Royal Headache

In any other instance, a band as furiously tight as Australia’s Royal Headache would stand out in a crowded field of lo-fi garage rock. But when lead singer Shogun opens his mouth and his soulful voice begins to glow, it elevates his and his mates’ music into hallowed territory, an all-inclusive sound that speaks to everyone within range. The band’s self-titled debut has been kicking around since 2011 but got a proper U.S. release in 2012, with the perfectly skuzzy production on zipped-up punk like “Girls” and stadium-sized rock like “Honey Joy” still intact. Debut albums can’t get much more confident and perfect than this and, if few bits of live footage floating around the Internet can be believed, Royal Headache has the heart and guts to bring it to life on stage.

Updated 06/07/2012