Song of the Day - February 6, 2006

Portugal,The Man is an unusual name for this quintet currently based out of Portland, Oregon. Originally the majority of the band was from Alaska, a state I hope I can get back to visit again. The band was basically formed from ex-members of Anatomy of a Ghost. The roots and meaning of their name are not clear, but let their music speak for itself. Their debut effort Waiter: You Vultures was released last month and shows strong influences from the 70's like Elton John, with their use of piano alternating with more intense rock moments. The song "Chicago" best exemplifies this trait by starting out with a dissonant Gang of Four influenced beat, then 70's era vocal harmonies float over the lead vocals, which are intense and raw; out of nowhere a quiet piano passage is inserted into the song and then we are back to the chaos. The song eventually ends in a quiet hush. Click here to listen.