“Happy New Year” in July; ONEIDA Return With New Full-length, Plan Extensive U.S. Tour

Brooklyn’s unpredictable psych trio ONEIDA will release their newest full-length album, “Happy New Year”, on July 11, 2006. It is coincidentally Jagjaguwar’s 100th release. The record will come out in both the CD and LP formats.

Original plans for an epic triple album were shelved, as there became a vital need for a more immediate statement. This record marks the end of an era for ONEIDA, as their hand-built recording studio and rehearsal space, Sunset Grill, has since been demolished to make way for a new housing and shopping center. “Happy New Year” is simultaneously requiem and rebirth. It begins with a melancholy hymn of soaring choirboy harmonies (“Distress”), builds to an anthemic call-to-arms (“Up With People”), then ultimately settles in to a deep, swinging groovefest that first laments the fruitless quest of the worker bee, then finds hope in the impending “turning of the tides” (“Thank Your Parents”). Some songs evoke a wistful retrospection, while others catapult forward, fueled by kraut grooves and propulsive drumming. ONEIDA are joined by a number of friends and collaborators on this record. One of particular note is Phil Manley of TRANS AM and THE FUCKING CHAMPS, who will also be joining them on their upcoming July/August domestic tour and is now an official member of Oneida, being dubbed “Double Rainbow”, accordingly.

The band has also been very busy with their own label, Brah Records, that they started as an imprint of Jagjaguwar in the latter half of last year. They have just released the PARTS & LABOR CD/LP, called “Stay Afraid” (a co-release with Jagjaguwar), will release HOME “Sexteen” CD (a concept record about the art of lovemaking) in May, and will follow both of those up in June with OAKLEY HALL “Gypsum Strings” CD (featuring former ONEIDA member Papa Crazee). PARTS & LABOR are currently on tour with Jagjaguwar label-mates WILDERNESS, and both OAKLEY HALL and HOME will be doing extensive touring throughout the early summer. Check out www.brahrecords.com for dates and more info.

Finally, in other news: ONEIDA are set to play the YEAH YEAH YEAHS-curated day of All Tomorrow’s Parties on May 13. And, following the success of the ONEIDA/PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND split LP last year, ONEIDA have made plans to release more split LPs through Brah Records in the coming year. In the works are split records with KINSKI, EX-MODELS, BLACK MOUNTAIN, and LIARS.