Huckjive

WRITTEN BY: CALI MEADOWS

Fortunately for both music enthusiasts and humanity, Wasilla, Alaska gave birth to more than just Sarah Palin. Portugal. The man along with the falsetto of front man, John Baldwin Gourley, trudged over icy waters and into the hearts of many. As an under-rated union of new-fangled musicians, their vibrant harmonies and effortless melodies allude to the influence of the simpler days The Beatles once sang about. Alternative Press magazine, named Gourley, one of the “best vocalist of 2008.” PTM’s latest album, The Satanic Satanist, which hit stores July 21^st, reinforces AP’s claim.

The only sin The Satanic Satanist commits, is emitting an ineffable feeling of falling in love for the very first time. Smooth, soulful rhythms synchronize with psychedelic riffs dancing around liberated lyrics. Showcasing Gourley’s gift for creating abstract art, the album cover is splashed with vivacious colors an anomalous designs, folding out like a pop-up art book. Bringing lucidity to an inhibited sound is attributed to established producer, Paul Q. Kolderie, who has mixed and mastered bands such as Radiohead, Pixies, and Lemonheads.

Don’t attend a PTM show expecting to hear tunes indistinguishable to their albums; fortunately, you will have the pleasure of experiencing so much more. For once, it can be considered a good thing when a band doesn’t mimic their album during a live-set. Instead, PTM extended bridges and solos.

PTM turned a laid back ambiance of friends laughing over drinks at venue, Belly up Tavern, to complete static. Seeped out smoke and twinkling lights enchanted listeners to flock to the stage like zombies in a trance. As the crowd filled the floor, PTM leisurely emerged from

Gourley’s abstract artwork which was featured on stage. Unifying both the band and the crowd, Gourley had is microphone set up sideways. PTM’s performance transformed into an intimate invitation into a magical jam session shared only between close friends.

Complimenting the exploding sounds that blasted out from the speakers, PTM harmonized high notes with one heart.  Slipping into an uncontrollable frenzy, Bassist, Zach Carothers, busted out backbends all while thrashing his bass from side to side. Keyboardist, Ryan Neighbors defied his school-boy image like The Beatles right before they became experimental on Magical Mystery. Crazed off the crowds’ energy, Neighbors, wildly played his keyboard, intermittently banging bongos with drum sticks.

Gourley, slowly swayed across stage singing “Help out all those friends that helped you too.” A reappearing message similar to the one Gourley blogged about on portugaltheman.net saying “What we do need is love and respect for one another and respect for the world we live in.”

OFFICIAL SITE

http://portugaltheman.com/

DOWNLOADS

Track: People Say – Portugal. The Man

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The Sun Goes Down on Girlsville is a song that I have no idea what it’s about. I could guess that maybe its about innocence lost, youth coming of age, or maybe it’s about the lead singer declaring he’s done dating women. I dunno. But I do know the song is amazing. It’s one of those songs to play when driving at night and you just want to think. Kinda like New Order’s Celebration imho.

Anyway here’s the official wiki post about The Awkward Stage:

The Awkward Stage is a Canadian indie pop band, based in Vancouver, British Columbia and fronted by singer-songwriter Shane Nelken. The band’s supporting lineup currently consists of Tygh Runyan on lead guitar, Tony Koelwyn on drums and Chris Mitchell on trumpet and keyboards.
Nelken, who works as a cremationist, had a longtime side career in music as a supporting musician for artists such as A. C. Newman and Sparrow before forming his own band, which consists of Nelken with a rotating cast of other musicians. The Awkward Stage’s debut album, Heaven Is for Easy Girls, was released on Mint Records in 2006 and quickly charted on Canadian campus radio and CBC Radio 3, which named the band’s song “We’re Going for a Ride” one of its Top 94 songs of 2006.[1]
Nelken is also a contributor to Radio 3, hosting a humorous audio advice column feature titled Dear Shane, and serving as an occasional guest host.

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Lineup:
James Lombardo [voice, guitar]
Trevor Pawlewicz [bass]
Jon Miller [guitar, keyboard]
Adam Caldwell [drums]

The town of San Jose is 350 miles up the California coast from Los Angeles. For the past year and a half, James Lombardo (vocals, guitar), Trevor Pawlewicz (bass), and Jonathan Miller (guitar, keyboards) routinely made this round trip journey to write and record with long-time friend and drummer Adam Caldwell. Taking on the name “The Little Heroes” after the sculpture figures Caldwell created for his art school thesis, the band used the distance they traveled as a central theme for their debut record. The concept, however, was nothing new to the four east coast natives.

Pawlewicz and Miller first met in a small rural town outside Philadelphia. During high school, the two realized a shared passion for music, trading mix tapes of R.E.M., The Smiths, and Fugazi. Shortly after school, they began playing in punk band and formed a collective, putting on shows at a local fire hall. The band lasted for several years, completing thirteen national tours and four tours of Canada. During this time, they played with such notable acts as Built to Spill, At the Drive In, Less than Jake and Avail. In 1999, the group disbanded with Miller opting for graduate school, and Pawlewicz relocating to California.

While at school, Miller met up with old friend, Ed Olsen, who persuaded him to play in a new band, Fire in the Radio. It was here that Miller met drummer Caldwell, who was a student at the art school. The band lasted for only a year, but when Miller relocated to the west coast, Caldwell did the same a year later. The two decided that even though they lived in separate parts of the State, they would attempt to resume making music together. Miller recruited Pawlewicz to join them, and the three set out to find a singer, placing several postings on a community website.

Lombardo, himself a native New Yorker, responded to the posting. Lombardo’s unassuming demeanor and soulful voice created a unique match to the band’s jangled pop songs. The result is an original sound that falls between My Morning Jacket and early Promise Ring.

The band’s debut record explores the theme of personal distance in love (Don’t Stop), friendships (September Falls), family relationships (Teeth), and death (The Harbinger). The record concludes by showing that while distances may separate us, perhaps we’re not that far apart.

The record was recorded with Angus Cooke (Mock Orange, The Ataris, and Nerf Herder) and Tom Flowers (The Coral Sea) at Orange Whip Studios in May of 2006. The band’s first single, September Falls, went for adds on college radio starting September 12th. The full record will follow this winter, and will be released by Wednesday Records. Following the release, the band will embark on a national tour.

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