With
Oneida's second record,
Come on Everybody Let's Rock, the band definitely succeeds in completing the task that they set before them. Fortunately, their madness comes with a hint of self-deprecating humor and a lot of self-awareness. This record is much more nihilist than their 1999 debut,
Enemy Hogs, as they've found a new space in the pantheon of hardcore indie rockers. The leadoff track,
"I Love Rock," sees them crazily punking out, but then quickly turning the tide as they aim to play some good old
rock & roll on tracks like
"Major Havoc" (perhaps a reference to
XTC's
"Sergeant Rock"?) Though they keep their
MC5 references in check (especially on
"Legion of Scags"), they often end up sounding more like the
Jesus and Mary Chain. A lot of rockstar posturing, lengthy solos, drawn-out endings, (and probably funny face-making) goes on in the process of this tongue-in-cheek effort to strike down
rock's collective pose.
Oneida steep themselves in the hardest of
indie rock irony, jumping back and forth from straight up
rock & roll to
punk and noise. Sadly, no record can capture the intensity of their live performance, but this one certainly does a good job trying. ~ Ken Taylor
