead track from this anglo-American band. It is the most modern soul with soul I have come across, which is also inspiringly political. This track is a stand out, but it is from one of the most inventive albums of the year.

46. Noga Erez - Off the Radar

The cracking title track from an impressively inventive debut LP of hip hoppy electro from Israel. Also inspiringly political, taking on specific issues in her country and the more universal issue of misogyny.

47. Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister - Mercury

This is from an album for a project that has been brewing since 2011. Many of the songs were first used in a live 2012 production of  Planetarium as a suite of songs celebrating the solar system, with full orchestral backing. However, the album has ended up sounding like a Sufjan Stevens record and could be seen as the follow up to his The Age Of Adz  record from 2010. There is a lot of filla but it all sounds lovely.

48. Big Thief - Capacity

This track does not match the brilliant Real Love as featured on A Best of 16 from the debut LP from this New York based band. They have followed their debut with a new LP lacking in obvious standouts, but one that is more consistent.  It is a brave record to release so soon after the impact of the debut, but it is a great listen if you give it a little time.

49. Billy Bragg - The Sleep of Reason

The first of a number of new political numbers Mr Bragg will be releasing this year, and it is a great start. He had said it should not be up to him to bring politics to pop anymore and that it should come from a new generation, but I guess 2016 changed all that. A new generation has also stepped up, often supported and encouraged by Mr Bragg and with the likes of Grime4Corbyn. He has made this track available in all the usual places, but sadly the lyric video on Ubend is on his Vevo channel which does not work in Playmoss, and so we have a live acoustic version. It is not studio quality, but it is Mr Bragg with a guitar and the words are clear - what more could you want? Check out A Very Best of Billy Bragg and More on The Moon

50. Blondie - Heart of Glass (Crabtree Remix)

This is the second track on this playlist to also feature on The Handmaidens Tale, the TV of the year so far. It is used in an amazing riot scene in part 3 of the first series and is a mash up of the classic Blondie track and Violin Concerto II by Phillip Glass and turns the top pop tune into a melancholic masterpiece.

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