Top 30 albums of 2017: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway there, folks. Things only get better from here.

#15 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana

The year of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard began with the first of their five planned releases for 2017.  Yes, five.  Flying Microtonal Banana unleashes the band’s new obsession with microtones and provided a link between their outstanding Nonagon Infinity to the rest of their catalogue.

#14  – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe

Easily the craziest album of the year for me, the second release from KGATLW of 2017 is a concept album about a man turned into a cyborg by a giant monster.  That man then decides the only way to end his suffering is to destroy the universe so he can finally embrace death.

#13 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with Mild High Club – Sketches of Brunswick East

Yes, that’s three KGATLW albums in a row in my top 15.  This one, a joint effort with Mild High Club, is my favorite and the mellowest.  It’s a delightful change from the heaviness of Murder of the Universe and has some of their best psychedelic grooves.

#12 – Jackie Shane – Any Other Way

This is probably the best reissue of the year.  In case you didn’t know (and many of us didn’t), Jackie Shane was a talented performer on the soul scene in the 1950’s and 1960’s who gained most of her fame in Canada and then disappeared into obscurity almost as fast as she became a star.  She also did this while being a transgendered black woman during a time when openly living in a such a way was a great way to get thrown in jail or worse.  This double-disc album is eye-opening and jaw-dropping.  You’ll be amazed that you’ve never heard her before and want to her more of her all the time.

#11 – Zombie Zombie – Livity

I almost forgot how much I missed France’s Zombie Zombie until I heard them again on this new album.  It’s an expansive soundscape of sci-fi synths, processed beats, and mood-shifting analog sounds.  You need this if you’re into electro, synthwave, or altering your reality.

Who’s in the top ten?  Come back soon, my friends!

Keep your mind open.

[Make it your New Year’s resolution to subscribe.]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with Mild High Club – Sketches of Brunswick East

The year of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard continues with their fourth album of 2017 – Sketches of Brunswick East.  This is a collaboration with psych-rocker pals Mild High Club made while the bands were hanging out for a couple weeks.

It’s a mellower album that their previous release, Murder of the Universe, with a cool jazz fusion sound to the entire thing.  “Countdown” is one of the more relaxing tracks in their entire catalogue.  “D-Day” has a light sense of menace and even some guitar touches reminiscent of Flying Microtonal Banana.  “Tezeta” has a sweet bass lick throughout it and could even be described as “jaunty” while it keeps its trippy touches (and vocals from Murder of the Universe‘s doomed cyborg Hyan-Tumi).

“The Spider and Me” could almost be the theme to a beloved and forgotten 1960’s cartoon.  The instrumental “Sketches of Brunswick East II” brings to mind an afternoon spent at a closed and forgotten seaside resort.  KGALTW’s front man Stu MacKenzie plays a lovely flute while warped electric piano (perhaps played by a ghost at the aforementioned resort) bounces along next to him.  “Dusk to Dawn on Lygon St” is another happy trip, perhaps along a coastal road at sunrise.  The bass work on this and the previous track is outstanding, by the way.  It roots both songs.

“The Book” is a witty takedown on Bible thumpers and almost has a lounge jazz sound to it.  “A Journey to (S)Hell” is a bit nightmarish, but in a way that would make you wake up wondering if what you dreamed was real and not in a way that would wake you up in a pool of sweat.  “Rolling Stoned” is another great instrumental that flows out of your speakers in weird curves.  “You Can Be Your Silhouette” is a catchy tune about embracing the idea of being a blank slate without the trappings of modern culture, and “Sketches of Brunswick East III” ends the album on a subtle psychedelic note.

Sketches of Brunswick East is a welcome departure from the heaviness of KGATLW’s last there records.  Mind you, I love those records, but this foray into lighter, jazzier, trippier fare is a good choice by them.  It’s a good choice by you to buy it.

Keep your mind open.

[I hope I can count on you to subscribe.]