Bonde do Rolê - new stuff

Bonde do Rolê has been recording their first proper album, produced by Diplo, with new songs that don't carry all those obvious samples. Actually they really played the guitar riffs for the new songs. Believe it or not, the new stuff sound even better than the older.

:: Bonde do Rolê - Solta o Frango (pre mix)
++ buy

Hurtmold

Post-rock outfit Hurtmold has been around since 1998 comprising some key figures of São Paulo's experimental music scene - drummer Mauricio Takara does an impressive solo work as m.takara. From the Fugazi inspired post-hardcore in the beggining to the Tortoise-like sound they achieved in early 2000's, the band has never been as good as in the last three years, when they managed to translate Chicago's post rock through a more Brazilian approach. Not surprisingly, Chicago Underground Rob Mazurek is a constant collaborator.

:: Hurtmold - Credenciais
:: Hurtmold - Miniotario
++ buy

Underground hip hop

Heading mostly from São Paulo, Brazilian underground hip hop scene has been getting stronger in the last couple of years. Names like Parteum (pic) and his group Mzuri Sana, Munhoz & Prof.M.Stereo, Mamelo Soundsystem, Radiola Santa Rosa, Projeto Manada, Paulo Napoli and Kamau are worth checking.

:: Parteum - Rimas Jogadas ao Vento
:: Parteum - Asimov Bounce
:: Mamelo Sound System - Clandestino Secreto
:: Munhoz & Prof.M.Stereo - Passeio Noturno

Os Mutantes - TV Cultura - 1969

By this time everyone should know about world's greatest comeback of the year. After a 33 years break, brothers Arnaldo and Sérgio Baptista are going to reunite for shows in England and the US. Singer Rita Lee will not take part though. The first show will take place at the Barbican, in London, on May 22nd.

Curumin

Curumin is the stage name of drummer Luciano Nakata. In 2004 he released Achados e Perdidos, his first solo album, carrying an awesome samba meets hip hop beats meets Brazilian funk sound. When later that year Blackalicious came to Brazil, they got their hands on this CD and got so impressed by it that recently they released it in the US on their Quannun label.

:: Curumin - Tudo Bem Malandro
:: Curumin - Guerreiro
++ buy

Nação Zumbi - Futura

Ok, ok. On the last post I said Grenade is the best rock'd'roll band in Brazil. Someone replied that Nação Zumbi is the best rock band in the country. I don't think so. Nação Zumbi is the best band in Brazil. Period. Specially live. But they are not a rock'n'roll band. They are more than that. These songs from Futura(2005) will give you some idea of what's the music they're making nowadays like. But you have to see them playing live to get to know what I'm talking about.
:: Nação Zumbi - Futura
:: Nação Zumbi - Na Hora de Ir
++ buy

Grenade

Great news: Grenade has already recorded its new album to be released sometime this year by Slag Records (Cidadão Instigado, Arcade Fire, Four Tet). I had the chance to listen to it and it seemed to me their best effort so far. That means a lot since in my opinion it is the best rock'n'roll band in Brazil. Grenade started out as former Killing Chainsaw Rodrigo Guedes lo-fi project. Then a couple of years ago - already as a band - they released a self-titled album which summarized Guede's main influences: Neil Young, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kinks, etc. The new album pretty much follows the same path. But with even better pop hooks.

:: Grenade - Green as Greed (demo)
:: Grenade - Rain Maker - from Grenade (2004)
:: Grenade - Rubber Made Heart - from Is an Out of Body Experience (1999)
++ buy

Cidadão Instigado

Cidadão Instigado is guitarrist Fernando Catatau's project. He was given the 2005 best composer award by São Paulo's Art Critics Academy for his second and best album so far, E o Método Túfo de Experiências. For some Catatau is the best guitar player in this "whatever you may call it new Brazilian music scene". I probably agree with that but what I know for sure is that his music is extremely good. Brazilian northeastern 70's psychedelia, cheesy popular music, vintage drum machines and tons of distortion pedals coexist beautifully in his songs.
:: Cidadão Instigado - Os Urubus Só Pensam em te Comer
:: Cidadão Instigado - O Pobre dos Dentes de Ouro
++ buy

Artificial - Free U.S.A.

Artifial is producer Kassin's increadible "game boy project" - most of the music is actually made with the portable videogame. Like my friend Eduardo Ramos once said, Kassin is the busiest man in Brazilian music. He is part of the +2 project - along with Moreno Veloso and Domenico -, Orquestra Imperial and Acabou La Tequila, and has worked with people like Caetano Veloso, João Donato and Los Hermanos. In Artificial, he sounds like a collaboration between Prince and Mouse on Mars jamming on Kraftwerk's "Pocket Calculator".

:: Artificial - Nurse
:: Artificial - Let's Make
++ buy

KC x KC

This picture above was taken in 1993 when Nirvana came to Brazil for two shows in Hollywood Rock festival, one in Rio and another in São Paulo. The record Kurt Cobain is holding is the first Killing Chainsaw LP. Released in 1992, this self titled album is one of the landmarks for Brazilian indie rock. In 1994 they released their second and last album, Slim Fast Formula that even today still sounds great. Nowadays, guitar player / singer Rodrigo Guedes is the man behind Grenade, a former lo-fi home recording project turned into an awesome 70's rock meets 90's psychedelia band.

:: Killing Chainsaw - Fuck You Gently (With a Chainsaw) - from the 1st album
:: Killing Chainsaw - Raise - from the fisrt album
:: Killing Chainsaw - Passion - from Slim Fast Formula
:: Killing Chainsaw - Evisceration - from Slim Fast Formula

Totonho e os Cabra - Sabotador de Satélite

In case you're wondering why this blog is named braz-ill, it is all Totonho's fault. He released the album Sabotador de Satélite in late 2005 and Gui - here he is again... - was asked to write the press release. He needed a name to tag this new wave of musicians that, like Cidadão Instigado and Totonho e os Cabra, made leftfield pop music by subverting traditional Brazilian music. Braz-ill, the term he coined, couldn't be more suitable for Totonho. Produced by the great Kassin, Sabotador de Satélite is one of the best records released in Brazil in 2005, bringing together social criticism and solar system explorations, Brazilian traditional rythms and lo-fi electronica.

:: Totonho e os Cabra - Totonho Venha Salvar o Mundo
:: Totonho e os Cabra - Poeira Estelar
++ buy

Müvi - Você pensa e faz ao contrário

Last year I saw these guys live at the party I run every thursday with a couple of friends and got amazed. Actually I wouldn't call their gig a live set once they turned the music on in a laptop and got out of the stage leaving for the crowd an incredible quadraphonic IDM experience. At that time they were four and attended by the name of gunfunter kusten. Now reduced to Fábio Villas Boas and Ricardo Carioba and renamed Müvi they just released this Você pensa e faz ao contrário. The name of the album means something like "you think and do the opposite" and gives us some idea of what we're gonna find in those eight songs - of the 200 (!) they have already recorded. "It could only be compared with stuff from the golden period of Warp", says my pal Gui, from Peligro. Check out theses songs bellow and tell me wether he is right or not about it.

:: Müvi - Algum Dia
:: Müvi - Lembro Totalmente Deste Momento
++ buy

CSS tour only

Cansei de Ser Sexy's first album on Sub Pop will mostly feature songs from CSS's debut on Brazilian Trama record label. Other songs, like "Patins", are from the tour only EP named CSS Suxxx. These two songs bellow have two versions - actually three, TramaVirtual website has the demo versions for them -, one for the CD and one for the tour only EP. These are from the EP.

:: Art Bitch (CSS Suxxx version) - Cansei de Ser Sexy
:: Fuck Off Rock - Cansei de Ser Sexy
++ buy

Bonde do Rolê

First signing to Diplo's new Mad Decent label, this trio from Curitiba, southern Brazil, was listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 10 New Artists to Watch. They manage to turn Alice in Chains and AC/DC samples into danceable stuff adding huge wicked funk carioca beats and extremely dirty old school shout rapping in Portuguese in the mix. This summer they will be on tour in the US and Canada with Diplo and fellow Brazilians Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS). I wouldn't miss it if I were you.

:: Bonde do Rolê - Melô do Tabaco
:: Bonde do Rolê - Máquina de Ricota
++ buy