When Black Queen Speaks, You’d Better Listen
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The first thing that caught my eye on the Black Queen Speaks (BQS) website was the crazy painting of the Queen of Hearts with a skull mask over her face…it reminded me of Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe movie.
Once I started up the media player on the website, my attention was quickly diverted elsewhere.
So far in 2010, BQS has played local venues such as Warehouse Live, Scout Bar, Rudz, and played their second showing at Austin’s SXSW Texas Rock Fest.
The Black Queen Speaks bio looks like this:
Formed in Houston, TX but hailing from across the country, Black Queen Speaks came together for a common love of the almighty groove. Their sound is an amalgamation of blues, hard rock, grunge, 70’s funk, dance, and soul peppered with flourishes of 90’s hip hop. In short, Black Queen Speaks can best be described as if Jane’s Addiction and SoundGarden got their asses kicked by James Brown.
The band’s EP definitely showcases many of the above styles – the music definitely has a classic rock/Led Zeppelin-ish feel to it; since the songs can range anywhere from a slow ballad-esque song (‘Domino’) to a mid-tempo rocker (‘Sludge’) to a song which is a shorter and more upbeat track, such as ‘Bad Habits.’
The slower tracks on the EP (like ‘Space Racer’) show the strongest funk and classic rock influences. To be honest, if they didn’t have these two influences and these songs were just straight-up rock and roll, they would probably feel like walking through wet cement. That’s more a testament to the songs turning out well than the songs being one step away from crap, by the way. The majority of songs out there are one notch away from monotony…they just chose to move a notch in the right direction.
The bottom line here is that if you are a fan of classic rock or any of the bands that have “carried that torch” into the new millennium, check these guys out. They definitely seem like they were a perfect fit at SXSW.
For more information, visit the Black Queen Speaks website.
Recommended If You Like: The Answer, Wolfmother, Black Stone Cherry, other funk and blues infused artists
All photos, music, and videos copyright of their respective owners. Used only for promotional purposes and to gain notoriety for the artists featured.
