Sao Paulo's Titas are one of the most influential -- and best -- of the upper-tier popular bands of the Brazilian BRock scene. Formed in the early 1980s, Titas incorporated punk, ska and hard rock into their sound, and remains a remarkably eclectic band. Singer-composer Arnaldo Antunes was in the original lineup, but left the band in the early 1990s to pursue a career as a producer and solo artist; rocker Nando Reis is another member who has recorded solo, and drummer Charles Gavin has done some impressive A&R work, particularly his work on various reissue CDs in a variety of styles... Here's a quick look at Titas:
Titas "Titas" (Warner, 1984)
Titas "Televisao" (Warner, 1985)
Titas "Cabeca Dinossauro" (Warner, 1986)
Certainly one of the ugliest albums covers in the history of the Brazilian music industry...
Titas "Jesus Nao Tem Dentes No Pais Dos Banguelas" (Warner, 1987)
Titas "Go Back" (Warner, 1988)
Titas "O Blesq Blom" (Warner, 1989)
Titas "Tudo Ao Mesmo Tempo Agora" (Warner, 1991)
This is the last album with Arnaldo Antunes as a member of the band...
Titas "Titanomaquia" (Warner, 1993)
Titas "Domingo" (Warner, 1995)
Titas "Acustico MTV" (WEA, 1997)
Safe, but solid, pop from one of Brazil's most popular rock bands. Like many of these "unplugged" albums, this is perhaps less acoustic than it might be, but it's still a nice chance to hear them in a fairly stripped-down format. Turns out that, indeed, they are very skillful songwriters -- on the lighter side, but able to get funky when they want to, and they cover an admirable range of material, including a bit of reggae and ska-ish rock. Worth checking out.
Titas "Volume Dois" (WEA, 1997)
Slick, strummy, anthemic indierock with swirls of trip-hop and ska thrown in around the edges. This isn't electrifying, but it is well-produced and good for what it is; I suppose at this point they're pretty much like the U2 of Brazil... The Brazilian exotica factor only goes so far for me, since this isn't the kind of rock I listen to in English, either. But it is interesting to hear how these South American pop stars can tackle so many styles with such panache. Kind of Dave Matthews-y, but if you like Dave Matthews, then maybe you'd like to check this out.
Titas "As Dez Mais" (Warner, 1999)
Titas "A Melhor Banda De Todas Os Tempos Da Ultima Semana" (Abril, 2001)
Titas "Como Estao Voces?" (Sony-BMG/RCA, 2003)
Titas "MTV Ao Vivo" (Sony-BMG, 2005)
Titas "Titas 84/94, Um" (WEA, 1994)
Titas "Titas 84/94, Dois" (WEA, 1994)
Titas "e-Collection" (WEA, 2000)
