Mouthguard88, comprised of Amnon Freidlin (Honnda, Normal Love, ex-ZS), and singer/designer Diana Joy (Slime with Lightning Bolt’s Brian Gibson), self-describe themselves as “soil pop thrashers,” but they’re more like glitch-rap hooligans — two energetic (and overeager) MCs rapping along to their favorite video game soundtracks, faintly preserved on banged-up, sun-fried cartridges. The duo’s tortured party jams are disorienting, to be sure, but there are enough vestigial bits of 80s cheese-ball pop to earn the distinction of Freidlin’s most dance-floor-ready set of tunes yet.
“Don’t Forget Who Sent You” is the creepy, catchy first single from Mouthguard88’s forthcoming album, accompanied by an equally attention-grabbing video. In the clip, a group of prisoners slowly trudge along a dusty road, heads buried in their smartphones. They are clothed in jumpsuits that simply read, “Verizon;” at the same time, we see a brutal fight between two men who appear to be WWF superstars. The two scenes crash and collide, teasing at connections but never giving anything away; the costumes, designed by Joy herself, are some of the most interesting we’ve seen all year. It’s a headscratcher, but also fodder for a good head walk after the fact.
• Mouthguard88: http://mouthguard88.tumblr.com
• Amnon Friedlin: http://culturaluppercut.tumblr.com/listen
• Diana Joy: http://dianajoy.net
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