Matador Recordings artists, and Chicago natives, Lifeguard, made their St. Louis debut tonight at the intimate and darkened confines of the Sinkhole in South St. Louis. After witnessing their power-packed and devastating set, it’s safe to say that they will be appearing on much larger stages the next time they return to the Lou.
Three young bucks: Bassist, vocalist Asher Case, drummer and percussionist Isaac Lowenstein, and guitarist and vocalist Kai Slater, are fresh and new, while also familiar. Guitarist Kai Slater bears more than a passing resemblance to a young, mod Pete Townshend decked out in Carnaby Street finery, and Case has a Noel Redding/Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze hairdo. Their music shows a nod to garage rock or post-punk attitude and fury.
As for their sound, it incorporates elements of Polvo, Husker Du, The Buzzcocks, The Unwound, and perhaps the dissonance of early Dinosaur Jr. What also makes this band unique and enjoyable to watch is the vocal interplay between Case and Slater. That dynamic, combined with the circular drumming of Isaac Lowenstein, made for an exciting, engaging, and riveting live performance and set.
The band is already a buzz band, and even “Rolling Stone” has acknowledged this. Their latest Matador release, “Ripped and Torn,” was released this month, and it features songs like “It Will Get Worse,” which sounds like if the Strokes were given some puppy uppers and Sonic Youth atonal tunings. Another recent album cut, “Like You’ll Lose.” was transformed into an almost punky Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd number if the Damned had performed it. They even did a Wipers cover, which is pretty cool.
Their short, compact, hard-hitting set shows why those in the know and hip to the best new bands showed up on the Lord’s Day (night) to break bread with the rock n’ roll devotees. Their energy, sound, enthusiasm, and look make them rock’s new flag bearers. The band already has three EPs and two studio albums under their belts, and seems ready for even bigger stages and success.
Lifeguard is coming to rescue us from the mundane, predictable, and formulaic, and that’s what music needs right now. If they’re coming to your town, you owe it to yourself to see them on the way to the top.
