Rising Brazilian Psych Outfit Returns To San Francisco
By Dave Pehling
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With as many modern psychedelic rock bands as there are trying to recreate the classic sounds of Hendrix, Blue Cheer and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, it's no great surprise that some young Brazilian musicians are taking a stab at capturing the heady experimentation of the late '60s Tropicalia movement in their native country.
Echoing the fractured, eclectic aesthetic of pioneering Sao Paulo band Os Mutantes and iconic artists Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, rising Brazilian group Boogarins was formed in the city of Goiânia around childhood friends Dinho Almeida (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Benke Ferraz (guitar) in 2013. Crafting a dreamy, hook-filled style of psychedelic pop, the duo produced their first recording -- the self-released EP As Plantas Que Curam -- when the players were still teens living at home.
The EP led to a record deal with Other Music, the label affiliated with the now defunct independent NYC record store of the same name, who would issue an expanded version of the recording. The pair would recruit a rhythm section in drummer Hans Castro (later replaced by Ynaiã Benthroldo) and bassist Raphael Vaz, who joined the band as it built on its international fan base with extensive touring across the globe including appearances at several music festivals on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 2015, the band released it's second effort, the more polished and focused Manuel that reflected the quartet's growth after so many months on the road together (the bulk of the album was tracked during a two-week break in Spain amidst one of several European tours). More road work would hone the band's onstage performance as they toured with like-minded Swedish neo-psych outfit Dungen and, more recently, with noted indie-rock band Surfer Blood.
In 2017, the band put out the concert recording Desvio Onirico that put the band live prowess and ability to stretch out expansively on full display. That release was followed by the studio effort Lá Vem a Morte, which found the band edging closer to the melancholy modern psych sound of early Tame Impala, as well as the more experimental cassette Casa das Janelas Verdes OST that was recorded and filmed during a series of improvisational sessions recorded at a remote house in the Brazilian jungle.
Last May, the group released its fourth studio album Sombrou Dúvida to wide critical acclaim. Showing a more sophisticated approach to songwriting refined by the group's extensive touring, the new tunes embrace a dreamlike quality that continues to cultivate the band's experimental side. For this return to San Francisco, Boogarins headline the Swedish American Hall on Saturday, sharing the stage with shoegaze/dream-pop group Winter lead by talented songwriter/guitarist Samira Winter.
Boogarins
Saturday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m. $15-$18
Swedish American Hall
