TNL Music Club V.2: Week 2

[Opaque]

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Portugal. The Man - Waiter: You Vultures!

This is in all honesty my favorite CD to come out in years; I'm confident that out of all the music I listen to this is also the most appropraite for the TNL crowd. So enjoy, and here's a little write up with some meaty details:

What is Portugal. The Man? Portugal is a country, not a man. Can a country consider itself a man? Are you confused yet? To clarify, Portugal. The Man is a band and no, they are not from Portugal; they’re a devastatingly handsome and talented group of guys hailing from the arctic wastelands of Wasilla, Alaska.

The band’s name is based on the idea of David Bowie’s “bigger than life” fame. They wanted the band to have a bigger than life feel but didn’t want to name it after one of their members. “A country is group of people,” guitar player and vocalist John Gourley explains.“With Portugal, it just ended up being the first country that came to mind. The band’s name is Portugal. The period is stating that and The Man states that it’s just one person.” The name has more personal meaning as well. Portugal. The Man was also going to be the name of a book that Gourley had planned to write about his father and his many adventures.

The members of Portugal. The Man (with the exception of Jason Sechrist who was born in Portland, OR) were all born and raised in Alaska. Gourley grew up in various parts of Alaska, even spending a year in the woods, living in a cabin his parents had built that was powered by a generator and had no phone. An unconventional upbringing to say the least, Gourley was surrounded by wilderness and A LOT of dogs. His parents ran the Iditarod (the biggest of all dog races, which his father had run four times.) Around the 8th grade John’s dad bought him a guitar. He played a little here and there but mostly wrote. “I started playing mainly because of Zach, who was in this awful cover band and they played at our high school from time to time. It was like Rage Against the Machine covers, which I loved!”

Around August of 2002, the band Anatomy of a Ghost was formed. Anatomy of A Ghost quickly gained notoriety and had a huge following, but before long, each of the members found themselves yearning for a different kind of creativity and musical expression. Through the demise of that band, Gourley and Zach Carothers teamed up with Wesley Hubbard (of Mash Potato Mitch and the Jet Puff Marshmellow Men) and formed Portugal. The Man. The band left Alaska and went to Portland with the intent of recording and touring. Breaking down any boundaries & limitations set up previously, Portugal. The Man set out to create a musical tundra unlike anything anyone had ever heard.

Gourley, Hubbard and Carothers had saved all of their money for their record and when they came back from Alaska they were spent and had no way to live. The three found themselves homeless for the next year and a half. “We wouldn’t spend money on anything,” Gourley said, “it was horrible; rough times for sure.” While struggles ensued in Portland, the band continued writing music & being creative despite the circumstances. “During that time I was mainly writing and we were just waiting for the opportunity to record,” John said. Sechrist (of the band Konmai Defense System) then joined the band and things started to come together.

Portugal. The Man’s musically and visually stimulating debut record Waiter: You Vultures! will be released by Fearless Records on January 24th, 2006. It’s an eclectic mix of songs that defies simple genre constraints and manages to contain political & social commentary. The record, along with the band, is sure to take over the world in 2006. Waiter: You Vultures! was produced by Casey Bates (Gatsbys American Dream) who comes from a different place musically but “had a good handle on this sound,” as described by John.

Pushing the boundaries of contemporary music while wearing the heart of Alaska on their sleeves, this band is going places. Portugal. The Man wants to take you with them. Portugal. The Man will leave you loving, questioning, crying, dancing, smiling, but above all else, Portugal. The Man leaves you wanting more.

[Punky Skunk]

talented group of guys hailing from the arctic wastelands of Wasilla, Alaska

Haha, Wasilla (like 30 miles from me, yet I've never heard of them). Cool.

They did get "wasteland" right. Arctic, no.

[Punky Skunk]

I'm not sure what year the genre of sophisticated, delicate flower indie rock was created, but that was a bad year. I can't really get a feel for the band as a unique entity, since it just seems like a mishmash of influences. I've just heard too many (like, 3) bands exactly like this. They should've spent more time in the woods, less time watching The OC and the vocalists need a throat-punching.

I need to start my own band.

[Josh]

I need to start my own band.

Put up or shut up.

[Andy]

Not really liking this. Elephants and Waiter are okay in parts, but everything seems very bland and forced. The composition of their music often seems even amateurish, and their lyrics were almost cringe-worthy in parts, to be perfectly honest. I actually chuckled during Chicago's chorus. "Burn this mother fucker down," yeah. The singer makes me hate life, too. The overall mood of this album is just so depressing and pretentious, and I'm a fan of shit like Joy Division and The Cure.

On that note, no offence, but are we going to go through like twenty weeks of people trying to impress TNL with the quirkiest or most pretentious pieces of music in their respective music repertoires?

Can I go next, pls?

[Opaque]

I'm really not trying to impress anyone with obscure music. To me, Anatomy of a Ghost was a well known band and this projuct has been getting a lot of press around me.

As a side note, how can any of you not like AKA M80 The Wolf?

[Punky Skunk]

"Burn this mother fucker down," yeah.

I didn't want to type any lyrics, but yes.

I think they should give up guitars completely. Wasilla needs to blow up in a meth lab explosion for this.

[Salsashark]

On that note, no offence, but are we going to go through like twenty weeks of people trying to impress TNL with the quirkiest or most pretentious pieces of music in their respective music repertoires?

FU, Sparks is approachable and likable and not pretentious, jerk.

you're not a jerk <3

I downloaded this and will listen to it shortly.

[arjue]

Initial impressions: Sounds like if the Elected tried to sound like the Blood Brothers. Not sure where I stand yet. Better than what I was expecting though, thats for sure.

[Detour]

Any chance a non-vb lamer could get a *legitimate copy lolz*?