{{short description|American psychedelic rock band}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Moon Duo | image = Bowery Ballroom- Moon Duo (15664619722).jpg | landscape = yes | alt = | caption = Moon Duo performing at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC | alias = | origin = San Francisco, California | genre = Psychedelic rock, garage rock, alternative rock, punk blues, garage punk, blues rock | years_active = {{start date|2009}}–present | label = Sacred Bones Records | website = {{Official URL}} | current_members = * Ripley Johnson * Sanae Yamada | past_members = }} '''Moon Duo''' is a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, California formed in 2009 by Wooden Shjips guitarist Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lifestyle.livemint.com/how-to-lounge/art-culture/the-uniquely-psychedelic-ripley-johnson-111614273099724.html|title=The uniquely psychedelic Ripley Johnson|date=February 26, 2021|website=Mint Lounge|first=Sanjoy|last=Narayan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227095517/https://lifestyle.livemint.com/how-to-lounge/art-culture/the-uniquely-psychedelic-ripley-johnson-111614273099724.html|archive-date=February 27, 2021}}</ref>
==History== Their debut album ''Mazes'' was released on Sacred Bones Records in 2011. The band's style is inspired by psychedelic rock, combining repetitive rhythms and saturated guitars. Their influences include Alan Vega of Suicide, Spacemen 3 and Silver Apples.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2053656/moon-duo-lost-heads/music/|title=Moon Duo – 'Lost Heads'|date=August 5, 2019|website=Sterogum|first=Tom|last=Breihan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805173326/https://www.stereogum.com/2053656/moon-duo-lost-heads/music/|archive-date=August 5, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/moon-duo-mn0002384394/biography|title=Moon Duo|date=n.d.|website=AllMusic|first=Heather|last=Phares|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260213041114/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/moon-duo-mn0002384394#biography|archive-date=February 13, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/moon-duo-announce-stars-are-light-sacred-bones-tour-dates|title=Moon Duo to release the celestial ''Stars Are the Light'' on Sacred Bones, followed by earthbound dates|date=July 10, 2019|website=Tiny Mix Tapes|first=David|last=Nadelle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260116053535/https://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/moon-duo-announce-stars-are-light-sacred-bones-tour-dates|archive-date=January 16, 2026|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23212-occult-architecture-vol-2/|title=''Occult Architecture Vol. 2'' – Moon Duo|date=May 17, 2017|website=Pitchfork|first=Marc|last=Masters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251114074342/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23212-occult-architecture-vol-2/|archive-date=November 14, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/03/moon-duos-occult-architecture-psychedelia-guide|title=Moon Duo's guide to psychedelia|first=Ripley|last=Johnson|interviewer-first=Sam|interviewer-last=Richards|date=February 3, 2017|website=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250207201134/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/03/moon-duos-occult-architecture-psychedelia-guide|archive-date=February 7, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> The band's seventh full-length album, ''Stars Are the Light'', was released on September 27, 2019.
Their most recent album, ''Stars Are the Light'' was released to favorable reviews. ''Stereogum'' named it album of the week on September 19, 2019, saying "With their latest album, Moon Duo were thinking about dance, and as such ''Stars Are the Light'' comes with surprising touchstones, with Johnson and Yamada looking back to '70s funk and disco."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2058737/moon-duo-stars-are-the-light-album-review/franchises/album-of-the-week/|title=Album of the Week: Moon Duo ''Stars Are The Light''|date=September 24, 2019|website=Sterogum|first=Ryan|last=Leas}}</ref> Metacritic assigned the album a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from 11 critic scores.<ref name="mc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/stars-are-the-light/moon-duo |title=''Stars Are the Light'' by Moon Duo Reviews and Tracks |website=Metacritic |accessdate=2026-05-21 |date=n.d.}}</ref>
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums === * ''Escape'' (2010) * ''Mazes'' (2011) * ''Mazes Remixed'' (2011) * ''Circles'' (2012) * ''Circles Remixed'' (2013) * ''Live in Ravenna'' (2014) * ''Shadow of the Sun'' (2015) * ''Occult Architecture Vol. 1'' (2017) * ''Occult Architecture Vol. 2'' (2017) * ''Stars Are the Light'' (2019)
=== Singles ===
* ''Planet Caravan'' (2020)
=== EPs ===
* ''Killing Time'' (2009)
=== Compilations ===
*''Occult Architecture Vols 1 & 2'' (2017)
==Awards and nominations== {{Awards table|4|caption={{Screen reader-only|Award nominations for Moon Duo}}}} |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2" | 2013 | rowspan="2" | "Sleepwalker" | Best Music Video | rowspan="2" | Berlin Music Video Awards | {{Runner-up|2nd place}} | rowspan="2" | — | rowspan="2" | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.berlinmva.com/official-selection-2/winners-of-bmva-2013/|title=Winners of the Berlin Music Video Awards 2013|first=Ronit|last=Sapir|date=October 14, 2013}}</ref> |- | Best Director/Actor | {{won}} {{end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Moon Duo}} * {{Official website}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Sacred Bones Records artists