Billed only by their first names, the duo of
Supla and
João known as
Brothers of Brazil provides a stripped-down sound of acoustic guitar and percussion, playing in bossa nova and samba styles that occasionally get more aggressive and rev up to a rockabilly feel. They verge on novelty with songs like "Paparazzi" and "I Love the French" (they don't), not to mention "I Hate the Beatles," and even their romantic songs have a certain edge. Consider "Punch You," with its chorus, "Sometimes I wanna punch you, but I love you." The brothers sing in English with occasional bursts of Portuguese, and the overall effect can recall
Violent Femmes, if they were to travel from Milwaukee to Rio. But the music is endlessly catchy, and the performers' energy suggests these former TV stars would be worth seeing live.