The 1960s Brazilian invasion began around the same time as the British invasion and has continued to go just as strong, without ever achieving the same kind of overt success or status. As subtle as the music itself, the Brazilian invasion is undergoing an exhilarating revival via recordings both new and old.

For some background, a good place to start might be Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars: Bossa Nova Sung In English (Universal). Part of the Pure Brazil series, this accessible compilation is a good entry point, since it combines vintage bossa nova tracks with English language lyrics. Essentially, you have Brazilian artists such as Sylvia Telles, Astrud Gilberto, Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Tom Jobim, to mention a few, performing their unique style of music, but making it safe for those with a trace of xenophobia. Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, perhaps the most successful crossover act of this sort, is represented by two tracks, “Like A Lover (Cantador)” and “Pretty World (Samarina).”

Here’s a fun fact about the Brazilian Girls: none of them are Brazilian and three of the group’s four members are men, but that hasn’t stopped this international (two Americans, a European and an Argentine) music sensation from creating one of the best albums in recent memory. Explorations of modern Brazilian and Brazilian-influenced music, such as “Lazy Lover,” “Long” and “All We Have,” as well as the incorporation of other world-music influences on “Homme,” “Corner Store,” “Pussy” and “Sirènes De La Fête” are found throughout. Additionally, Brazilian Girls are naturals when it comes to navigating their way onto a dance floor. The joyous jam of “Don’t Stop,” with its “Don’t stop/Just keeping on going/Until I come” message, is the ultimate combo of dancing and sex, and “Dance Till The Morning Sun” is an invitation that is difficult to refuse when it comes from the Brazilian Girls.

The trio known as Bossacucanova (DJ Dalua, Alexandre Moreira and Marcio Menescal) invites listeners on a groovy journey with their CD Uma Batida Diferente (Six Degrees). Taking their cues from traditional bossa nova and contemporary samples as well as beat-driven club music, Bossacucanova incorporates the programming and turntable work into its songs to create an eminently danceable style of music. This is an example of how technology and tradition can coexist in harmony.

Without a doubt, my very favorite bossa-style disc of the moment is the self-titled release by Nouvelle Vague (Luaka Bop/V2). Musicians and producers Marc Collins and Oliver Libaus are joined by a half-dozen female vocalists, who take turns reshaping vintage punk tunes into the most seductive bossa-new wave tunes you’ve ever heard. If you’ve ever thrown yourself around a dance floor to Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough,” Public Image Ltd.’s “This Is Not A Love Song,” The Dead Kennedy’s “Too Drunk To Fuck,” The Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks” and The Specials’ “Friday Night, Saturday Morning,” you can still do so, although your dance moves might be more focused on the hip and butt range.

Released in 2001, Carl Henry Brueggen’s Cinzano & Cocaine (dustygroove.com) was recently sent to me to whet my appetite for his upcoming 2005 release. Nicer still, it fit well into this piece on Brazilian music. For someone known for rocking out, Brueggen embraces the bossa nova, sending waves of warm rhythms and smooth beats out to the listener. All three tracks on this EP are guaranteed to inspire listeners to samba until they can’t stand it anymore.