Nice Noise from Knockout Ned

Play it: Seu Jorge Cru
Play it: Rssmbld Sndtrck The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Play it: Rssmbld Sndtrck City of God

Slipping in this week's releases is the second release from the Brazil pop star Seu Jorge, entitled Cru. You might remember him as the Bowie singing crew member in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, or as Knockout Ned in the Brazilian gang epic City of God. While virtually unknown here, he's a cult hero in his homeland, one who's story is born of humble beginnings.

Jorge was once a homeless kid in a favela (Brazilian slum) outside of Rio de Janeiro. By age ten, Jorge was repairing tires to help support his family. So when he got the part to play a kid who gets mixed up in the gang violence of Rio's favelas, it hit pretty close to home. To this point the song "Eu sou Favela" translates to "I am the Favela." The album title Cru translates as raw, which is a way of describing the release. Minimal in it's instrumentation, it's a bit like a cross between Nick Drake and Brazilan Tom Ze. His first single, "Tive Razao," features a sunny guitar strum coupled with a musical saw for effect, and the video for it features Jorge fans Bill Murray and Willam Defoe (view here.) Other songs are embelleshed with squeaks from everyone's favorite Brazillian instrument, the cuica. Jorge also covers the great Serge Gainsbourg's "Chatterton" and the Leiber and Stoller-penned Elvis his "Don't," (says Jorge of the Elvis cover, "he stole from black people, so I'm returning the favor.")

Play it: Rssmbld Sndtrck The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
In celebration of the release, I've reassembled the soundtracks from his movies. First, and most recent, is The Life Aquatic, which features Jorge singing David Bowie covers throughout the movie and soundtrack. Some of the songs he sang were never released, so I've put the Bowie originals in their stead. Bowie is certainly the driving force of the picture's soundtrack, and Jorge's Portuguese renditions are certainly a highlight of both the film and the soundtrack. Mark Mothersbaugh again composes for Anderson, this time with help from Norwegian composer Sven Libaek.


Play it: Rssmbld Sndtrck City of God
For the City of God soundtrack, we're missing much of the Brazil-specific music that was in the movie (and on the soundrack - along with a Jorge tune) but there was such a prevalence of United States funk and 70's dance music that it's well worth the effort putting it together and repeated listens. Knockout Ned & Bené would be dancing to it, I can tell you that much. Cidade de Deus, the Brazilian title which translates as City of God, refers to the name of a favela located in the district of Jacarepaguá, west zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The movie captures follows friends growing up in the favela through gang violence and drug trafficking, and the film is captured like a beautiful mixed-up dream.

tags: playlist, music, soundtrack, seu jorge, life aquatic, city of god