A thread for Australian garage-pop-punk-soul geniuses ROYAL HEADACHE, the best rock band of this decade, occasioned by their forthcoming 2015 album HIGH

Two tracks, "High" and "Another World", have been released so far. You can listen to both on the What's Your Rupture Soundcloud page.

High is their second album, and it comes out on August 21st.

Admittedly, I don't know for absolute certain that Royal Headache is the best rock band of this decade. But whenever I listen to them, I feel convinced that they are.

never heard them, but terrible name

Anyway

http://i.imgur.com/8CBHCNL.jpg

i loved the first album. i thought they had announced a breakup so it was a nice surprise to hear they were making music again

Never heard them before, but the two new songs are pretty likable.

High sounds like a Betty Who song played by a garage band. I guess it's the Aussie connection.

they were pre-qual'd by pitchfork in 2012 (dope song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFFocv8IaDg

Yeah their first one got an 8.0 on Pitchfork. Then they did a string of dates opening for the Black Keys in Australia. I thought that might have been the beginning of a big surge in popularity for them, but then I believe they did break up for a spell, as monotony mentioned.

I've gotten the impression that things have been tumultuous behind the scenes for them at times, possibly owing in part to Shogun (the singer) being an eccentric/perfectionist. Supposedly, for the first album, the instruments were all tracked in a couple of days, and then the vocals took eight months. Plus the digital download version came with six alternate mixes tagged "Shogun's mix", which struck me as probably the result of a compromise. (They are cool mixes, though.)

Some tracks sound like the Jam

This is one of those bands that is pretty good but I don't get why they in particular are hyped over the 8,000 other bands doing the exact same thing just as well.

I know what you mean, actually. There are tons of bands mining this territory. The best I can do is to say that I think RH have better songs, and, crucially, a better singer.

possibly owing in part to Shogun (the singer) being an eccentric/perfectionist. Supposedly, for the first album, the instruments were all tracked in a couple of days, and then the vocals took eight months

^not v punk rock :'(

I dug the first album and am looking forward to this. Doesn't sound like they've changed up their formula very much, which is fine with me.

Checked out some of their first album because all the reviews inadvertently described The Jam, and they indeed ended up basically sounding like The Jam, as mentioned.

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/05/429329500/first-listen-royal-headache-high#playlist

For all the press about him being a perfectionist "soul singer," he isn't really a particularly good singer.

I mean, he's fine at singing I guess.

He's no Daryl Hall but it's all relative - he's good for a lo-fi punk singer.

I really like the album. At this point in time I'd say the title track and "Little Star" are the major highlights. "Little Star", for me, hits an emotional sweet spot located somewhere between "Jar of Cardinals" by GBV and "We're Coming Back" by Cock Sparrer. (I realize that may not make any sense.)

I also like that "Need You" comes off like a first cousin to Give It All To Me, which is possibly my favorite RH song. And the bridge near the end of "Caroline" is just so wonderful.

I will say that "Love Her If I Tried" hasn't totally landed with me so far, and while I'm into the vocals on "Wouldn't You Know", the chorus seems a little formless. Still gets stuck in my head, though.

My biggest disappointment with this is the absence of "Twin Souls" (possibly not the official title), a really beautiful slower song you can hear in at least one live video on YouTube. Why that wouldn't make the album is beyond me.

Saw these dudes tonight, they were fantastic

Very good reviews from Pitchfork, Spin, NME (with obligatory Oasis reference), and the Guardian. The New York Times is positive but more noncommittal; Consequence of Sound has the closest thing to a dissent.

The Guardian review includes a link to the band's five-song cassette demo, which I hadn't heard before.

Let's see if I can get that NYT link right.

yeah, little star was the one that stood out for me

While I'm posting about this, I'll add that my appreciation for "Wouldn't You Know" has gone way up after seeing them play it live last weekend.

Also, at that same show they closed with a new song, another ballad. Glad to know they're still writing songs.

seein em tomorrow night

woah,

"love her if i tried" is gonna make me tear my heart out

westerberg/sam cooke excellence

yeah! Here's mine from last night - http://fastnbulbous.com/autumn-rocks-the-season-kicks-off-with-a-fierce-foursome/

https://youtu.be/GIA0DqVgMFU

^ thats the video for Carolina

idk how old he actually is but the lead singer looks older than his voice made me imagine

this album is really good.

it's a bit meat and potatoes in the musical department. there's not any ambition to be a Husker Du or something and forge a new rock sound. but they stick to their guns and do it well

i couldn't really ask for anything more in 2015 as far as "hey this band gives a shit and isn't going through the motions"... that's all i need. they bring the thrills and then pack it up tightly

really getting into this.

these type of bands are pretty thumbs up/thumbs down to me, like as you said it's not like it's innovative in anyway so it's like they have the tunes or not

these guys have the tunes

also re: the singing, i think the singing on "Wouldn't You Know" for instance is WAY above par for the In the Red/garage punk type scene....that song def reminds me of some of the more recent, soul type Reigning Sound material

Germane to the discussion of Shogun's voice--the aforementioned (and IMO great) new ballad, "So Low":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpz5ir6PzBY

well hell yes i'll be enjoying this

man i've really fallen in love with this album.

i think for a band doing the whole heartfelt power of rock n' roll thing, the only honest way to begin the album is "my own fantasy" a song about how the rock n roll lifestyle is phony and a lie

I'm surprised that more reviews don't mention The Saints debut (a vastly underrated classic) when discussing this band.

I can't stop listening to this record. One of the best of the year.

yeah it got under my skin too

Weird fact: I saw them three times on their U.S. tour, and they didn't do "Little Star" once. In fact there were three or four songs from the new album that didn't get played at any of the shows I went to, whereas every non-instrumental song from the first album got a hearing.

I was a naysayer to this but I'm coming around. Some retro mod garagey cuts don't wow me, but there's good stuff on here I am liking.

They're gonna be on Seth Meyers this Wednesday. Also playing shows in NYC Wednesday and Thursday night.

I used to live in a world
Of rock 'n' roll
And tons of girls
Here in my own fantasy
It was my own fantasy

They posted a new t shirt on Facebook, maybe they are still going?

They're on tour in North America right now! I saw them in DC this past weekend. They added a keyboard player and have a new rhythm section.

They're playing a show with the Marked Men in LA in a few days, which just seems unfair.

It took me awhile but I finally am onboard with these folks (right after missing that DC gig cuz I had to work). Not sure I am ready to take it this far yet-- Chr*s richards in the Washington Post just proclaimed them the greatest rock band out around...

When I read "garage-pop-punk-soul" I immediately thought of Green. High is ok, hardly monumental, but not bad, but doesn't approach Green's debut, particularly not where the vocals are concerned:

https://youtu.be/VXBjiPkZsHM

Green are/were more power pop; Royal Headache are more garage mod punk

They just posted “2008-2017” on their Facebook page. Too bad but I guess it’s nice to go out on a high note.

Coincidentally My Own Fantasy came on my phone on shuffle on Thursday and I thought I like this song I wonder if those guys are still going. Oh well

They've broken up (or nearly done so) before, so I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the end. But if it is, they've got some really great unreleased songs that I hope come out in some form.

Shogun's new band https://shogunandthesheets.bandcamp.com/

awesome...thanks for the heads up

very Mott/Ian Hunter

Sounds great. Thanks!

Pissing Blood's the standout for me

I like the sonics and I like the label head- ILX0r oriain is buddies with him- and I like some tunes, especially “Love Her If I Tried,” which brought me here, but yeah, so far the songs mostly still sound a little generic to me.

Does seem to split the difference between The Undertones and The Reigning Sound in an intriguing way, with some Bob Pollard vocal stylings in the mix.

Seems to have forgotten to mention the Buzzcocks

we should poll threads on new bands where the thread starter is, uh, extremely enthusiastic about them

most of them vanish into the ether, it's only threads on like shabazz palaces where the thread title sticks around to embarrass everyone

not down on the concept mind, i kind of love declaring a band to be the greatest band in history on the basis of really liking their first single on first listen, i think it's totally valid!

I remain extremely enthusiastic about Royal Headache. I love both LPs and both 7-inches. I saw them live nine times (the best was Baltimore in 2015, the worst was DC in 2017--they had a new, more technically proficient drummer, which didn't suit them at all).

I admit the thread title was (intentionally) hyperbolic, but I still think they were great.

Okay, it’s starting to click

"My Own Fantasy" is one of the only good "rock n roll" songs in decades

Yes, that is one problematic type of song.

My Own Fantasy should probably be the last one tbh

Still like this, and prefer to put this on rather than digging through the thousands of post-Alien Lanes GBV spinoffs, reunions etc, even in distilled playlist form, sorry.

Totally forgot about this band but just got a reminder.

You ate my face
To take my place
So you can shine
In another world

Fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9H_2eN2vQ

Shogun's incredibly dumbly named new band sounds great!

also Royal Headache updated the cover image on their Facebook page 3 days ago

https://finnogunswake.bandcamp.com/album/stay-young

Enjoy the song Shogun sings, might need to spend more time getting used to the other guy!

I saw talk on social media somewhere that there's a live album in the works on What's Your Rupture, which includes some songs they never got to record before they split up. I'd be pretty into that and it would explain the Facebook update.

*bump*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecM24hsY_vY

Did we comment on GBV similarities upthread?

shogun has a new band - https://antennnnna.bandcamp.com/album/antenna-2

yep this is good

New Royal Headache live single?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFmr-8HQ9MY

I can't seem to find a year for this, but I saw them at the Bottle in the 20-teens and wonder if it's the same show.

From their bandcamp it looks like the first side of the LP is from Terry T.'s WFMU show in 2010 and the second side is from the Empty Bottle in 2015. Kind of cool to get them on the tours for both albums in one live record.

More info here https://royalheadache.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-america

Oh cool, that is the same show!

I'm disappointed there aren't more as-yet-unreleased songs on the live album. Glad they got "So Low" on there, that song is great. But they've got at least two others floating around in live videos online, "Blue TV" and "Twin Souls", that I would've loved to see get officially released.

I also remember them doing a new song at a show in Baltimore called something like "Strange Old Man" that sounded great, but I have no idea if there's even a live recording of that one.

hell yeah this rips

https://antennnnna.bandcamp.com/album/antenna-2

Australia's own Greg Cartwright