Interest in these Indians stem from the fact that I was born in Oneida, New York.

The Oneidas are a tribe of North American Indians belonging to the the Iroquois Confederacy. This name is a corruption of the native word meaning “standing rock” and refers to a sacred boulder near the site of their ancient village on Lake Oneida, New York. Their territory included the region surrounding the lake and later extended south to the Susquehanna River. While most Indians of the Confederacy were hostile to outsiders, this tribe was friendly toward the French colonists and Jesuit missionaries

During the American Revolution the Oneidas sided with the colonists but had to take refuge inside American settlements as other Iroquois tribes joined the British. After the war most of them moved to Canada and settled in the area of the Thames River, Ontario, where they are still found today. Between 1820 and 1835, most of the Oneida who had returned to their homes in New York State sold their land and moved to a reservation near Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Oneida number about 3500.
Oneida is a rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Their first CD, A Place Called El Shaddai's, was released in 1997.

Formed by guitarist/vocalist Papa Crazy (aka PCRZ), keyboardist Bobby Matador (aka Fat Bobby), drummer Kid Millions, and bassist Hanoi Jane (aka Baby Jane), Oneida's music has lots of mixed influences: from post-rock and experimental (Amon Düül II) to kraut rock (Can, Neu!, Tangerine Dream), drinking on the fountain of '70s stoner rock (Blue Cheer, Foghat), 60s garage and punk (MC5) and even some avant-garde, psychedelia and synthpop for good measure.

Listening to Oneida is an experience, and might not be for everybody. If you check their latest double CD Each One Teach One, you'll be faced with two songs during about 15 minutes on the first CD. Track number one -- Sheets of Easter -- is the same guitar riff and drum beat (well, almost!) for the whole song. It feels like a Black & Decker drill going through your brain. The second track, Antibiotics, is considerably more varied...

Whether you manage to make it through the first CD or not, there's always the second one... with shorter and more, erm, user-friendly songs.

Discography:

1997 A Place Called El Shaddai's (Turnbuckle Records)
1999 Enemy Hogs (Jagjaguwar Records)
2000 Come on Everybody Let's Rock (Jagjaguwar Records)
2000 Steel Rod EP (Jagjaguwar Records)
2001 Anthem of the Moon (Jagjaguwar Records)
2002 Atheists, Reconsider - a split 6-track EP with Liars (Arena Rock Records)
2002 Each One Teach One (Jagjaguwar Records)

And here's their official website: http://www.enemyhogs.com

This post was written while listening to Sheets of Easter. HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY gajang gajang gajang gajang gajang (ad infinitum)...
(thanks to kthejoker for the heads up on the Liars split EP!)

O*nei"das (?), n. pl.; sing. Oneida (). Ethnol.

A tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting the region near Oneida Lake in the State of New York, and forming part of the Five Nations. Remnants of the tribe now live in New York, Canada, and Wisconsin.

 

© Webster 1913.

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