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By: Mark Gomes
Date: 11th Jul 08
Release: Album
To Cure: Hypertension
What:
Volume 1
Who:
Wooden Shjips
On:
Holy Mountain
Where:
Missing Link
Related links:
'Dance California' video / MySpace
Jamming good - San Francisco's Wooden Shjips have all the sea rhythm and outsized heaviness their name suggests. Loving on the strung-out sounds of ‘60s dead flower psychedelic rock, these guys make no beef with dropping out completely - ploughing a riff into the red ad nauseam and deep into the earth. Sounding like a Les Razilles Denude cover band is a miraculous thing, but Wooden Shjips do it - and if that's the worst thing you can say about them, at the same time it's also the best. Dig on the hopped-up Doors organ, heaving bass, harsh riffing and general magma-heavy vibes here, tripper.
Volume 1 collects the group's early out-of-print vinyl material - six mammoth tracks arched as one huge smoke rainbow. 'Shrinking The Moon For You' is balls-to-the wall from the start - the simplest of riffs played at tearing volume for eight, juiced-up and humming minutes. 'Death's Not Your Friend' sedates The Modern Lovers' 'She Cracked' tune - bleeding it's guts, dancing on the skeleton - 'Space Clothes' is a twisted, Nembutal tape-mix downer, but then it's back to the endless feedback boogie with 'Clouds Over Earthquake' 'til closeout. Almost as heavy as a death in the family. See also: Bogan Dust (representing Melbourne).