Secret Wars

Oneida

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 2004)
• Original Release Date: January 20, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jagjaguwar
• ASIN: B00012FXGI
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,762 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, January 23, 2005

By	Hapworth (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) - See all my reviews

It's tempting to compare this Brooklyn trio to Sonic Youth: they hail from the same neck of the woods, they both embrace noise, and both aren't afraid to lay down 15-minute tracks. To be fair, though, Oneida has its own basement-punk sound, favoring chewy keybs and nods to 70's rock (think Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, maybe even Yes (listen to "The Last Act, Every Time"). After several listens, these tracks grow on you, though this might be the byproduct of musical recurrence, for each track on Secret Wars builds itself upon an essential repetition. Around the repetitions, though, the band lets loose. Check out the sonic propulsion finale of "Treasure Plane" (along with the submarine sonar keyboard fills) or the kitchen sink percussion solo on "Caesar's Column." You also have to like a band that keeps the CD's running time under 45 minutes (another nod to the days of LPs?), and that's with the 15-minute "Changes in the City" included.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making noise sound good, November 30, 2004

By	Elliot Knapp (Seattle, Washington United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Oneida's "Secret Wars" continues a trend set by "Anthem" and "Each One Teach One"; this band is creating a new brand of psychedelic music. Oneida use a mixture of heavy drums, guitar, and droning keyboards to create an in-your-face brand of catchy psych rock--just check out the first few songs. The opener mechanically grinds through a blissful cycle of chant-like euphoria. The vocals are generally pushed back in the mix, making for an overall intoxicating effect (aka psychedelic). My favorites are "Wild Horses," "The Last Act, Every Time" (Velvet Underground sounding), and "The Winter Shaker." Oneida uses a lot of repetition to get their drug-simulation point across, so it might grate on you for the first couple listens. However, if you give them a chance the music will really grow on you in a good way. I recommend these guys if you like Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, Soft Machine or the Secret Machines.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pitchforkmedia hounds!!!, May 1, 2004

By	"memorytheatre" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Better give this record a chance. Darn good eclectic album. Don't miss the boat on these guys.