Lifeguard

Sending out shards of inspired guitar noise over the crash and bash of a hot-wired rhythm section, Lifeguard are an indie rock trio from Chicago who embrace the classic texts of noise rock and add distinctive flavors of their own. The influences of punk, no wave, noise rock, post-rock, and math rock are all audible in their formula, though the strength and precision of their attack, the energy of their performances, and the jagged tunefulness of their songs show they're building a unique stylistic framework of their own. After releasing a handful of singles and EPs, Lifeguard burst into wider recognition with Matador's 2023 release of two EPs on one LP, Crowd Can Talk/Dressed in Trenches. Their first album for the label, the descriptively titled Ripped and Torn, arrived with plenty of zeitgeist-appropriate angst in 2025.