Cansei De Ser Sexy (2006)

Q (p.116)
- Ranked #89 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006."

Alternative Press (p.206)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "The sextet's passion for design, fashion, art and cinema fuels the dance-o-tron sensations..."

Stylus Magazine 8 of 10
Taking in elements of electro-rock, 80's pop and indie and dropping in loads of pop culture references, Death from Above 1979, and Paris Hilton to name just a few, Cansei de Ser Sexy (Tired of Being Sexy) have managed to create a modern Brazilian pop album that is perhaps one of the few that can have an actual international impact...Lots of handclaps, woo woo backing vocals, and laughs amid funny observations about contemporary urban hipster life reveal an assured and charming debut. - Andy Cumming
 
Tiny Mix Tapes 9 of 10
Even if their messages are a little convoluted, alternately celebrating and decrying pop culture and art, their existence stands as a testament to the perseverance of the DIY movement. This isn't a conglomeration of expertly trained musicians; this is a cluster of energetic and creative folks who use some widely available instruments and tools to express themselves with passion and abandon. In hearing this debut, one gets the feeling that there's still a lot of energy left in these ladies (and one gentlemen), but even more importantly, that they'll inspire hundreds of other restless youngsters to get a band together and bang it out for themselves. - Dave Gurney
 

To relate the story of a band which has no story clearly must involve a slight amount of background (and no small amount of sleight of hand). A South American venture involving a young group from Sao Paulo, a sudden sense of urgency and movement-without a proper narrative, how could it happen? Where to begin? The official press release offers scattered insight, and translated from the original Portuguese, it remains a lively romp around the English language:

?Taking the fact of not knowing how to play their instruments as a challenge for creativity, the group started to risk small shows in the night clubs that feed Sao Paulo underground.? Skip back to Sao Paulo, circa 2003: A band comes together not with any presumptions or typical formulas, but by meeting at clubs and photologs (some sort of social networking sites focused on sharing photos and video, and apparently quite popular in Brazil), deciding to try something new. They meet in basements. They plan. Without knowing how to play the instruments set before them, the experiment begins. One day, a girl forgets her guitar and is given the microphone instead, suddenly able to yell out. It fits. Eventually the group expands into six members strong, a combination of some girls with guitars and one guy trying out new drums; all steadily tumbling into their skills. Handclaps and one crappy keyboard, throwing in beats; tumbling and tumbling again. Fuelled by aggravation towards the empty swagger of faux artists, and to celebrate the un-celebrity, a name was chosen: CSS.

Fast forward to 2006: Over loose beats and quick programming, this group sings in English-as opposed to their native language of Portuguese-and claim that their scene is not Sao Paulo, but the internet. As evinced by ?Meeting Paris Hilton? and ?Let?s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above,? CSS makes unshakably clear its predilection for the glorification of pop culture. Between funky dancehall and keys that bubble and bounce, lead Lovefoxxx continues to yell and throws down vocals in a way that is wholly unafraid-shameless in the best of ways-and the rest is filled in with wire-thin guitars, swift drums and manic hooks. It is a thick, pulsating thing full of haphazard synths (?Alala?) and a come-on of call and response that tears down any attempt at posturing (?Art Bitch,? ?Patins?). An album bursting with its own unique squeaks and pops, it is intensely urgent while remaining cohesive. With fully formed music and entirely fragmentary lyrics, they had truly arrived.