Bonde do Role - With Lasers

Brazilian rock is hot. Last year's unexpected indie hype was electro-rock combo Cansei de Ser Sexy, this year the buzz is about funk carioca (or baile funk), sample-rich party music originating from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Bonde do Rolê is essentially a parody to the genre's original setup of sexually explicit lyrics and favela violence, adding heavy rock riffs and absurdist Brazilian slang to the pounding baile beats. But they proved to be more successful than the original funk artists - most of them are still handing out CDs in some sloppy neighborhood, while BdR is signed to Domino Records and touring the world.

Bonde do Rolê is like nothing you've ever heard before. You can call them a Brazilian punk band making their own twisted version of dance music. Or you can call them an incoherent clutter of Portuguese shouting and stolen riffs. Fact is, the 30 minutes of power punk called With Lasers will not leave you without opinion. From Marina Vello's yelling to the impossible samples (Alice in Chains, Europe, even Grease), Bonde do Rolê is an assault on your ears.

But what a catchy and fun assault it is. Highlights: "Gasolina" (10% Afrika Bambaataa, 90% crazy beats) must be the most danceable track of 2007. Boom-tcha-tcha. The question raised in "James Bonde" is: what would Mr. Bond be like if he were gay? I guess I don't wanna know what "James Bond chupa rola" means ;) And "Office Boy" could be called the most normal song on the album, though that's a very relative statement. Check out the videos below, and immerse yourself in favela fun!

Bonde do Role - James Bonde mp3 buy@iTunes buy@Amazon

Bonde do Role - Solta o Frango

Bonde do Role - Office Boy