Three points review: Wooden Shjips + Orchestra of Spheres

2013 is almost over and I am introducing a new category: the "three points review". As we are repeating our reviews, i.e. reviewing the same bands over and over, three poignant notes should suffice to give you the quick gist on the gig. Here goes my first one.

1) Packed gig with a lot of beardy middle agers mixed into the hip Berghain gig crowd. Good sound.

2) Orchestra of Spheres were stars and met all expectations and more. Fantastic. Read Kinga's review for details of their last Berlin gig.

3) Wooden Shjips' new songs are great and of the same concept as all albums before - great voice, wonderful bass, doodly guitars. Love.

December cannot come early enough

Wooden Shjips have just released this amazing video. Not only is it filmed by a Berlin based film crew and features many local friends, it is also a superb film - yet again. Cannot wait until 3 December, when Wooden Shjips will perform at Berghain, the most suitable of venues.

Review: Wooden Shjips + Michael Chapman

Ok, so really, it has been two months since Wooden Shjips brought out the beardy ones to Festsaal? You know what they say: time flies when you're having fun. Anyhow, I will give you the lowdown anyway, even if it is now a little dated.

Basically, I categorise music listeners into two: There are those that like to be constantly challenged within a song, through tempo changes, unusual elements thrown in or multiple singers. Those people generally go wet when hearing jazz or The Blood Brothers. And then there are those that like to get into a song, immerse into the song, through long repetitive patterns. These folks are appreciative of electronic music and not seldomly like Isis. I am sure I have laid this theory on you before. And needless to say, I belong to the former type of music listener.

So I never gave Wooden Shjips a second thought. Let's say I did not even give them a chance. Psychedelic, repetitive music with doodly guitars? That could not be my kind of thing. Then I saw Moon Duo last year and it gave me a revelation. There is repetitive music and there is repetitive music. A doodly guitar can drag and a doodly guitar can suck you in. Moon Duo's Mazes album quickly became my soundtrack of the year. Naturally, this drew me to Wooden Shjips, given these are both Ripley Johnson projects. And would you know it? Wooden Shjips, loved so much by beardy guys in their 50s and progressive rock listeners of all ages, took this little girl's heart by storm. To cut a long story short: I was as excited to go to this gig as I was when going on a first date.