CSS
Cansei De Ser Sexy
SubPop Records 

At first glance it’s easy to cast SubPop import CSS off as just another pretentious electro-pop band- the kind of swanky music you might hear playing at some hipster, invite only night club- and in a way they are. Female vocals sung in broken English? Check. Overtly sexual lyrics? Check. Simple, repetitive songs with keyboard intros and bridges? Check. Everything one would expect from your average ‘ground breaking’ dance/punk band can be heard on the Brazilian group’s debut album, Cansei de Ser Sexy, and if you aren’t sporting a unisex fashion mullet or 2-day passes to Coachella, you WILL hate this band. Believe me, I was almost there, until something very strange happened. I realized that, despite being awfully self-aware, forcedly sexual, and, at times, incredibly grating, CSS are also incredibly fun.

In between all the unnecessary flash and celebrity heiress references, this is a band who knows how to write a catchy dance song. ‘Music is My Hot, Hot Sex’, ‘Off the Hook’, and ‘Alcohol’ are all playful songs that catch the band being more earnest than calculatedly hip. When the band does this, cherish substance over style, the absurd and humorous lyrics finally work. If you can ignore their painfully trendy misfires- most notably ‘Meeting Paris Hilton’ and ‘Art Bitch’- you might find enough redeeming qualities to enjoy the music CSS has to offer. Or at least you won’t hate them as much.

MP3
Let’s Make Love and Listen Death from Above

Website
CSS website