Radical Dads

Hailing from a shared apartment building in Brooklyn, the trio Radical Dads demonstrates that indie rock remains vibrant through its sharp, angular melodies and powerful playing, which evoke the peak era of 1990s alternative rock while reflecting the seasoned outlook of players who experienced those years firsthand without losing enthusiasm for the sound. Lindsay Baker on vocals and guitar, Chris Diken on guitar, and Robbie Guertin on drums and vocals first connected during East Coast college years in the 1990s, bonding over shared admiration for Yo La Tengo, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Pavement. Baker and Diken performed in multiple groups, whereas Guertin rose to prominence in the indie scene through his role in Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Guertin later joined the nine-piece ensemble Uninhabitable Mansions alongside Baker and Diken, prompting the three to pursue a more streamlined format. Their proximity helped, as Baker and Diken were married and resided in the same building as Guertin. The group coalesced as Radical Dads by 2008, issuing its debut 7" single "Recklessness" b/w "I Am the Father of Myself" in 2010. The following year brought the full-length debut Mega Rama along with the single "Skateboard Bulldog" b/w "Know It All." Guertin departed Clap Your Hands Say Yeah in 2012, elevating Radical Dads to his main focus. Fresh activity in 2013 produced the 7" "Creature Out" b/w "Slammer" and the album Rapid Reality. Honoring 1990s technology, the band issued the limited-edition cassette EP Cassette Brain, whose title track later appeared on the 2015 album Universal Coolers.