The debut album from Brazil's CSS might be described as Cibo Matto meets the Donnas. Stylish dance tracks meet punky, snide sexuality (the album title means Tired of Being Sexy). The degree to which you open yourself up to CSS will depend on how you react to their persona. Tracks like "CSS Suxx" and "Artbitch" nearly overplay the tough-girl sex shtick. Skip those and you're left with 10 gems. The synthed-up bass line of "Alala" is a force not to be resisted. "Lets Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" sounds like its title, with lighthearted disco rhythms spliced by growling and aggressive guitar breaks.
CSS may not be for everyone, but few other albums this year will dare to be as creative.
