Wooden Shjips

Wooden Shjips hail from present day San Fransisco but when you hear the band you'd think they came from another era where psychedelia reigned supreme.  The band is certainly making an argument for the genre's triumphant return.  Comparisons to Guru Guru and the Velvet Underground are extremely fitting.

As far as describing the bands sound, other than just comparing them to other bands, one of the more interesting ideas I've heard about the band's music is a comparison from their holiest of labels, Holy Mountain.  They suggest the music is similar to that of the Japanese phenomenon called maboroshi, which is somewhat similar to seeing a mirage or hallucinating in time. In the context of imagination/dreams, maboroshi is attributed to past occurrences and can take on a meaning like "phantoms".  As abstract as that seemed when I first read it I don't think there's a more accurate way of describing the Shjips music.  At the risk of sounding a little overzealous, the material is mesmerizing if not awe-inspiring.  After listening to the bands self-titled debut last night, out this week on Holy Mountain, I honestly couldn't wait to post something about the band and in turn share it with everyone.  If you ask me, you might as well jump aboard now because I have a feeling that this is one bandwagon, or should I say Shjip, that will soon be very crowded.

• Wooden Shjips - "We Ask You To Ride" from Wooden Shjips