The eclectic alt-rock band Skank outgrew its ska roots to become one of Brazil's most successful pop groups of the 1990s. Here's a quick look at the group's work...
Skank "Skank" (Sony, 1993)
Skank "Calango" (Sony-Chaos, 1994)
Skank "O Samba Pacone" (Sony, 1996)
The opening track, "E Uma Partida De Futebol," is a monstrously catchy big-beat style, soca-tinged pop song; the rest of the album is a little safer and more by-the-numbers, mellow ska-pop and reggae-tinged outings. The toasting on "Sem Terra" is nice; along with "Um Dia Qualquer," it's one of the catchier songs on here. Overall, their music has a perfunctory feel, but it's still more satisfying than many of their pop contemporaries, nothing really that sticks out and makes you want to turn it off.
Skank "Siderado" (Sony, 1998)
A slicker set, drenched in funk and hip-hop, with denser, more elaborate pop production... It's all very accomplished, if a bit on the safe side. They pay tribute to an MPB elder on "Do Ben," which strings together lyrical references from various Jorge Ben hits; the group's ska roots only resurface in the middle of the album... It's all okay, I suppose... A bit like what the Stray Cats were like for American rockabilly: really too slick, sometimes monotonous, but you wanted to root for them anyway. It's worth checking out, especially if you want a whiff of some more recent mainstream Brazilian pop.
Skank "Maquinarama" (Sony, 2000)
Skank "MTV Ao Vivo: Ouro Preto" (Sony, 2001)
Skank "Cosmotron" (Sony, 2003)
Skank "Radiola" (Sony, 2005)
Skank "Carrossel" (Sony, 2007)
Skank "Estandarte" (Sony, 2008)
Skank "Skank 91" (Sony, 2012)
Skank "MTV Ao Vivo em Ouro Preto" (Sony, 2001)
Skank "Videografia: 1994-2001" (Sony, 2002)
Skank "Cosmotron: Multishow Ao Vivo" (DVD) (Sony, 2003)
Skank "Skank No Mineirao: Multishow Ao Vivo" (Sony, 2010)
Skank "Rock In Rio" (Sony, 2012)
