The Lady Tigra: Please Mr. Boombox

Surely you remember Miami jailbait duo L’Trimm — whose video for “Cars That Go Boom” was a guilty pleasure in 1989? Well, The Lady Tigra was the one on the right, in the horizontally striped pants, and though she’s certainly “grown up” since then, you can tell she wants to maintain that late-80s connection by wearing nearly the exact same outfit on the cover of this debut solo record. Believe me, this record is really retro. From the cowbell and “disco call” (“whoo whoo!”) in “Bass on the Bottom”, through the Brothers Johnson style bass’n’keys in “DNA/Love to Me”, the overall effect is booming electroclash overlaid with that sweet Reagan-era frosting. The Lady Tigra’s deadpan waif vocals haven’t changed a bit since her L’Trimm days either: especially in that you can breakdance to it. The keepers here are “They Stole My Radio”, “I’m Back”, and the vaguely surreal “Please Mr. Boombox” (is it my imagination or does she namecheck The Strokes in that one?). Most of the other tracks still put you on the dance floor — dinky though the beats may be, the bass still doth boom. Guest appearances by Abnormal and MC Lyte are also a very groovy surprise. I can’t wait for the next installment.