World music too often involves pony-tailed dorks chanting about global love over an African children’s hand choir. Or at least it did before the Brazilian Girls dropped their latest effort, Talk to La Bomb. Converting hipster clubs into wild international soirees, the Girls espouse a love of “pussy, pussy, pussy” and “marijuana” in five languages — no wind chimes included. Sabina Sciubba’s ethereal voice drifts over pulsating beats and knocking dub rhythms. It’s a cosmopolitan concoction chic enough for the white-leather-couch crowd, but artful enough to warrant repeated spins. What’s more, Sciubba revels in her role as seductive frontwoman, sporting risqué costumes and always keeping her eyes partially concealed.

This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2006.