Bonde do Role @ Favela

Photo and video were stolen from Gema Gema TV (see more of them here)

So I went to Rio de Janeiro this weekend. While there I had my first favela experience and I have to say I was blown away by the beauty of it. Bonde do Role were recording a samba DVD about trannies on the top of favela Tavares Bastos and invited some friends to be part of the laje (the top of a favela house, like a brick roof) party in which they had an amazing churrasco (what Brazilians call their barbecue).

As guests, Bonde do Role invited some of the members of Copacabana Club and the amazingly fun producer João Brasil (Brazil's answer for Girl Talk) who had two other band members with him playing  - plus the two horrific trannies.

The party, as you already expect, was much more about the fun of it than the actual music - although you might've liked it if you are into samba or Brazilian joke songs about trannies. It will be definitely a once in a life-time experience sort of thing which you might be part when the DVD comes out or you catch it on TV. Meanwhile check a quick video of their new samba single 'Sarita' and download the demo version of the track below.

After months and months of emails, Database's Ugly Edits is finally on their Myspace. The second volume unites almost every single checkworthy band or producer from the Brazilian scene along with new edits from Database themselves. After some days of love, we ranked our Top 5 collaborations. There are The Twelves, Copacabana Club, Daft Punk, Berlinda Carlisle and more.

1. We've seen many live sets that's nothing more than some dude pressing play on Ableton Live. Fortunately there are producers like The Twelves who bring synths to the dancefloor in a way that sounds much better than any home recorded song will ever sound. So when they decided to cover Daft Punk's 'NightVision' you know it will be a synth homage version.

2. "I wanna be your lover and not just be your friend" begs Caca V, the pretty singer from Copacabana Club in this cover her band did with the help of another Curitiba band, the great Our Gang. Some disco low-fi bass and guitar lines, some colorful and some dry synths makes it an irresistible version.

3. Sometimes all a good song needs to reborn is a good dancefloor edit. Roots Rock Revolution (RRR) understand that and made Nu Shooz's 'I Can't Wait' faster, better and stronger. Should be going down nicely in groovy sets and oldschool playlists.

4.  This edit starts with the worst synth ever. But don't be afraid, it goes away really fast and then you're left with a very enjoyable track to listen to. Atmospheric country music for electronic kids. Well done, Superpose.

5. Who doesn't enjoy a cheesy song? I do - and so does Discobot. 'Heaven is a Place on Earth', yes that song that gets played at every wedding and graduation by Belinda Carlisle, gets some electro synths and some chopped vocals. Seriously, it works!

You can listen and download all the songs for free at Database's Myspace. Word!

Inside every modern production duo, there's one that's a better producer and the other who's the better PR. Let's just say that Database is at the moment exploring both sides to the maximum with the second edition of their Uglyedits compilation. Almost every single band or producer who is checkworthy on the Brazilian scene - and also the American duo French Horn Rebellion - have reinterpreted old songs using elements extracted from the original MP3s alongside lots of editing to make the track their own; or have simply just covered it oldschool.

Highlights come from the clash of Copacabana Club versus Our Gang in the cover of La Bionda's 'I Wanna Be Your Lover', The Twelves covering Daft Punk's 'Nightvision', Roots Rock Revolution accelerating the forgotten anthem of Nu Shooz, 'I Can't Wait', and many many many more - as the list of the features continues with Edu k, Superpose, Dada attack, Killer on the Dancefloor, Allan Falkyn, Nando Feitosa, Midnight Martyn, Pelussje & Blood Shake, The Random, Terrorduo, Sexistalk, Dubstrong (2Crazy Deadman), Mono-4, Discobot, Mottorama, Fisk, Digitaria and Chernobyl. Oh, and let's not forget Database with 13 (!) Uglyedits!

From where the Brazilian scene stands now, this release is going to be much better than the first volume. If you like to rock the party, Database is inviting everyone to the release party tomorrow (19^th of May) at São Paulo's D-Edge and, of course, urge you to check their Myspace on the 25^th of May to listen to all the songs and download them for free.

Meanwhile check the awesome teaser that the boys prepared below and two exclusivity Uglyedits. Database's edit of Dc Larue's 'Cathedrals' is like making love to your ears and as everybody knows you can't go wrong with The Jackson Five, the French Horn Rebellion contribute their groovy lines to the compilation. There is nothing ugly about these edits.

We <3 Copas!

Our friends from Copacabana Club just got 100,000 plays on their Myspace. It might not be much for international bands, but for the Brazilian indie scene it's a crazy phenomenon. First of all, I think they've played in São Paulo only twice (they're from Curitiba, as per Bonde do Role and Boss in Drama) all in shitty places. Then they got some media buzz, but not much as you would expect from a band as good as they are. And lastly, they haven't even released anything aside from their online presence.

In order to celebrate such a happy accomplishment, the Brazilian quintet is giving away a tonne of remixes from their first single - that one with the amazing video that Kanye West posted about. There are many different music styles in there: baile funk, old school hip hop, old school guitar rock and cheap-synth-pop.

The Banzai team (Fernando Nogari & Thales Banzai) not only directed

Copacabana Club's debut video, but also "remixed" them. Twice! The ghetto rap titled remix shares some old school beats and a lazy bass that takes Caca V to the Bronx in the '80s, whilst their other remix, drunkenly named "Jimmy Hendrix Che Che Change it remix", sounds just like an old porno soundtrack.

Some fans of the band did a sweet baile funk remix and the Florianópolis (Brazil) duo Superpose close the pack of remixes with an italo-inspired version. And I don't want to be rude, but it's surprisingly good.

Don't forget that the best remix for this song - and one of the bests of the year - is the Boss in Drama's version. You can download this and read an interview with Copacabana Club, Boss in Drama and Banzai here.

The most exciting thing to happen in the Brazilian scene last week was the launch of the Copacana Club's single "Just Do It". Not only because the band was virtually unknown in Brazil and have somehow managed to produce the best video clip (thanks to Banzai Studio) and remix (thanks to Boss in Drama) of the local scene, but also because they are actually going to release it.  I can't even remember the last time the indie scene here had a proper single out - and nope, Bonde do Role and CSS aren't part of it.

I was supposed to meet some members of Copas at Ju's place - singer Caca V and drummer Claudinha's best friend - to have a vegetarian dinner ("there will be fish", they said). But the girls preferred to have a drunken night in São Paulo (they're all from Curitiba), so we all met at a bar just next to my place. Péricles Martins (aka Boss In Drama) and Thales Banzai (one of the directors of the video for "Just Do It") also came along for the ride.

So after lots and lots of rounds of Caipirinha and Chopp (a lighter version of beer), I decide to record Copacabana Club talking to Boss in Drama about his remix of their song, and Thales talking about the video. So let's see what Kanye West's new darlings had to say, but first, check the video: