Royal Headache - Down The Lane
Friday, May 11, 2012 at 9:06AM 
Words // Scott Pingeton
Followers of Visible Voice may think of this as a blog devoted to folk music -- and you'd be right. The mellow and raspy sounds of indie folk and bluegrass form the core of what I listen to and share here. But if you've followed VV closely over the past 2+ years, you'll also know that I have a deep-rooted love for soul music. I love dusting off those Stax/Volt, Motown and Atlantic singles often, but my love of soul and early rock n' roll often manifests itself in the form of garage rock. There's something about dudes bashing out rock and soul on overdriven guitars that just does it for me. And thus, any PR email that references "soul-punk" catches my eye.
Hailing from Sydney Australia, Royal Headache creates vaguely soul-inspired rock that hits fast and hard and is over before you know it. Nothing clocks in over 3 minutes here - the way rock music was meant to be. And while I wouldn't go as far as NPR did in calling this "an unabashed throwback to an era full of blue-eyed men copping and caffeinating the moves of Motown and Memphis, when rock stood in awe of soul music's ecstasy and agony," the soul influence is there, I guess, and the songs are catchy enough to have me tapping my toes. And really that's what counts.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled sad-bastard mopey folk :)
