The Thousands

Sydney’s Royal Headache could be Australia’s finest garage power-pop band. It seems that every song they write is infectious as hell, taking sugary ’60s garage hooks and blasting them through your speakers with punkish fervor and velocity.
 
Opening track ‘Eloise‘ is the one that incited frenzy on Pitchfork, and if your misanthropic punk mate scoffs at the exuberance of the "nah, nahs" in the outro, chances are they’re the only good thing that happened to him that week.
 
‘Girls’ is amazing – brittle guitar riffing set to an uptight and agitated punk beat. Singer Shogun lets loose with a soul-inflected holler that completely hits the mark. Hard to believe on paper (or screen), but you’ll get it once you hear it. This lo-fi recording is scratchy and blown-out, making it sound like an old and weathered single that’s been left out in the sun a few times; it suits the tunes perfectly. If you like the Buzzcocks, Ramones or the Undertones, pick this up now, and then ask them to play your next house party.