Battle of the band names in the
stoner rock realm seems to be endless these days. We have the "goat",
"witch", "black", "white", and even
"chief" etc… bands that have taken up a presence in the kingdom. Not
saying it's a bad thing, just an observation. In fact, when I hear a band name with
one of these proven words in their name I now default to having to check them
out, regardless. Queen Chiefs not
only joins the ranks of top notch "chief"
bands, but delves into "wow factor" territory. From the tantalizing
titties on the EP cover to the emotional and interesting band bio, these kids
from Portland, Oregon deliver an intriguing EP.
Right out of the gate, North Dakota Spirit quirks out a not so
Queenly riff straight from the Stone Age which quickly morphs into a doped up
orchestra of fuzzy wonder. Truckfighter-esque riffage chops the airwaves like a
squaw get ‘em firewood. “Let’s dance with the sun, I wanna dance with the sun,
talk about the moon. Talk shit about the moon” sums up the vibe the Queen
Chiefs are crying. False Face
maintains a desert rock pace adding jingles of nostalgia to its tribal nature.
Like Fu Manchu meets The Black Keys combining intoxicating punk-rawk with
infectious blues.
Stands and Looks Back bridges the 5 song EP. A spacey instrumental
introduction atmospherically floats itself towards an indie/psych closing
sequence of songs. The title is fitting as it is midway through the album and
leads seamlessly into Song 4 allowing for a quick breather before pushing the
mind into overdrive.
Sleeping Under Trees begins the trip reverbing into an acidic dream
state, eerily reminiscent to The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby“ at the height of a
mushroom bender. Hallucinogenic lyrics murmured to an atmospheric backdrop wake
into Sky Throne which delivers an
impressive grunge soaked psych-rock closer. Morphing into a fatally attractive
indie-rock ballad bellowing out hazy punk rock tunage groovy like lava on a
lamp, Queen Chiefs manage to bring
the album full circle. Although only 5-songs and 18 minutes in length, the
strength of this EP is unforgettable. Queen Chiefs are currently signed to Cavity Search Records, and this debut
self-titled EP can be streamed in full below at the soundcloud link. Be sure to
scope these dudes out. According to a Craigslist
link found on their Facebook,
they are currently seeking out a fifth band member so not only should you seek
them out to listen; you may even have a shot at playing in the band as a
multi-instrumentalist/keyboardist/artist/vocalist…. I can only imagine more
layers added into what they have already proven on this EP, but the future is
wide open and I think they have what it takes. Check them out for sure.
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