Stream The Great New Album From Sharp Pins, The Solo Project Of Lifeguard’s Kai Slater
Kai Slater is the lead singer and guitarist for Lifeguard, the noisy young Chicago art-punk band signed to Matador, and the publisher of Hallogallo, a zine that grew out of the city’s vibrant teenage indie rock scene. Hallogallo is also the NEU!-inspired name of a Windy City collective featuring Lifeguard, Horsegirl, Friko, and others, and due to the nature of time, we won’t be able to refer to their scene as “teenage” much longer.
Among Slater’s creative pursuits is Sharp Pins, a solo project that steers away from Lifeguard’s bracing, noisy approach toward lo-fi guitar-pop of the Guided By Voices-worshipping variety. Over the weekend, Slater dropped Radio DDR, a new Sharp Pins full-length, and from the very first jangling major chord of opener “Every Time I Hear,” I was locked in. It’s just tastefully retro power-pop splendor all the way down. Listen below.
The album is only on Bandcamp for now, and all sales benefit the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
