Attalla, Queen Chief, Lightning Rules
Recommended
Heavy times at the Know tonight, where two Portland bands will team up with a touring outfit from Wisconsin to pulverize whoever shows up and gets in the way. Lightning Rules is local, and their first EP—out last September—is a retro rock 'n' roll ripper that, at its catchiest ("Pull Me from Hell"), sounds kind of like Foo Fighters, whose singer used to be the drummer in Nirvana, y'know. Queen Chief is also local, and they do heavy in a different way, with buzzy Queens of the Stone Age swagger and a sound like the Pacific Northwest before the gold rush. Addictive stuff. Last up is Attalla, all the way from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. These cats have it dialed in: tremendous guitar tone, killer stoner/doom riffs, a rumbling low end, non-cheesy throwback vibe. They're good and they're far from home; go see 'em and say hi. BEN SALMON