From Sao Paulo to New Zealand

 ‘You know you wanna dance’

CSS was recently in New Zealand for two shows with Glass Candy; we were there, and so was Moron Says What?!?!. It was one of CSS’s last shows before the release of their highly anticipated second album, which we can reveal is going to be called Donkey. The exact release date has not yet been revealed, but the two new songs they played live in Auckland were the best songs of the set.

So, what do we know about the new CSS album? Adriano Cintra recently said in an interview that the band are tired of being dubbed an “electro” band by the press, “Live, we are a rock ’n’ roll band and that’s how we want to be known. It’s really stressful to read ‘electro’ band”. Perhaps then we can expect a rock ‘n’ roll album from CSS, after-all the new tracks they played live in Auckland did have an obvious rock ‘n’ roll jive. One thing definitely noticeable was the band’s maturity, after spending the whole of 2007 touring they are now a much tighter unit, Cintra saying “live, we are really organic”.

Two new songs have done the rounds since their 2006 debut. We have already posted their take on Sleater Kinney’s ‘I wanna be your Joey Ramone’, cleverly twisted to be ‘I wanna be your J-Lo’ and they have also recorded a cover of L7′s ‘Pretend We’re Dead’. Now we’ve got our hands on a recent cover of Grizzly Bear’s ‘The Knife’. The song appears on Grizzly Bear’s Friend EP.

CSS- The Knife: MP3

 CSS- Myspace

While CSS were conquering the world last year, Auckland band Moron Says What?!?! were dreaming of one day doing the same. Yesterday MSW?!?! sent us two, brand new, fully mastered recordings. We can report that they are super rad, and exceeded even our expectations. At just sixteen years of age, the girls have such an amazing future ahead of them. The mere fact that we are mentioning them on the same post as CSS must mean something.

I was lucky enough to hang out with the girls last weekend when they played in Wellington, and was so impressed by their maturity. Drummer/vocalist, Alessandra, told me about their first ever show with So So Modern, saying they told her to remember to always have fun, and reminded her of the importance in remaining true to their fans and to never become pretentious. Words clearly evident in their stage performance and enthusiasm for life.

Right now their biggest obstacle seems to be playing in bars. At sixteen they still need their parents present (luckily enough they have wonderful mums), but after recently supporting Architecture in Helsinki hopefully things will change.

We have talked a lot about MSW?!?!, and now we finally have the recordings to back up our claims. If you were one of the skeptics when we first posted on MSW?!?! in December 2007, please download these mp3s and give them another chance.

Moron Says What?!?!- Sleep: MP3

 Moron Says What?!?!- Wikipedia: MP3

Moron Says What?!?!- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under Brazil, New Zealand
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“This is a social experiment.”

Somewhat challenging the perception of ‘Indie’ and ‘Dinner-Party World Music’ in general, Manu Chao’s French/Latin music may comfortably fit the latter environs, but he doesn’t really fit into any category. That’s why I decided to post about him here.

And so what! I think you’ll find his intelligent genre-hopping and seamless drifting between tracks and riffs, uniting all songs and structured parts via loopy whistles and ambient guitar, is justifiably abstract and worthy of Einstein… blogging. Even if he is a bonafide internationale superstar and his ‘Indie’ cred is contestable! His rrrrrrolling raps and childish rhymes provide more than enough variation from the norm to justify his music as somewhat ‘Indie’, I guess in the sense that it is experimental.

The Paris-born, Barcelona-dwelling former leader of Mano Negra makes feel-good reggae/ska/rock/punk that feels right at home at a dinner party. Though this isn’t intended to be a derogatory statement, merely that his comfortable blend of influences is put together in such a way as it compliments [and one could say even inspires] lively chatter. And you always want that at a dinner table.

Making this enlivening music for the past 27 years, the prolific multilingual musician’s work was first introduced to me at a globetrotting cousin’s house, and it was love at first listen. Re-using riffs from previous songs to make a very cohesive, story-like album, Chao’s Proxima Estacion: Esperanza [released in 2001] is a patchwork masterpiece. Faultlessly blending tracks and songs together via this riff-grabbing, grab-bag of South American folklore, Chao’s work is effortlessly intoxicating.

Cursory listens to latest single Rainin’ In Paradise [from Chao's fourth album, La Radiolina, released a week ago], signal a rockier and more political direction. But I thought I’d backtrack a bit and draw attention to what has become a cult classic for my family, Proxima Estacion: Esperanza. This is unlikely to go unnoticed if you put it on sneakily at a dinner party. But don’t think of this setting as a resort to metropolitan blasé presumptions. Rather, it provides an ideal atmosphere for the music to be shared. Think of it as a cultural experiment, not unlike how his website, helpfully translated from French to Spanish, is presented.

Manu Chao- Me Gustas Tu: MP3

Manu Chao- Trapped By Love: MP3

Manu Chao- Mr Bobby: MP3

Manu Chao- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Brazil
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Let’s Make Love and Listen Alice In Chains?!

Super fun crazy mish mashes of baile beats and intoxicating exotic accents and rhythms and badly mixed antique funk samples, an interesting Thursday make. Marina, Pedro and Gorky of the Domino signed band, are arguably the most exciting South American band to have made it big outside of the typical SA confines since CSS went global.

Chunking Alice In Chains riffs with hip hop beats and cute childish cheers, Bonde do Role make you wanna sashay your hips and move yr feet. So do it! Nobody’s watching… maybe then the cute boy at the popsicle stand will take notice and ask you out, and you can shimmy up trees and collect berries and stuff, baile style… right?! Because although some of us cannot be certain exactly what Baile-funk or tropical-metal translates to, we can at least be sure that Bonde’s whateveryoucallit-sound has garnered them much deserved recognition of late.

Their funky Dança Da Ventoinha has the best use of a Darkness riff I’ve heard anywhere, far surpassing the original in terms of the unique array of squawking vocals it boasts. And their interpretation of ACDC (whether it’s them or a remix, this track is h.o.t!) on Melo Do Vitiligo is chaotic and enchanting. Venturing, as well, into cyber ecstacy, apparently it’s them on Máquina De Ricota? Though barely recognisable in parts, that is surely the signifying element of a truly unique, exciting, cutting-edge band. Surprising spontaneity, awe-inspiring originality. Roll out!

Bonde do Role- Solta o Frango: MP3

Bonde do Role- Melo do Vitiligo: MP3

Bonde do Role- Melo do Tabaco: MP3

Bonde do Role- Marina Gasolina: MP3

Bonde do Role- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Brazil
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