Escaldante Banda

VINYL FORMAT. Sweaty, funky, exotic, committed. Garotas Suecas ("Swedish Girls" in Portuguese) hail from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and their hearty, full-throated stew combines the best elements of their country's homegrown Tropicalia with Anglo-American soul and freakbeat. The six members of the group met as teenagers at an open mic night and promptly formed a band, hijacking the home of an area poet for their rehearsals. They self-financed three EPs, toured Brazil, and outlandishly landed an MTV video music award. But what psychs the band more than anything is launching their Brazilian Invasion of the States. Garotas Suecas' debut full-length Escaldante Banda offers a brew of Otis Redding soul grooves and Os Mutantes craziness. The Garotas' most accomplished recording to date and the ideal Stateside introduction to Brazil's best-kept secret, the record bursts with fuzz guitars, polyrhythms, scorching female backing vocals, big horn sections, and heavy psychedelia. Its grooves are thick, and it comes to make America shake. The perfect late-summer dance record.