(HER) The members of Portugal. The Man have always preferred to give away as much of their music as possible, while offering for sale to fans unique items that are in keeping with the theme of a particular project. The band's upcoming release, "Censored Colors" (September 16/Approaching AIRballoons/Equal Vision) won't be available for free, but the guys have created a four-tier, pre-order program that will give fans extra bang for their buck.Tier One will include the new CD, an 18" X 24" signed and numbered limited edition original lithograph painted by P.TM's vocalist/guitarist John Baldwin Gourley, a special double-gold-disc vinyl edition of "Censored Colors" with a die-cut gatefold, a wearable monkey mask, a project t-shirt that is exclusive to these special album bundles, and a "Censored Colors" wheat paste poster. The Tier One package will sell for $80.00, and only 100 of these top-drawer packages will be made available.
The Second Tier package will go for $45.00 and includes the new CD, the double-gold-disc vinyl, and the exclusive album-package-only t-shirt.
Tier Three offers the new CD, the gold vinyl and the exclusive t-shirt, selling for $35.00. The Fourth Tier provides the new CD and the project t-shirt for $18.00.
In addition, anyone purchasing any of the four packages will receive a link to download the entire album beginning September 1, a full two weeks prior to the September 16 release date.
Pre-orders can be placed on the band's newly re-launched website - http://portugaltheman.net/
But wait, there's more!
Portugal. The Man, whose U.S. headlining "Gold Tour" kicks off October 14 with Earl Greyhound and Wintersleep as support, is making available a free download dubbed the "Gold Tour Download." The free, zipped file is available now at http://portugaltheman.net/t and will include two songs from all three bands on the bill as well as an Illustrator file of the "Gold Tour" poster, with original art painted by Gourley. The band hopes that the download will provide fans with some knowledge of everyone on the bill before coming to the show.
The "Gold Tour" is in support of the upcoming "Censored Colors." The critically-acclaimed blusey/folkie/indie/ progy/poppy rock band - guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Gourley, Zachary Scott Carothers/bass, newest full-time member keyboardist/singer Ryan Neighbors, and drummer Garrett Lunceford (who replaces Jason Sechrist) - are known for their ability to effortlessly create concert experiences that differ wildly from night to night. The band utilizes a compelling light show to create various moods and a balance of abstract esotericism and vivid mental imagery, and guest musicians tend to jump on stage for a song or two.
Portugal. The Man's unique sound has its roots firmly in Gourley's abstract vision and unique upbringing. Gourley was raised on the outskirts of Wasilla, Alaska in a remote log cabin that was powered by a generator and had no phone. Traversing the Alaskan tundra on the Iditarod Trail, his hippie parents doubled as a team of dog sled mushers, and provided Gourley with a limited but powerful record collection - the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Zombies, and various Motown artists. Gourley's talent runs the gamut from his psychedelic fine art paintings to his falsetto voice that rivals that of Supertramp's Rick Davies to his near-obsession with "Star Trek" and Captain Kirk. Painfully shy, he doesn't even face the audience when he's onstage, and habitually wears a cap pulled well down over his face.
Under the mainstream radar, Portugal. The Man has garnered an incredible buzz with the release of two earlier full-length CDs, 2006's Waiter: "You Vultures!" and 2007's Church Mouth (the latter of which debuted on the Billboard Top Alternative New Artists chart at lucky #13), and three EPs, The Pines, the Devil (2006), Devil Say I, I Say Air (digital EP, 2006), and It's Complicated Being a Wizard (2007). They have amassed kudos from an array of media outlets like Filter ("Portugal The Man hasn't merely evolved from the avant-garde, neo-soul that shaped their earliest works, they've transcended it") and Alternative Press ("...it's the songs that truly set this band apart").
Portugal. The Man's current U.S. dates with RX Bandits, and initial dates for the band's Fall headline "Gold Tour" with Earl Greyhound and Wintersleep are as follows:
(with RX Bandits)
AUGUST
12 Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
13 Avalon Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT
15 El Corazon, Seattle, WA
16 Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
17 The Boardwalk, Orangevale, CA
18 Slim's, San Francisco, CA
22 The Glass House, Pomona, CA
23 Jillian's, Las Vegas, NV
27 The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
28 The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
30 SOMA, San Diego, CA
31 The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ
SEPTEMBER
1 The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ
(September 10 - October 4 - European Tour)
(U.S. Fall headline "Gold Tour")
OCTOBER
14 The Exit, Fresno, CA
15 Clubhouse, Phoenix, AZ
17 Rock Bottom, San Antonio, TX
18 Emo's, Austin, TX
19 Meridian, Houston, TX
20 House of Blues/Parish Room, New Orleans, LA
22 State Theatre, Tampa, FL
23 The Social, Orlando, FL
24 Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL
25 The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA
26 The Brewery, Raleigh, NC
27 Canal Club, Richmond VA
29 Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
30 Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA
31 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
NOVEMBER
1 School of Rock, Hackensack, NJ
2 Harper's Ferry, Boston, MA
4 The Club at Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
5 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
6 Grog Shop, Cleveland Heights, OH
7 Subterranean, Chicago, IL
8 The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL
9 Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
10 Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE
12 Fubar, St. Louis, MO
13 OZ Cafe, Wichita, KS
14 Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO
15 Studio 600, Salt Lake City, UT
(more dates TBA)