Sharp Pins’ “Radio DDR” showed up on our list of great albums from late 2024 you might have missed. But given the lateness of the hour and a proper physical release this year,
Release dates are trivia, but Sharp Pins’ purely joyful and impeccably crafted lo-fi power pop is essentially timeless on arrival. Reminiscent of prime Guided by Voices, Big Star, Cleaners from Venus—pick whichever analog-recorded janglers show up on your radar “Radio DDR” is pop perfection by any other name. The project of Lifeguard’s Kai Slater , Sharp Pins capture a certain kind of vintage that sounds great no matter how or when it graces your headphones: 2024, 2025, 1974, 1993, it’s all good stuff.
Sharp Pins is the super solid lo-fi noise pop project of talented Chicago musician Kai Slater of the band Lifeguard and Dwaal Troupe. “Radio DDR” was originally released as a Hallogallo tape.
Let the old folks fight it out. Sharp Pins are too busy staying up late watching vampire movies. Fathers and Children of the Revolution. Sharp Pins are known for their pop guitar minuets that splay the ballet; they are the cosmos. Word on the street is Sharp Pins will touring the U.S.A. with the Hard Quartet, March, April, May, 2025.
The Fat Angel Sings 