Gourley is a thoughtful, clearly shy indie rocker originally from Alaska - an artsy type growing up in the lumber/guns/pickup world of the Yukon. His band, oddly punctuated Portugal.The Man, has been plying the club circuit for a couple of years now, and with the release this summer of their fourth long player The Satanic Satanist, is starting to garner some big-ink attention and, for the first time, big-time festival invites.
The CD is a keeper, an odd blend of Beatle-esque pop, retro-soul and spacey asides. Hard to pin down, but just this side of lyrical and musical genius.
We caught their first of two night sets at the B-side this past Friday. Somewhat thrashier and more aggressive than the CD suggested (the band's real indie rock roots are still dominating their live sets), the set was still chocked full of clever melodic channeling and atmospheric instrumentation. The place wasn't packed, but alot of the kids there knew the music inside out. They even covered Bowie ("Moonage Daydream") and quoted Three Dog Night ("One"). He never seems to stray far from his 70's rock radio heritage.
Gourley barely acknowledged the crowd, and addressed his mike sideways, spent a lot of time with his back to the crowd. A showman he isn't.
Count me as a fan. Great stuff.
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