Portugal. The Man have enlisted hip hop producer Jake One to helm a remix of their latest LP's title track, "Evil Friends." Danny Brown jumps aboard, delivering a fast, hard-hitting, and surprisingly leery verse about the second-hander mindset running rampant around him. Give it a listen above!
Portugal. The Man's Evil Friends is out now via Atlantic Records, and it was recently announced that Danny Brown's much anticipated Old will officially be released on September 30 via Fool's Gold Records.
Alaska's Portugal. The Man made its Atlantic Records debut with this new album, In the Mountain In the Cloud. And because I didn't really like the band's past two albums, I'm surprised to see the music moving in a direction I like a lot more this time around.
The ambition that permeated from Portugal's earlier work is more present here. Though the band still feels it necessary to edit its songs heavily, structuring them down to the most simple of parts, the instrumentation is too big, bright, and joyous to not enjoy. Plus, the band does let go a bit on some of the songs here, allowing the music to wander indulgently and build tension.
New video from Portugal. The Man that tops thirteen minutes, and contains a lot more than just the song "Sleep Forever." I don't want to ruin the story for you, but expect snow, sleigh dogs, a firearms-related accident, and lip syncing.
Look for Portugal. The Man's forthcoming album, In the Mountain In the Cloud, on July 19th.
When it comes to the Alaskan band Portugal. The Man, I'd say my fandom is very, very casual. I've only loved one of their albums, truly: Censored Colors. The rest just aren't my cup of tea, I guess. But I'd attribute that to the adventurous nature of this band. They're not forging new ground for music, but they're always testing their musical dynamics by embracing different musical styles. Plus, then they fall down, they get right back up with another album, releasing a new one every year since '06. Gotta appreciate ambition!
This track from the band's forthcoming LP is the first of theirs to seduce me in a while. Though I know David Bowie has been an big influence for this band, this is the first time I'm picking up it up in their tunes. It suits them pretty well, too.
The band has put out some 30-second teasers of other songs on the next album, too. Oh, it's titled In the Mountain In the Cloud. It'll be the band's full-length debut for Atlantic Records, actually. Look for it on July 19th.
