Oh My God, “My Own Adventure”

I first discovered Chicago’s Oh My God by pure coincidence in late 2003. Some friends and I had made one of our semi-regular treks from Manhattan to Fords, New Jersey to do some record shopping at Vintage Vinyl, and while looking around the store I came upon a CD listening station. And this was the first album cover I saw:

Needless to say, this being Vintage Vinyl, which has the largest metal section I’ve ever seen at a record store, I assumed it to be a metal album. And while I haven’t listened to too much metal this decade, I figured it was worth a shot to hear just how metal this band with the black body paint, Grizzly Adams beard and odd striped hat was.

Answer: not very metal at all. Instead, after hitting “play”, what I heard was some really interesting, melodic indie rock built not around an electric guitar but rather an electric organ. And it was really, really good. So I bought it, listened to it a hell of a lot, and then, as I’m wont to do, completely lost track of the band in the years that followed.

Thankfully, though, with my recent move to Chicago, the band’s excellent new album, The Night Undoes the Work of the Day, found its way into my hands. And I’m damn happy that it did – it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year. The band seems to have lost a bit of its darker, more prickly edge since the last time I heard them, but what’s replaced it is a batch of catchy, intelligent, dare-I-say-pretty rock songs.

Oh, and the album cover is much less metal looking too:

If you haven’t heard Oh My God before, or even if you have, I can’t emphasize enough how strongly I recommend that you pick up The Night Undoes the Work of the Day right now.

The band is about to head out on the road for a few weeks, and if you’re in any of the following cities, check ‘em out. You won’t be sorry. And if you’re in Chicago, join me at the Hideout on December 4th.

Oh My God Tour Dates
10/16 Howard’s Club H, Bowling Green, OH
10/17 Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
10/18 The Basement, Kingston, NY
10/19 The Space, Hamden, CT
10/20 M Room, Philadelphia, PA
10/21 CMJ @ Lit Lounge, NY, NY
10/22 Howler’s Coyote Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
10/23 Mad Hatter, Covington, KY
10/24 Mac’s Bar, Lansing, MI
10/29 Founder’s Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
10/30 Loading Dock, Traverse City, MI
10/31 University of Michigan, Flint (KIVA), Flint, MI
10/31 Rodney’s Loft, Flint, MI
12/04 Hideout, Chicago, IL