The secret police apparatus is all the way up your arse, here in the so-called "homeland". American artists are totally cowed into submission. The common folk are ruled and fooled by TV.
Meanwhile, across the pond, the sound of revolution rock is in the air...Silver Brazilians are garage soul renegades, with absolutely heroic, beat poetic lyrics, like a late night jam between Kerouac, Ginsberg, Dr. Feelgood, Ian Dury, and Havana Three A:M, or maybe the 101'ers opening for the savage young Beatles, way back in Hamburglarsville, daddy-o's...They got the reckless abandon of the Humpers, the cool stylishness of Brian Setzer, with the social consciousness of the Pogues, or the Clash. In America, we got Paul K., and the Glass Heroes, but for the most part, our bands lack the integrity, untamed courage, wit, and lyrical ability of Silver Brazilians. They got IT. "IraqDonalds" makes me second guess my own song lyrics!!! Like Billy Bragg on Ritalin and meth amphetamine. Little Steven called their song, "Kate Winslet" the coolest song in the world. No shit, man. These guys just rock like crazy. Where's the guts and soul in America? The Silver Brazilians are stone rebel motherfuckers.
Think early Stones bluesiness, with the revved-up energy of hardcore punk. The Motor City Five and the Clash.
I guess you could call it retro, but it's so angry, and true, and smart, and alive, and like, pulsing with NOW, it ain't like you're on a paisley revival trip, like when you're listening to the Smithereens, or Chesterfield Kings, really. It's cool as hell-like the Jim Jones Revue, it ain't backwards looking at all. It's like somebody messed up Chris Isaak's hair, and now, he's out for blood! It has a pounding sixties garage feel, with all the wailing harmonica...The Silver Brazilians got plenty of Johnny Lee Hooker style, white-hot, burning, soulpower, but the lyrics are fantastic, poignant, contemporary, meaningful. Savvy? If you like the Godfathers, the Mescaleros, the Animals, or the Pretty Things, man, look for a wicked series of E.P.'s by these punk'n'soul sons a bitches on the A-S-A-P. ~Music Maker Magazine feature by Charlie Cybulski (March issue 2009)