THE PSYCHEDELIC ROAD LESS TRAVELED

 When Wooden Shjips pressed its first single, “Dance California b/w Clouds Over Earthquake,” in vinyl, they scored an accidental hit across the record freak blogosphere and a handful of record deals. Initially a loose jam collective, the band took a purposefully hippy-dippy name—but as the lineup solidified, the sound got harder, and they added the “j” in tribute to Swedish groups who carried hard psych through the ‘80s and ‘90s. The Shjips’ sound rings with a molecular buzz, a fusion of aesthetic minimalism and psychedelic rock that traces back to later-day Velvet Underground. Bassist Dusty Jermier and drummer Omar Ahsanuddin lock down droning, driving grooves, while Nash Whalen’s organ and guitarist Ripley Johnson’s echoplexed guitar shred and reverb-soaked vocals crash in waves of saturated noise. “A lot of rock and roll has lost that sort of primal, minimalist feel,” says Johnson. “That’s what interests me—that and experimental music that pushes the boundaries.” www.woodenshjips.com

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