Monday, September 13, 2010
Music / Post No Bills Garotas Suecas at Schubas Tuesday: Not Tropicalia, but Not Bad
Posted by Peter Margasak on Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 5:22 PM
- Garotas Suecas
If the group sang in English rather than Portuguese I'm pretty sure you wouldn't see the term "tropicalia" used at all. Part of what made tropicalia music so potent and enduring was the way its practitioners eagerly consumed pop from outside of the country and ingeniously married it to homegrown styles like samba, bossa nova, and forro. Garotas Suecas don't really bother with Brazilian genres, though like so many other Brazilian bands they can't seem to help jacking up rock's rhythmic propulsion with energetic funkiness.
In some ways young Sao Paulo group is closer to the pop trend that preceded tropicalia, known as Jovem Guarda ("young guard")—a collection of artists who aped pop and rock music from the U.S. and the UK. The poster child of the scene, Roberto Carlos, grew out of imitation and went on to become one of Brazil's most popular singers, with a focus on romantic ballads. Garotas Suecas aren't bad, as you can hear for yourself below (I've posted the new album's best track, "Tudo Bem"). They sound like they do most of their pillaging in 60s R&B and soul, though there are some disco accents as well—and the female harmony singing sounds like it was nicked from the Broadway version of Hair. There's not much bite to the music, another quality that links them to the Jovem Guarda, who rocked but never very hard. Garotas Suecas have earned a good reputation for their live shows, and they play the kind of party-oriented stuff that I imagine would be enhanced by a few beers.
Garotas Suecas play Schubas on Tuesday night.
"Tudo Bem":
Today's playlist:
Ulrich Gumpert and Günter "Baby" Sommer, Das Donnernde Leben (Intakt)
Dr. John, Whatever Goes Around (Comes Around) (DBK Works)
Lal Waterson and Oliver Knight, A Bed of Roses (Topic)
Henk Badings, More Electronic Music by Badings (Basta)
Byetone, Death of a Typographer (Raster-Noton)
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
It sounds like a cross between The Kinks with Tim Maia (the man that brought funk to Brasil). Not bad though, really. Certainly not Tropicalia. But then again, it's not really Jovem Guarda either, bar the Farfisa organ so typical for JG.
Well produced and well recorded. Coming from Sampa, to me, it lacks the intelligence of Sao Paulo's eighties Vanguard movement too. If you're not aware, check out groups like Isca de Policia and Patife Band that offer carefully constructed arrangements and lyrics, sometimes turning them into concept pieces. This is more pop rock with a horn section giving it an accent of soul. Doesn't make me want to run and buy the album but I wouldn't mind listening to more.
like
dislike
For a taste of some true tropicalia: http://www.soundsandcolours.com/the-best/t…
Latest in Bleader
-
Margaret: teach your children well
In Margaret, a teenager learns more than her teachers can ever convey
- Feb 22, 2012
-
Gig poster of the week
Francisco Ramirez's design for the Arluck Time benefit
- Feb 22, 2012
-
Kim Dotcom currently a free man
Flamboyant Megaupload founder out on bail
- Feb 22, 2012
- More »
Author Archives
-
Three Beats: Alex White and Righteous Love repay a favor from God
Plus: Drummer Ben Billington goes solo with the synthy Quicksails, and MC ShowYouSuck throws another one-man pizza party
- Jan 5, 2012
-
Portuguese guitar master Carlos Paredes reissued
Drag City reissues two early albums by Carlos Paredes, genius of the Portuguese guitar.
- Dec 23, 2011
-
Three Beats: Andrew Bird and Ian Schneller transplant Sonic Arboretum
Plus: ICE talks nonjazz improvisation, and Chicago hip-hop meets a Swedish doc about the American black power movement
- Dec 1, 2011
- More »
