If you’re new to the Brazilian Girls then you would have gotten the usual surprises; they’re not Brazilian, and only one is a girl (That honor belongs to the elegant lead singer Sabina Sciubba). But if you were a more seasoned fan of the Brazilian Girls, their show at the Paradise Rock Club on Thursday October 9th would have had its own share of surprises in store for you. Namely, that the Brazilian Girls seem to have left behind the party scene.
Whether this is a good thing or not remains to be seen, but for any in the crowd expecting a sensualized, revved up throwback to the days when the BG’s would rock the New York Nublu scene, they left unsatisfied. Which is a little strange… because the songs off the new album New York are not bad. The single “Good Time” will move you to have just what the title tells you, and most all of the old time Brazilian Girl favorites, “Jique,” “Don’t Stop” and “Pussy” got played. But the energy just wasn’t there. The volume was down and stage theatrics were at a minimum. The band seemed like maybe they’d been away from home one day too many and couldn’t muster much more than some low-key prancing around the stage. Even odder was the wall of plexiglass separating drummer Aaron Johnston from the crowd. Perhaps they’re were going for a more muffled sound but it seemed to serve more as a barricade between the drums and the crowd and add an extra bit of sedation to an already pretty mellow show.
It seems like the Brazilian Girl’s, in their third album, are searching for an identity beyond the faster paced bohemian club sound that brought them to notoriety, but they haven’t quite found what they’re looking for yet. It’s especially obvious on the meandering carnival sound of “Berlin.” As a result, the sometimes slow and wandering music translated into a sometimes slow and wandering show. Which maybe isn’t the worst thing in the world. Just be forewarned, these BG’s are not the same BG’s you grew up on in the first two albums.
Read more about Brazilian Girls in Rob Vassegh’s interview at the Bostonist.
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
