Oh My God - The Website

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Band biography

fOOLS wANT nOISE don't you?

Apes have been employed…babies want their toys…Fools Want Noise! Here comes the crashing, thrashing, utterly smashing new album from oh my god—their first recording with guitar, their most searing set of songs ever. Oh my god’s notorious blasts of organ overdrive, grinding bass, precision drum attacks and contagious vocal hooks have never packed such a jolt.

Oh my god has been on the road for five-plus years as they’ve written and recorded the Oh My God EP (2000) and the albums Well (2001), Action! (2002), Interrogations & Confessions (2003) and You’re Too Straight to Love Me (2004). Now, the nasty organ of ig (who’s toured/played with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Van Morrison, Otis Rush…), the inhumane drumming of Bish and the society-page scandals of singer/bassist Billy O’Neill join forces with that…th-th-th-that thing….GUITAR! Look for longtime Chicago oh my god mate Matt Lenny to handle the live six-string parts; Jake Garcia of NYC’s Darediablo (Southern Records) laid ’em down in the studio.

The album comes out late June on the brand-new Chicago label Split Red Records…the four-piece incarnation of the band hits the road now...the OMG website is getting a total revamp, with audio-visual tour logs …Giuseppe Andrews (of Troma fame) has already directed one video and another is on the way…say it: OH MY GOD!!

2007 Press (May to July)

"Oh my god crafts music that employs the unlikely juxtaposition of Krautrock/prog architecture and Midwestern pop sensibilities….This hard-touring band has always been so good live that we've counted them as favorites….Onstage the trio sells it to the crowd with such energy, joy and power that we've often confused it for an actual noise or punk or hard-rock band--odd, considering that there are no guitars. Or at least there weren't prior to the band's latest….what adding an ax really does is emancipate the band's secret weapon, keyboardist Ig, from having to be a guitar stand-in, allowing him to let his fingers get fantastically freaky and glorious goofy. This development makes oh my god's live sets even more intriguing, and this pair of record-release shows could be some of the better of the summer."
— Time Out Chicago

"Oh my god knock out glam-rock anthems with a twist, Ig's organ propelling the way. Their concerts are sweat-inducing events, with drummer Bish hammering away as theatrical frontman/bassist Billy O'Neill works the crowd."
— Chicago Tribune

"Bat-shit-crazy trio Oh my god craft funk-disco-soul ditties that veer wildly between Adderall-fueled power pop and plaintive My Chemical Romance-style ballads. Each dirty, razor-sharp song simmers and shines with perky organ hooks, off-kilter bass lines and freaktastic drumming."
— Flavorpill (Chicago, LA, San Francisco)

"'Fools Want Noise' is undoubtedly Oh my god at their best…a pop/punk/eclectic 16-track thrill ride…organ and power chords come together in perfect, thundering union."
— Milwaukee Shepherd-Express

"Breaks all musical barriers…a band that is so multi-faceted the mind boggles. (O'Neill's voice) ranges from a Sinatra-like silkiness to a scream…drummer Bish has all the thunder of Dave Grohl while showing the fluidity and finesse of Buddy Rich…keyboardist Iguana's Leslie-driven insanity is the key element behind OMG's signature sound."
— Maximum Ink (WI)

"An album birthed in hell, because there's no way the ever-vigilant St. Peter would let this one slip by. (Invokes) the power-pop of Weezer…a raucous, high-octane kick…wonderfully irreverent…O'Neill's soulful rap (leads) the way under Ig's surging organ mastery and Garcia's overdriven guitar…four stars."
— The Post (Athens, OH)

"Holy Noise! Oh my god justify their exclamatory moniker with their convulsive, evolving sound….Clever lyrics, a distinctively raspy vocal tone…and a sound for which 'eclectic' is an entirely insufficient descriptor…and intriguingly unordinary sound….Oh my god has played up Garcia's roaring guitar to make the most intense, post-punk-sounding record of their career."
— UR Chicago magazine

"Oh my god kicks infinite hard-rock ass on their new CD 'Fools Want Noise.' (Garcia's) contributions range from subtle to overpowering….'Facewash' is a fist-pumping anthem drenched with Bish's modern version of John Bonham on steroids and purple saliva…this is back-to-basics hardcore OMG at its best."
— Daily Herald (suburban Chicago's largest daily newspaper)

"I've always said that indie rock could use more organ! Oh my god has been thrilling audiences for the past five years with a quirky rock sound full of originality from organ player Ig…an exciting new direction...the new sound is energetic and retains the catchy vocal hooks, foot-tapping rhythms and flashes of organ that have kept their sound fresh."
— ArtVoice (Buffalo, NY)

"Oh my god, long revered for their wacky drums/bass/organ lineup, finally take the leap and add geetar to the mix. Does this mean conformity for these proud weirdoes? Hardly. From power-pop bliss to punk aggression and bombastic hard rock to psychedelic flirting, OMG never stick around long enough to set stakes in any one style. Organist Ig and his fuzzy, pounding playing have served as the group's de facto guitar all these years anyway; the addition of real-life guitar only beefs up Ig's already beefy sound. Though precise and incredibly hooky, OMG's sometimes noisy, often experimental style often earns them the "art rock" tag. Truth is, though, the band are far less indulgent, and much more fun, than most of the sonic buzzkill that comes from that genre."
— Illinois Entertainer

"The new sound is positively massive....Ig still tweaks his organ to the verge of meltdown...and drummer Bish finds creative new extremes for the word 'pummel'...(three stars)."
— Chicago Sun-Times review of "Fools Want Noise"

"(An) always-entertaining alt-rock trio…hedonistic and possessed."
— Chicago Innerview

"The album incorporates a new element to Oh My God's glam-pomp: electric guitar, added to the band's organ-bass-drums attack for the first time."
— The Onion

"'Fools Want Noise,' and that's what Oh my god delivers on the titular track of their compelling new album….Practically every song is bound to invite dialogue, if not about the whip-smart lyrics, then certainly about the way that Oh my god supplants an electric guitar with an organ and rocks harder and hotter than you ever imagined."
— Chicago Free Press

"The term 'art rock' usually implies music that is pretentious and inaccessible, but Chicago's dramatic, organ-fueled Oh my god is the exception to the rule."
— Tucson Weekly

"At the core a trio of bass, drums and very distorted organ, (Oh my god) has long been committed to hypertheatrical excess--its apparent goal is to make the audience involuntarily yell its name as often as possible. On 'Fools Want Noise,' they go over the top of over-the-top: with heavy guitar added to their already comically heavy sound, the stadium-rock bravado of the arrangements would now make Freddie Mercury blush (hell, the lyric-sheet typography alone is practically an outrage). The key, though, is their underlying sincerity. Certain that the path to rock 'n' roll glory runs through all the campy chaos they can devise…they manage to crawl out the other side unscathed."
— Chicago Reader

"Playing a mash of disco, glam and hard rock, OMG has garnered plenty of fans of its own through its flamboyant live shows and relentless tour schedule. Uniting bustling organ, bassy grooves and Bish's propulsive drum beats with a heap of distortion, the group sounds like the musical spawn of Robert Fripp and Gary Richrath, that guy from REO Speedwagon. Somehow work in a jealous Bob Mould and the result is 'Fools Want Noise,' a guitar-laden punk onslaught ripe with devil-horned salutes and tempos jacked up by adrenalin….The added guitar really shouldn't be a shock to fans--it just adds to OMG's ever-teetering dynamic."
— San Francisco Bay Guardian

"(Oh my god) built a loving fan base as a flipside to Ben Folds Five--funny pop filled with irony and devoid of guitar, except built on a thundering bottom end and sleazy organ distortion instead of jazzy effervescence. 'Fools Want Noise' (lets) the group mix its power pop in the mold of Fountains and Wayne and The Rentals with more straightforward punk like the throat-grabbing, self-aware title track. If the extra noise is for the fools' sake, I'm siding with the fools."
— Valley R&R/The Forum (Fargo, ND)

"An excellent live band prone to bursts of brilliant spontaneity or creative display, mostly via frontman Billy O'Neill's dancing and full, smooth vocals. The first time this band played Sioux Falls--in the Washington Pavilion--O'Neill came off like Bukowski as a musical performance artist. It was awesome."
— Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, SD)

"An energetic act that sounds something like Queen meets The Clash."
— Rapid City Journal (SD)

"The primarily organ, drums and bass-heavy band with a charismatic lead singer recently added a guitar player to their longtime three-piece lineup. Last month they released their latest album 'Fools Want Noise' which continues their tradition of pop/prog-rock noise anthems. This is a band influenced by everyone from Van Halen and Weezer to ELO and Slayer….This is a band that puts a lot into their stage show…you will have fun watching them play live."
— Area Scene (Fargo, ND)

"Seeing the band play live is what Freud would consider the talking cure for extroverted, shirtless, crotch-grabbing maniacs….This translates directly into good music and a great live show, always."
— AZ Nightbuzz

2006 Press

"Oh my god is a power trio with a twist: instead of a guitar it has an organ, but it's so jacked up and cracked out you couldn't be blamed if you mistook it for a Hiwatt half-stack. On their fifth album, "Fools Want Noise," they mess with their own formula, enlisting the help of guitarist Jake Garcia."
— Chicago Reader

"FOOLS WANT NOISE blazes out of control...a thumping, surging, thrashing, bashing 16-track rollercoaster ride...O'Neill pilots this kamikaze mission successfully with tremendous vocal range and power...punk-rock-thrash with a soul. (4 out of 5 stars)"
— Chataqua Region Word (NY State)

"Chicago glam-pomp trio oh my god's live shows are legendary for their lack of inhibition (on the part of the audience as well as the band)."
— The Onion

"A glorious noise-fest...an unholy mix of disco/punk/hard rock...what keeps it all grounded are the soulful vocals of Billy O'Neill...this is enjoyable, high-energy music."
— Albuquerque Tribune (advance review of "Fools Want Noise")

"With the addition of guitars for the first time since the band's beginnings in '99, O'Neill's crystal-clear rasp is as confrontational as ever, carrying with it some of the tightest lyrics and drums since Local H nailed it a decade ago.I personally haven't heard such an effective set of rock organs since Cursive artificially added them to "The Ugly Organ".
— Lisa Balde, Beep (IL)

"Oh my god is putting the fun back into music.the unique group is releasing their fifth record, full of energy as ever and determined to give life back to the scene."
— High Plains Reader (Fargo, ND)

"Oh my god leads an entertaining sonic party…the Chicago trio recently added guitarist Jake Garcia of Darediablo, fleshing out a filthy, surprisingly poppy groove…in the end, it all boils down to the personality-packed vocals of Billy O'Neill."
— Idaho Statesman

"Mastering progressive art-rock since the 2000 self-titled debut EP, oh my god has continually wowed audiences with its high-energy, outrageous live shows and stripped-down, powerhouse sound…Jake Garcia couldn't compliment ig's nasty key stylings better…Like Spoon meets Weezer at a hardcore show, OMG is fun, funny and danceable as it is raw and in your face."
— Toledo City Paper (OH)

"Art rockers oh my god come with a slew of new songs that make their intense organ-fueled sound sweeter than ever."
— CinWeekly (Cincinnati, OH)

"Oh my god has no religious affiliation, unless it's to the god of rock. The Chicago group made a name for itself by rocking without the one thing that is synonymous with rock: the guitar. That recently changed when the band added Jake Garcia of the band Darediablo to its ranks."
— Juice/Des Moines Register (IA)

"God (would admire) the band's musical diversity, which includes everything from melodic, radio-friendly rock songs like "Volatile" to the robotic electro seethings of tunes like "Action." And Satan would admire OMG's hedonistic, possessed live shows (filled with lots of hair, sweat and gold lame outfits). Perhaps most impressive is the infectious pop hooks the band cranks out without the aid of guitar. Credit for that goes to organ player ig, who channels the quirky sounds of his instrument through Leslie System speakers to create fuzzy tones that sound straight off a six-string."
— Phoenix New Times

"Oh my god fools you at first with really light vocals before running you into a sonic wall made of bass and some absolutely incredible organ work, filling in for practically every instrument around and reinventing the sound in every verse."
— Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

"Oh my god never needed the almighty guitar to achieve an intense, confrontational style. The Chicago trio--whose evolution from 2003-era Devo-esque tracks like "Action" to heavier numbers off the forthcoming "Fools Want Noise" marks welcome improvements--achieved enough praise for their catchy, intense pop-rock to stay the Strat-less course. Then again, what's the harm in beefing up an already meaty sound? No harm at all. That's why OMG recently added Jake Garcia from NYC's Darediablo for a sweet organ-guitar A-bomb. Embrace the fallout."
— Salt Lake City Weekly (UT)

2005 Press

"This Illinois trio create an oddly confrontational pop-rock sound, shot through with prog and bristling punk."
— Kerrang (UK), October 15, 2005

"Giddy, lusty, thick-organed glam pop."
— Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader

"Drums, bass and the Leslie-driven madness produced by keyboardist Iguana add to a wall of sound that drenches the listener in a euphoric symphony of music unlike anything else being performed today. If you haven't seen OMG, you have missed one of the best live shows to ever hit the stage."
— Milwaukee Shepherd Express

"(The) bass/drums/keyboard trio is pared to the essentials, madly rocking the EP's title track under the force of Iguana's brutally tweaked organ and drummer Bish's manic perfection...'Effortless' brims with new-wave synth passages and baroque piano choruses...'My Life Is a Warfare' is a powerful and stirring manisfesto...the anti-materialistic message is laudable, as long as the band raises enough funds to complete its next record!"
— Big Takeover magazine (review of "You're Too Straight to Love Me," Spring 2005)

"Melds REM and Talking Heads' off-kilter pop sense with an aggressive combo of organs, drums and bass that's impossibly catchy...Billy O'Neill is one of the more emotive and charismatic frontmen to ever pass through these parts."
— Flint Journal (MI)

"Oh My God's dynamic prog-pop crams ideas into each song like a deliciously eclectic pick 'n' mix...an irresistible cocktail of crunchy, swirling keyboards and jackhammer drums...a monumental feast of pile-driving hooks."
— Kerrang (UK) review of "You're Too Straight to Love Me"

"Crucial to the band's sound is the use of Hammond organ as both a melodic voice and part of the rumbling rhythm section...Iguana uses the Hammond to create other-worldly textures that would make the average Jimmy Smith or Bill Doggett devotee squirm...O'Neill's off-kilter lyrics perfectly complement his unhinged stage persona...('The '60s' is) a surprising and hilarious ode to hippiedom...'You're Too Straight to Love Me' is one of 2004's finest releases and confirms oh my god's status as one of the Midwest's most consistently creative and satisfying groups."
— Dandercroft magazine (Kansas City; Feb. 2005 review of "You're Too Straight to Love Me")

"Where the conventional and the unconventional collide, let there be oh my god...the trio baffles audiences with distorted organ, lead bass, drum parts (not just a beat) and a lead singer with a dramatic voice...yet it plays accessible rock songs, from political numbers to ballads...definitely recommended."
— Punk Planet (March/April 2005)

"(A) rock-hard, hyper-kinetic power trio...a sound that has been favorably compared to everyone from ELP, Weezer and Devo to the Cars, Deep Purple and Steppenwolf...a range that encompasses the space between flat-out rock and the subtler and more emotion-laden moments of great pop...oh my god has figured out their thing and they are most assuredly doing it all the way...and, oh my god, the thing is good."
— Cincinnati City Beat (OH)

"A high-energy off-the-wall mix of fellows...a very tight band that has to be seen live to be fully appreciated...never has an organ sounded so rockin' and cool, and OH MY GOD that drummer rips, not to mention Billy's vocal range and control."
— Sound & Vision magazine (CA)

"A mixture of pop and prog rock with just enough rock 'n' roll thrown in to keep things on track...it is captivating live, with beautiful vocals delivering smartly crafted lyrics or cascading into shimmering harmonies."
— Lincoln Journal Star, Ground Zero section (NE)

"It's time to dust off that old electric organ and throw away the guitars...the alternative rock/indie band defies convention...the band's sound focuses on heavy-hitting melodies and electronic-organ goodness...with a powerful drum detonation sure to level any audience."
— Daily Beacon, U. of Tennessee, Knoxville

"Melodically solid and mostly free of dissonance or noise, oh my god sometimes sounds like a '70s arena-rock group on steroids with vocals drenched in glam-rock glory."
— Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, SD)

"Crunchy, ballsy organ and velvety singing backed with choice harmony...they can be smart and poignant while humping your head with a flowing groove that lingers long after the disc stops spinning."
- Warrensburg Free Press (MO), review of "You're Too Straight to Love Me"

"If you've yet to witness the Leslie-drenched torrent of chaos that is oh my god, now's the time!"
— Milwaukee Shepherd Express (WI)

"It's all about the attitude. This band has it in spades. The impact is hard-hitting but catchy, much like other great rock bands but without the typical blues licks or metal riffs...a truly original sound...soothes before it crushes the guitar-wielding competition."
— Metrobeat (SC), review of "You're Too Straight to Love Me."

"oh my god don't sound quite like anybody else on today's rock scene, and that's not just because they don't feature a guitar player...a remarkable variety of tonal colors...the songs on 'You're Too Straight to Love Me' are concise, precise, catchy and, above all, fun."
— Metrobeat (SC), show preview

"Oh my god is liable to invoke jaw-dropping exclamations of joy and exhilaration when the trio plays...the guys play a form of punk-laced power-pop that's as infectious as a nail-driven puncture wound to a tender foot."
— Maryville Daily Times (TN)

"It's tough to get a handle on oh my god...some of the songs on "You're Too Straight to Love Me" would be perfect radio fodder...but wait! Several other tracks rock on with searing orchestral arrangements spliced with hyper technobeats."
— Knoxville Metro Pulse (TN)

"A strange combination of blues vamp and thunderous rock scrawl...the band is jumpy and chaotic in performance...oh my god provides a fascinating example of what it means to follow one's own tune."
— Dayton City Paper (OH)

"An unconventional rock combo that...has been honing its intriguingly odd sound for five albums....The band's arty but catchy blend of power pop is...akin to the Flaming Lips and Devo."
— The Other Paper (Columbus, OH)

"Oh my god creat a pulsating racket using bass, organ and drums..."You're Too Straight to Love Me" rockets from throttling jolts of bass and overloaded organ oscillations to sweeter seas of floating melodies. Think Devo meets Queen. Yeah, it's odd, but somehow what they do manages to make sense."
— Columbus Alive (OH)

2004 Press

"Oh my god uses a deeply purple organ instead of boring ol' guitars. And they rock as hard as any crew with a six-stringer...brilliant, progressive but hyper-melodic songs full of textural verve and rhythmic power and a live show that will cause you to say their name when it's all over.
— Cincinnati City Beat, 12/04

"What was this music? So strange and compelling. So HUGE, but coming out of three guys. Was the keyboard player possessed by demons? Was the drummer trying to kill his drums?...It was so...different. Aggressive and raw-throated rave-ups that segued into achingly sad piano passages that seemed to suspend time. Songs that seemed to come out of nowhere, and lead the listener down odd passageways. And it was all so...beautiful. Oh my god pierces the blubbery psychic membrane that coats our senses, allowing them to roar to life. Oh my god reformats one's notions of what rock 'n' roll is, restoring faith in the creative impulse and leaving its audiences panting with lusty appreciation for the natural self. Their sound is deceptively large, their compositions startling in their originality, and their performances absolute in their determination and power. What is the sound of oh my god? It is the sound of Edison's fascination with universal force! It is the sound of humankind pushing with all its might against the filmy curtain that separates dreams from waking! If OMG was a car, they'd be a bitchin' Camaro with an F-14 jet engine under the hood. Lime green. With purple stripes. And big-ass mag wheels."
— Flag Live (Flagstaff, AZ, 11/04)

"High-volume rock 'n' roll...a sound that's equal parts hard rock, prog rock and freak rock...the group may look like a bunch of refugees from Manson's family, but they sound more like The Partridge Family (being run over by their own bus, that is)."
— ArtVoice, Buffalo, NY (11/04)

"With the meeting of two great musical minds came the genesis of the art-rock trio oh my god. Pop, rock and punk come together for a sound that knows no barriers with Iguana's chaotic keys, O'Neill's soaring vocals and the synchronized insanity that is drummer Bish. 'You're Too Straight to Love Me' is yet another step upward."
— Shepherd-Express, Milwaukee, WI (11/04)

"Oh my god is an act-of-god kind of glorious natural disaster, a crunchy rock affair with quirky philosophical overtones. The band's considerably more dangerous live than in the studio, thrashier and more sinister than their melodic, jazzy metal riffs and meticulously layered sound-collage recordings would suggest. Oh my god sure works in mysterious ways."
— New Haven Advocate (CT), 11/04

"Oh my god manages to rock--hard--regardless of the fact that the band employs no guitars (organ instead) and a prog-rock bent. The last time they shattered eardrums and convention, it was a thing of bizarre beauty, with lead singer Billy O'Neill stalking the stage like a mixture of Kurt Cobain and Charles Manson. The show of the week, if you ain't scared."
— Santa Fe Reporter (NM), 11/04

"While it may be the freak-show side-act quality of its live shows that keeps the kiddies coming back, the musicianship holds up well under inspection. O'Neill's vocal lines are catchy, with lyrics that border on poetic and often inspirational...oh my god is the embodiment of music revolution. Breaking out of the normal restrictions of instrumentation and standard theatrical notions of the fourth wall, oh my god make every show a participatory one, engaging the crowd with infectious energy and off-the-wall music."
— City Pulse (Lansing, MI), 4-28-04

"The songs are catchy as hell...the entire album remains interesting after multiple listens....Iguana's organ is as dynamic as any instrument I've ever heard, slipping from silky melodies into crunchy punk riffs seamlessly, Bish's constant beat sitting in the background holding everything together...O'Neill belts and croons, showing off his amazing voice. It isn't every day that a band comes along that I can truly recommend everyone listen to at least once...Oh My God is one of those bands. 'Interrogations and Confessions' is their gift to us all."
—' Lost at Sea magazine (CA), 4/04 review of "Interrogations and Confessions" (scored 9 out of 10)

"It's hard to explain this band, but here it goes...This three-piece has a sound something like a video game on psychedelics...the often-spacey effects on the organ, the strange facial expressions and robotic dances of Billy, the undeniable grooviness of the beats...oh my god is a band that cannot be forgotten...they make you dance, they make you laugh, and most importantly, get you in touch with your own insanity."
— Maelstrom magazine, Cleveland, OH

"The group's sound flirts with adventure, touching on prog, post-punk and art rock...but at its core, oh my god is a tight pop/rock band with soul, intensity and ambition, akin to the brighter moments in the Eels' oeuvre...Iguana's eccentric approach is clearly the band's most instantly recognizable trait...O'Neill's dynamic, soulful voice gives the band's music a powerful presence."
— Cincinnati City Beat, 3-11-04

"Oh my god is one of the most refreshing and original bands touring America today. The new album tops the untoppable--their last work, "The Action Album." Frontman Billy O'Neill is a fearlessly artistic, impeccable soul-leprechaun...his presence will pin you to the spot...massive backbeat is provided by Bish...keyboardist Iguana defies physics, painting great genre-rending swaths of startlingly symphonic rock...redemptive, invigorating, mesmerizing, joyous...Exquisitely tasteful, oh my god is a five-course meal of richly textured songs, served up steaming hot by three unbelievably talented musicians."
— Flag Live! (Flagstaff, AZ, 2-19-04)

"As with its predecessor, what drives Interrogations' musical intention is organist Iguana. He's backed by the relentless drummer Bish, and frontman/bassist Billy O'Neill brings the energy and soul to this album...the oh my god sound doesn't dull despite its minimalism...fun and hip...they're opening themselves to a wider audience while preserving their art."
— Pistil magazine, Chicago, IL (Spring 2004)

"Difficult to describe but brilliant...an astonishing set of guitar-free rock...the trio features organ, drums and a flat(-out) beautiful singer, creating noisy, but melodic, emotional avant-pop."
— Lincoln Journal Star (NE), 3-1-04

"oh my god is prone to musical schizophrenia. The Chicago organ-drums-and-bass trio sometimes play dark '70s rock anthems, sometimes sugary New Wave, sometimes songs that could have made '90s alternative canon. It's not a bad sort of schizophrenia, or not when it's done as well as oh my god does it, anyhow."
— Noise (Lansing, MI), 1-14-04

"Prepare to surrender a fin to the swear jar when shockrockers OH MY GOD swagger into town. Talk of the band's must-see live show precedes them as the questionable collective drone of bass, organ and drums and spaz-outs of frontman Bill O'Neill have been known to wow, deafen and draw out an awed expletive from even the most sanctimonious spectator."
— Artvoice (Buffalo, NY), 1-8-04

"Singer-bassist Billy O'Neill has one of those unforgettable rock voices. Much like Soundgarden's Chris Cornell or even the Twilight Singers' Greg Dulli, O'Neill's soaring vocals are the driving force in his band. The Chicago trio, which also includes organ player Iguana and drummer Bish, is equally capable of kinetic rock ("Get Steady") and piano balladry ("February 14th") on its latest album."
— Cleveland Free Times, 1-14-04

"Oh my god cranks out real live rock music with heavy-duty backbeats, terrific melodies and, the biggest shock of all, a singer who can really sing...their sound is so full, in fact, that if you didn't know they didn't have a guitar player, you might not even notice."
— Point Blank (Des Moines, IA, 2-4-04)

"Without the burdens of a screaming vocalist (singer Billy O'Neill has a soulful voice) or an ear-piercing guitar, oh my god has manufactured its own rock classification. Stripped down to basics by eliminating layers of musical noise, everything the group played simply worked. This was partly because the band's collection of originals is stellar and strongly deserves radio attention."
— Flint Journal (MI), 1-20-04

"With a blasphemous name and a crazed, painted bass player on its album cover, you might expect Chicago rock trio oh my god to be totally irreverent. It's not. The keyboardist, known simply as Iguana, plays power organ. Singer/bassist Billy O'Neill croons like he's singing soul. Check out the band that names itself after the man upstairs."
— Arizona Daily Star, 2-13-04

2003 Press

"Interrogations and Confessions stresses songcraft over the avant-garde...but it doesn't shortchange the crackling kinetics that have always traveled between the trio's serrated iron triangle... Even when it is strikingly melodic, the album flirts merrily with disquiet... that's the great thing about Interrogations and Confessions- it's just as dangerous as oh my god's previous, weirder work. But, like Spoon, the band has refined its formula...the songs roil with threatening organ tones and their lyrics are opaque enough to keep the band's mystique shrouded...a few well-placed words can cut cleaner and deeper than any dippy guitar solo. (Four stars.)"
— Allmusic.com, Dec. 2003

"Not just another Midwestern power pop band, nor a typical product of Chicago's experimental rock scene, Oh My God defy both geographic and musical convention. Weird but never esoteric, Oh My God surprise, confound, and delight listeners like few Chicago artists dared to try in 2003 (rated 7 out of 10)."
— Illinois Entertainer review of Interrogations and Confessions (December 2003)

"The hard-driving, edgy, Leslie-driven intensity contained within the tracks of 'Well' set the course...'The Action Album' showed equal intensity along with a step up in songwriting and arrangement...'Interrogations & Confessions' is their strongest effort yet...a wall of keys with more punch than any stack of guitar-driven Marshall amps...catchy melody meets brilliant composition."
— Maximum Ink (WI), July 2003

"These guys combine elements of punk, rock, prog and pop into a sound that is astoundingly captivating and engaging. You get the feeling that they will deliver a thrilling live experience."
— Columbia Free Times (SC), November 19-25, 2003

"Oh my god doesn't use any guitars, but after listening to the new 'Interrogations and Confessions' I can't say I miss them. Pianist-organist Iguana provides all the heaviness and flash one could ask of a guitarist, and singer-bassist Billy O'Neill grabs any unclaimed attention with his passionate lyrics and delivery. And as long as you've got a good drummer (this one's named Bish), you're solid."
— Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader (Spot Check)

"Their strongest batch of songs yet."
— Chicago Tribune on Interrogations and Confessions

"Oh my god is arty but it's damn infectious, too. If you're one of the few who hasn't been converted by oh my god yet, chances are you haven't seen 'em perform."
— Tucson Weekly

"The creative pulse of this freaky three-piece rock show knocked me out of my bean bag...the music is so inspired...this band is glowing on creative juices...every tune is through the roof."
— POP magazine (Oklahoma) on Interrogations and Confessions

"Chicago trio oh my god dials back the quirk and turns up the tunes on its third album Interrogations and Confessions. Oh my god has always been a fascinating group, but with the startlingly consistent Interrogations and Confessions it's made the leap to near-genius."
— Michael Toland, Editor-in-Chief, High Bias.com

"Chicago's Oh My God have created an even more expansive, fuller sound on Interrogations and Confessions than on last year's The Action Album! This release is a seamless mix of punk energy, pop craftsmanship, and art rock. With its diverse and accessible songs, Interrogations and Confessions could, and should, be the release that breaks the band to a larger audience."
— noaction.net

"You'd have to reach back to England's postpunk trio Young Marble Giants to find a cooler organ-driven art-rock band than oh my god, though this trio adds more of an energizing Midwestern pop sensibility to its minimalist tunes on its third album, "Interrogations and Confessions," as well as the occasional horn part and a flair for biting social satire in the lyrics."
— Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times

"Art-rock aficionados know the significance of bass-drum-keyboard trios in the genre's history (ELP, Soft Machine), and this similarly constructed Chicago crew uphold's prog's better traits (interesting songwriting) while skirting its flaws (instrumental grandstanding). Oh my god's new disc, "Interrogations and Confessions" (Novo), is a sharp collection of catchy, sophisticated, slightly offbeat pop tunes that evoke a more listener-friendly Van der Graaf Generator."
— Metromix (the Chicago Tribune's online entertainment guide), May '03

"With bass, drums and organ so distorted it becomes aggressive, oh my god are immediately in their own musical niche. But beyond such choices of instruments, the Chicago-based trio combines soulful vocals with canted songwriting, leading listeners down many roads but never getting them lost. It's poppy art-rock that's accessible."
— Tucson Citizen, May 22, 2003

"OMG is one of those bands constantly on the fringe, pushing forward in a new direction offering an island to those seeking something different in a sea of the same old thing."
— Milwaukee Shepherd Express, May 15, 2003

"Lord have music! Using only drums, dramatic vocals and a thick, nearly guitar-like organ sound a la Quasi or the Solace Brothers (plus the occasional bass), Chicago-based oh my god crafts a quirky and infinitely listenable form of art rock on its just-released third album, Interrogations and Confession (2003, Novo), the follow-up to its Action Album, one of my favorites of last year."
— Tucson Weekly, May 23, 2003

"First you start out with a guy named Iguana, whose previous outings saw him playing with the likes of Junior Wells, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Then you twist his organ through distortion and vibrato and whatever else they can think of and you end up with three guys who will leave you speechless."
— Warrensburg Free Press (MO), June 2003

"The positive side of classic-rock bombast and the angular keyboards of krautrock blend to form a bizarre, sometimes jarring but crazily compelling band. Oh my god's kick-ass fuzzy organ riffs and bass lines are super-intelligent and almost hypnotic in their domination of your ears."
— Santa Fe Reporter

"The unfortunate thing about art rock is that it rarely rocks. As good as Gong and Can were, the groups' natural aversion to rock standards made their music inaccessible to everyone but music nerds. But freaks and geeks alike can take pleasure in Chicago's oh my god, a trio that uses only an organ, drum kit and occasional bass guitar to produce a sound bigger than the metaphorical shoulders of its hometown. The sparse instrumentation is the band's signature, but crooner Billy O'Neill, whose rich voice recalls Simple Minds' Jim Kerr, gives oh my god its soul. This band would leave "The Breakfast Club" with a completely different ending, one that would strike fear in the hearts of ballpark organists and offer hope to melody-deprived art-rock fans everywhere."
— Kansas City Pitch Weekly (Critics' Pick, Jan. 16-22, 2003)

"While maintaining a quasi-jazz instrumental lineup, oh my god pull of a punk-influenced rock sound with remarkable clarity and credibility. Oh my god's mix of heavy-handed jazz and avante-garde, early Velvet Underground and art-rock produces a sound that reviews the last 30 years of pop music. Oh my god offers a broad range of sound that resembles a roaring tsunami."
— Flagstaff Live! (AZ)

"If Jimmy Smith and J.S. Bach could only witness this organ bastardization, they just might gush in unison, 'oh my god.' When it comes to terse organ-driven rockers, this band pulls out the stops and then some. The Chicago-based combo takes the venerable organ to the next level, making it sound more like an elephant that just broke into a brewery. That, combined with robust drumming, plump bass lines and stanch vocals makes for an interesting sound located somewhere between early-'80s punk rock and Jupiter's swirling red eye. You will say this great band's name out loud and never think of it the same."
— Santa Cruz Good Times

"You know what oh my god do? They make weird sounds, sounds that sound like Peaches doing a cover of 'Jeremy.' Sometimes their singer sounds like George Michael and Steve Perry doing a duet. It's weird, but cool. You might say they're like the Flaming Lips...but weirder. That's cool."
— Colorado Springs Independent

"Forsaking guitars in favor of the Hammond organ, Chicago art-rockers oh my god borrow from the Doors, Jimmy Smith and who knows what all."
— Nashville Scene (Critics' Pick, Feb. 20-27, 2003)

"A definite must-see from the out-of-towner set is oh my god, a Chicago three-piece blowing through town as they tour the United States. The post-punk trio has the usual drums and bass, but has replaced guitar with a sometimes underplayed, sometimes wailing organ...with a definite punk twist."
— Warrensburg Free Press (MO)

"We dig 'em...sorta arty, kind weird, bass-and-vintage-keyboard-heavy groove rock from Chicago. Oh my deity, indeed!"
— Downtown Tucsonan (AZ)

"A heavy, quirky, sometimes funky, hard-rocking platter of introspective and thought-provoking tunes which frequently border on genius...an audio smorgasbord which commands attention...fascinating...there is an intensity which is lacking in their British counterparts."
— Between The Lines (MI)