British Columbians Run Chico Run became a duo by circumstance when the third leg of their trio bailed right before a tour and the unconventional arrangement has served them well. The sound on their latest album Slow Action is quite a contrast to what I witnessed when I saw them at SxSW in 2004 – while that was a storm of drums, huge fuzzy walls of keyboards and questionable facial hair, their studio effort is a bright slice of classic, clean-shaven and nerdy new-wave pop. The songwriting is quirky but accessible and (thankfully), they do not restrict themselves to two-piece instrumentation on record. The end result is hooky enough to be ear candy but odd and eccentric enough to challenge/confound the grey matter. Recommended, and try to catch them as they cross Canada this August, including a date at the Silver Dollar in Toronto on August 12. Full dates on their MySpace page.

MP3: Run Chico Run – “Clockwork Crows”
MySpace: Run Chico Run

An (almost) all-girl Brazilian disco act signed to SubPop – it’s like a music marketer’s dream come true. A sonic pastiche with one foot in the rock and one in electronica, both meeting at one ass that’s shake-shake-shaking. It’s loud, insistent, sexy and catchy as hell. Boasting songs titles like “Meeting Paris Hilton” and “Musik Is My Hot Hot Sex”, there’s no questioning this outfit is about irreverent fun, first and foremost. The album is out on Tuesday and there’s much touring to support – they’re at the Mod Club this Friday, July 14 for a show with Diplo and are back on October 2 at the Docks with Ladytron. People complain that Torontonians don’t dance but I don’t think it’d be physcially possible NOT to if CSS live is nearly as infectious as it is on disc.

MP3: Cansei De Ser Sexy – “Lets Make Love And Listen To Death From Above”
Video: Cansei De Ser Sexy – “Lets Make Love And Listen To Death From Above” (MOV)
MySpace: Cansei De Ser Sexy

On paper, Los Angeles’ Mellowdrone seemed like a band that I should like. The brainchild of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Bates, they offer up a space/glam rock hybrid that’s as much strutting as shuffling, but Box is so overly synthetic that I just can’t get behind it at all. So over-produced and passionless, it could be a demo for ProTools. It’s like a faked moon landing. I blame LA. Mellowdrone are at the Horseshoe July 14 for a show with A Northern Chorus – here’s hoping their live show has a little more life to it.

MP3: Mellowdrone – “Fashionably Uninvited”
MySpace: Mellowdrone