Brazilian Music: Your Imaginary Friend

Portuguese language versions of David Bowie songs? New Wave sexiness, zombie metal, and emo? What in the world are we talking about!? Brazilian rock. Obviously....

Since it's the middle of summer, we’re taking you to the equator and giving you a taste of the music booming through the streets of Brazil.

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This is a great band to start out with because they sing in English—i.e., they want you to like them! And it’s hard not to like a group who begins their album by chanting that their band sucks. Their best song is probably the hilarious “Music is My Hot Hot Sex,” which draws on electronica, New Wave, and funk while lead singer Lovefoxxx informs us “Music is my dead end/Music's my imaginary friend.”

Pitty
Brazilian hard rock goddess Pitty makes videos that look like Rob Zombie movies and songs that punch you in the gut like a Queens of the Stone Age rocker. Her voice is similar to Amy Lee's of Evanescence, but with a little more Joan Jett snarl. Her guitar playing and her backing band add fancy licks and sludgy breakdowns. Check out “De Você” and enjoy.

Seu Jorge
This dude might be familiar to you as the guy in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou who sat around singing Portuguese-language versions of David Bowie songs. In addition to his fun takes on beloved classics, Jorge has equally compelling material of his own. Even though his accompaniment consists of a single acoustic guitar, there is something about his galloping strumming style that gives Jorge's Brazilian folk tunes a real backbone.

Mallu Magalhães
Belle and Sebastian, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash all rolled into one —at least that’s what this 16-year-old girl singer/songwriter goes for with her folky indie pop. Her music is closer to Wilco and her voice sounds like Alanis Morissette's, but far less assured—and somehow that works in her favor. When Magalhães reaches for notes she can’t quite hit, it gives her songs an honest, offhand charm we've missed in this age of Autotune.

Fresno
Even Brazilians feel emo sometimes, and when they do, Fresno is ready to help. If you’re the type of person who would listen to Dashboard Confessional if their lyrics weren’t so silly, this is the band for you. Their lyrics might be sappy, but you won’t even know it! Unless you know Portuguese, in which case, steer clear.

So what do you think of these Brazilian rockers? Any other South American music you Sparklers are enjoying lately?