It's psychedelic rock for the new millenium, so the press says; NYC's Oneida are probably the only band that worships Amon Duul and Foghat equally, and are completely mindblowing live and on this new record. I stumbled in several years ago to a basement party in Brooklyn to hear what sounded like the MC5 driven by an insane farfisa at breakneck speed, the drummer bashing away like some juiced up Keith Moon meets Animal the Muppet; and totally swirly and heady blistering psych guitar blowing out from a guy with really really long hair. I had heard a couple of their records and they in no way prepared me for this, they were totally flattening and each song careened like it was about to usher everyone just trashing the stage and it all ending in a second. Oneida made music to feed every hole in NYC's limping rock scene, and for what it's worth, they are still among THE awesome NYC sound experiences you can have. I asked them to play on my radio show a while later, which was broadcast live at a gigantic Record Fair, met them for the first time, they were swell gents, and their names were Fat Bobby, Hanoi Jane, Kid Millions, and the now departed Poppa Crazee (who has gone on to a lovely country duo). Then, they plugged in and the curious milled about, while the 100 or so record dealers manning their tables also poked their heads the band's way to see if the Chocolate Watchband were reforming again like last fair. Then Oneida's first song started: "You've got to look into the LIGHT! LIGHT! LIGHT! LIGHT! LIGHT!..." the word repeated ad infintum to a singular keyboard/drum/bass POUND for 20 minutes without a break! Holy shit! The dealers freaked out, half the hall's attendees dove for cover, it was amazing. After that, the band burned through
songs that sounded like total worship of the 13th Floor Elevators (if they were a bit more like Comets on Fire), while a shirtless dude just wailed relentlessly on a gong!!
Finally, this 2 LP/2CD set came out this year, recorded at their New Hampshire retreat, and one whole side is the "LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT" opus, called "Sheets of Easter", and it peels paint. The druid-ier rockers of this list, as well as Acid Mother-heads (whom Oneida have toured a bit with) need to hear this perfect amalgamation of ass-kicking 70s stank and yak-eye-staring holiness!

Reviews Index