As promised, Portugal. The Man will be releasing an experimental album this year entitled American Ghetto. Made more for their longtime fans, the collection is a departure from more recent work-- specifically The Satanic Satanist which came out just this past July. Their first offering from the new album however is entitled "The Dead Dog." Playing more towards classic psychedelia, a hip-hop beat and swirling samples, it looks like a return to what made the band so engaging and intrepid in their infancy. Hopefully the rest of the effort follows suit.
Check out "The Dead Dog" for the price of an email address below, courtesy of the band. And be on the lookout for Portugal. The Man's new album American Ghetto, which will be released via Equal Vision on March 2.
Just as we did last year, we're happy to report the lineup for 2010's Coachella Festival. It's probably better than last year, depending on your vantage point. Among the most notable acts (according to this blog, not the festival) per day:
This list isn't necessarily the "best of" 2009-- we're talking about the year's biggest disappointments (albums only)-- but nonetheless, it's another important top 10 topic. This isn't meant to patronize these artists either. On the contrary, we still respect many of these individuals or groups, however we expected a better showing out of them this year. They all still have chances at redemption, some even with albums slated for 2010. So check out our list of 2009's Biggest Disappointments below.
Welcome to the final installment of our countdown to the best albums of the decade. There's probably a consensus on the top few, but beyond that, hopefully there's some surprises. As would be expected, a few artists made multiple appearances on the overall list, some maybe shockingly so. Still, these are our picks for the best albums of the decade. Enjoy below-- album streams are courtesy of Lala.com.
Another playlist this week, however it's of the shorter variety-- Our favorite songs that clock in at under two minutes. Unfortunately, we were unable to include some of our favorite selections from The Beatles, The Olivia Tremor Control and Animal Collective, but we still made due with what we had. Enjoy the list below. It shouldn't take long.
In a new feature here, we'll be letting you know the albums that we care about streaming over at Spinner. Every Tuesday, we'll be putting up somewhere between 4 and 10 links, depending on what's out, so you can check out all of the week's great music before buying it. According to my calendar, the next few weeks are kind of slow for releases, but it'll pick up steam again soon. Anyway, on to the releases, and credit for this idea, which he does on a much larger scale, goes to LargeHeartedBoy.
Sitting down with yet another Portugal. The Man record, I can't help but feel like Censored Colors just came out. Well, technically, it did. The Alaska band's fantastic 2008 record came out in September, and now, about 10 months later, here we are again. If you remember at all, I gave their last effort rave reviews, and was one of the few people on the internet to give the album its rightful place atop their end-of-year list. Too bad lightning doesn't strike twice. While Portugal. The Man has done a great job over the past five years of putting out a large amount of quality material in a short amount of time, you can't help but feel like this one was rushed a bit. And by a bit, I mean quite a lot. Maybe it's just the inevitable letdown after a superb effort, but I can't help feeling like something's lacking when listening to The Satanic Satanist.
We start with "People Say," the song everybody's heard already, with very mixed opinions amongst fans. What I, and others, have taken issue with is the lack of a real edge, save for maybe the last 30 seconds, which is a stark contrast from the band's usual style. Next, "Work All Day" seems to be a foray into hip-hop and industrial pop. Neither of these songs are terrible, it's just that I still have to take issue with the lack of edge. There's also an over-embracing of country and classic rock. That, by itself, is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's their attempt at practicing with it which makes the songs off-putting for diehards. "Lovers In Love" works similarly-- existing in choice bright spots, but overall, seemingly overreaching for new sounds and experimental moments. Make that double for "The Sun". I'm not opposed to the bright music epidemic this year. On the contrary, I enjoy most of it. But not for Portugal. The Man. They have (had) a vibe that involved careening minor chords, etc., so this is slight culture shock. Alas, we continue...
"The Home" spends a good amount of time embracing the aspects of this band I enjoy, while at the same time battling off a Willie Nelson cover for the first minute. Luckily, an electro-psychadelic solo interrupts and saves us. The rest of the album actually follows a similar tract, believe it or not. Of course, there are some unfortunate gaffes, but overwhelmingly, the last seven tracks are much more tolerable than the first five. On "The Woods," John Baldwin Gourley's soaring falsetto fits in perfectly with the western guitar riffs mixed with mechanical percussion. THIS is Portugal. The Man. "Guns and Dogs" hits in much the same manner. The band knows experimental psychadelia, twinged with western influences, and to leave that dynamic is foolish. Most of the track revolves around Gourley's powerful rambling amidst flowing organs in a track reminiscent of Censored Colors. Following that, "Do You," another song many heard prior to the album, possesses some of the album's heaviest and most notable passages. This is the part where I thank them for fixing things.
"Everyone Is Golden" starts out a bit like a 90s alt-rock track, but somehow, I can still appreciate it. It reminds me of the final five tracks of the previous record, a bit of winding down, and some nostalgia propelling it into a calculated recession. Same goes for "Let You Down". A bit dreamy, yet littered with pointed exclamations, it's a stand out, especially in this second half full of them. And then you get to "Mornings." Where was this stuff the entire first half of the album?! Seriously. It successfully combines southwestern solos, prog-rock bombast and a distinct sense of melody, that frankly, very few bands can duplicate today. "We'll be just fine/I don't believe," Gourley croons. After this effort, I'm not sure which to believe.
Wow, that was perplexing. The Satanic Satanist is probably one of the most bipolar efforts of the year, staggering out of the gate, before finally settling in and turning in the type of performance I knew it was capable of. So now the question begs, how can we evaluate the album? If judging by segments, it can either be really good or really bad. When taking it as a whole, which part do you give more weight to? Though it's an inexact science, I feel like I can properly separate the bad from the good, and balance them out to hand out a proper grade. In the end, though I walked away happier than I started, I couldn't forget that poor taste in my mouth at the start, so it must be penalized in that regard. Perhaps you agree, but feel free not to. Similarities here include Pink Floyd, Dear and the Headlights and The Snake the Cross the Crown.
If anyone read my article last week about Portugal. The Man's video for "Lay Me Back Down," or my glowing review of the band's 2008 record, Censored Colors, you probably assumed I'm anxiously awaiting their newest release. You guessed right. The Satanic Satanist will be the latest in a body of work that I have come to admire, and have enjoyed seeing grow positively from album to album. Hopefully this new record continues that trend. Though it's not out until July, we did get our first glimpse of the new sound yesterday, and if you haven't heard it yet, you can get it for yourself now. The band has put one of the new album's tracks, "People Say," up for free download both on Last.fm, and on their website. Through their site, you have the option of signing up for their mailing list too. In my opinion, the track's an interesting one. It seems to melt together a more country-twinged sound with some of the moods we heard at the end of the last album, to make an all-new, slightly toned down venture. Still, don't take my word for it- go check it out yourself. The Satanic Satanist is out July 21st via Equalvision.
First off, a happy Memorial Day to anyone out there reading this today. This Monday, our music video feature brings us to the intro track from the album this website named as the #1 effort of 2008. Portugal. The Man's Censored Colors blends an astounding mix of sounds to form what is a melodically appealing, and at times, breathtaking album. However, all of that could not be accomplished without the tone-setter for the entire ordeal, "Lay Me Back Down". Loud chords and interesting keyboards propelled this one to the forefront of my attention immediately last year, and the accompanying video should grab you as well.
The band, who are natives of Alaska, are playing a show out in the desert in this one. We, and the band, encounter what seem to be native peoples, as well as some odd static entity. Admittedly, it can get weird at times, but I'm never really surprised with this band. Their abilities to put out such a large volume of high quality work in a short time frame continue to amaze many listeners out there, and this year should be no different. The Satanic Satanist will be out July 21st, and though many of us were in love with last year's record, I'm not really expecting it to sound all that similar. I guess we'll see though. Stay tuned.
Here we are. The #1 album of the year 2008, according to Animal Noises, Portugal. The Man's Censored Colors. From the first sounds of the album, a chorus of sung discordant noise, you are set up for something truly different from anything else you've heard this year. No, it may not be groundbreaking, but like I said, nothing really was this year. This is exclusively Portugal. The Man, however, in that they do have their own sound which evolves within the confines of the band's original aesthetic. Censored Colors opens you up to an array of sounds and textures, as they blend indie rock, noises and their past experimental aspects, to create a thought-provoking sonic display. As I said in my initial review of this record, this immediately hit me as one of the best of 2008, and indeed, it ended up with that distinction, and more. The colors you see and hear are, without a doubt, there, but also censored, to a degree, as the title suggests. Each track possesses the full spectrum of shades and hues, but they're continually muting each other in an entertaining struggle from song to song.
Thoughtful, artistic and long (15 songs), Censored Colors never wears on you, but instead encourages you to read deeper, and look forward to what comes next. Each year, everyone has an album or two which hooks them from the first second, grabbing their attention almost immediately as something worth listening to, and listening to repeatedly. I'm happy to say that this year, you are looking at the record that earned that distinction from me. From the powerful to mellow switches of the opener, "Lay Me Back Down," to the mourning brass of "New Orleans," and the closer, "Our Way," which reflects upon "never finding our way"; Portugal. The Man keeps a constant soulfulness alive in a large blend of sounds. The album seems to exist in chapters. Chapter one is tracks 1-6, all of which keep a similar, jazzy feel. Next, "Intermission" leads us into the middle tracks, which have little in common with the rest from a sound perspective. Lastly, we encounter one of the better album-ending sequences since Abbey Road (I'm referring to the last 5 tracks' continuity of course). From 11 to 15, you can feel the album slowing, and reflecting gradually, but rarely is the listener conscious of a track change, making for one extended and enjoyable end to the experience. For comparisons, check out The Sound of Animals Fighting, Minus the Bear and Wolf Parade; but these guys are extremely hard to pigeonhole, so take that with a grain of salt.
Rarely can an album name's significance be realized on the first listen. Censored Colors, however, is the exception to this.
Portugal. The Man's new record is exactly what the title implies. The album lets off a muted feel, one that feels held back by something hidden, muffled by another unseen force. This is not a bad thing though. These "censored colors" still manage to bleed through the black and white nature of the album to reveal bright and bursting landscapes of sound. The songs prove to be a bit calmer than 2007's Church Mouth, but it doesn't lose the art and essence of what the band is, and more so, how it seems to embody the sprawling Alaskan horizon where they hail from.
From the onset, you are treated to an interesting array of organized noise, subtle textures, and introspection. "Lay Me Back Down" provides the perfect mood-setter, and it carries on through to "Colors", as well as "And I"- all will soon be considered staples of the Portugal. The Man library.
As a lengthy record (15 tracks), Censored Colors even has a break of sorts, aptly titled, "Intermission" at track 7. Here, you're set up for the more unconventional sounds of the second portion of the record. Leading off with "New Orleans", you almost get the sense that you, the band, or both are walking down Bourbon Street during a funeral procession. Blaring, soulful, mourning brass power it as one of the longest tracks on the album, but also one of the best, especially from an instrumentation standpoint.
Continuing on, the remainder of the record stays on a line of self-examination which is not usually seen in Portugal. The Man's work. From track 11, "Hard Times" to the finale, "Our Way", the songs blend into one idea, separated like chapters in a book about the regrets, and wishes of a life which may or may not have turned out as desired. The best transition in this stanza exists between my pick for best song on the album- "1989" and "Our Way", which blend together in both sound and purpose- a reflective look on the world within and around the author.
My final thoughts on this one? Excellent. You couldn't ask for much more out of Portugal. The Man on this one, as the band grows naturally within itself, exploring the outer reaches of what their sound can be. Anyone would be hard pressed to find a bad song on Censored Colors, and the more you listen, the more you enjoy its thoughtful approach and artistic sound. This has "Top 10 of 2008" written all over it. For those looking for standouts, they all are, but I'd suggest the aforementioned "1989", "Lay Me Back Down" and "Colors", as the best of the bunch.
Grade: 9/10. Anyone who reads this regularly knows it's hard to get this grade out of me, so if that's not indicative of how good this record is, I'm not sure what is.
Animal Noises is a blog about music, both old and new, and how it stands up in the current music scene. The staff-- John, the editor, with contributions from Matt-- uses their various music backgrounds to intelligently discuss artists and albums, focusing on the good, while not avoiding the bad. We focus on sub-genres of rock, electronic music and hip hop, but don't be surprised to see the occasional wildcard too.
As promised, Portugal. The Man will be releasing an experimental album this year entitled American Ghetto. Made more for their longtime fans, the collection is a departure from more recent work-- specifically The Satanic Satanist which came out just this past July. Their first offering from the new album however is entitled "The Dead Dog." Playing more towards classic psychedelia, a hip-hop beat and swirling samples, it looks like a return to what made the band so engaging and intrepid in their infancy. Hopefully the rest of the effort follows suit.
Posts
