Portugal – Austin Town Hall

Too Many Suns Share 1974

June 5, 2024 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

The middle of the week is always such a drag, so it’s a good thing we’ve got this Too Many Suns single hanging out in the wings, waiting to tickle you a little bit, waking you up to the day. Elements of the track have that stabbing brand of indiepop that you know we adore, but when it opens up to the chorus, allowing artists Surma to lend her voice to develop a varied texture, you’re certain to be rewarded. There’s naturally an uplifting spirit, but there’s also the promise of tomorrow, which ties into the song’s reference of the 1974 Portuguese revolution. This track appears on the group’s new record, Reverie.

<a href="https://toomanysuns.bandcamp.com/album/reverie">Reverie by Too Many Suns</a>

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Moon Cowboy Shares Baby Jane

April 4, 2024 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

You’ll notice the tendencies of modern shoegaze the instant you press play on the new single from Portugal’s Moon Cowboy; you get a wash of distortion and feedback reverberating around a melodic core. For me, it’s the entrance of the vocals that really cemented my infatuation, bringing in this gentleness that perhaps works in contrast to the genre’s expectations; it reminds me of my wife trying to soothe the heavy emotions of one of our children, calming and loving all at once. For some reason, it sort of feels like Galaxy 500 if they had dipped their toes in the dream pop world, so I reckon you’re going to love it.

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Hause Plants Share Marcy Avenue Video

June 19, 2023 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

I feel like I rarely get to hear music from Portugal, at least in so far as the style of jams I’m into comes along. But, Hause Plants just shared this rad new track that immediately had me from the moment the song trampled into my ear drums. Take a breath, settle in, and the guitars and rolling drums will rush you right into the track, all before it opens up into a dreamier state of being. This lets the setting for the vocals come to light, leaving more open space and warmer corners on the guitars to match the notes. Something in the natural yearning of the vocals really got me too, so I hope this track hits you where it feels the best! The group will release their Field Trip to Coney Island EP this Friday via Spirit Goth.

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Minta & the Brook Trout Share Matador

March 15, 2021 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Well, I guess Mondays tend to establish their own mood, moving in slowly, trying to scratch the sleep from my eyes. Lucky I’ve got this tune from Portugal’s Minta & the Brook Trout, the first listen from the forthcoming Demolition Derby. The song’s background is made up of really steady little percussive elements as well as a nice little wash of synths; it allows for the vocals to serve as the pop element, rising like the sun over the song’s horizon and luring you inside. Feels like a foggy morning slowly moving you into the sun, so lets hope that pops up at some point today…for now I’m just immersed in the world of this song.

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Ditch Days Share Baltimore

March 12, 2020 nathan.lankford Leave a comment

Earlier this year I stumbled upon Portuguese outfit Ditch Days, and with their EP on the horizon, I’m more than happy to share another tune from that release. This new track’s great, as it slowly drifts in by way of this meandering guitar line and hazy vocals. But, there’s the slightest uptick in pop sensibility that turns out around the 1:15 mark that really elevates the song’s vibe; I think it was there that I fell in love with this tune…especially with that buzz of guitars in the song’s distance. You can find this tune on Office Space, which is slated to drop this March.

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