Skip to main content

Portugal. The Man’s Eighth Album “Woodstock” Adds More Pop Influence to the Mix

Portugal. The Man - "Feel It Still" (Official Video)
Woodstock, Portugal. The Man’s eighth album, arrives four years after the band’s previous full-length, Evil Friends. It finds the band adding a new Top 40 element to its psych pop-rock sound and featuring a variety of sounds and guests, including Fat Lip, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, & Zoe Manville as well as producers John Hill, Danger Mouse, Mike D, and longtime collaborator Casey Bates.

portugal. the man <a href=album cover woodstock" width="400" height="400" />A trip to visit family inspired the album in title and content. While in Alaska, Portugal. The Man’s lead singer, John Gourley, found his father’s Woodstock ticket stub. The discovery put an idea in Gourley’s head, he needed to speak up about the dire state of the world. Woodstock is the product of that realization.

Appropriately, the album opens with a sample from Richie Havens’ performance of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” at the 1969 festival before continuing into the first verse. Lead single “Feel It Still” and its “rebel just for kicks” narrator is more overtly political and full self-aware. Its cluelessly rebellious narrator talks a good game, but is ultimately shown to be complacent and nostalgic. Musically, it’s a well-crafted, danceable pop single thanks in large pop to its hip-hop influenced rhythm section.

As the band describes it, album closer “Noise Pollution” tries to reconcile “the difference between what the modern world promised us and what we got.” In a post on Facebook sharing the song’s official video, they noted “there’s a flood of noise right now that feels like it might drown us all. And it’s harder and harder to tell what’s fact, what’s opinion, and what’s just straight up bullshit.”

With its big, flashy hooks, punchy rhythms, and multitude of collaborators, Woodstock takes Portugal. The Man’s sound in a more commercial direction to great effect.

Portugal. The Man’s Woodstock is out now through Atlantic Records and is available on Amazon, iTunes, and the band’s online store.

Terence Praet
Terence Praet contributes to The Manual’s New Music Monday column. He studied Philosophy and History at Skidmore College…
These are the best shows you can watch on Hulu in December
From Lost to The Great, these are the best shows you can stream on Hulu right now
Jeremy Allen White in The Bear.

 

There was a time when great TV was hard to come by. While not every TV show is great, these days it can sometimes feel like viewers have the opposite problem. There are simply too many shows, and too many streaming services, to choose from. Thankfully, the best shows on Hulu are also among the best shows you can watch anywhere. From new originals to legacy series from decades past, it has tons of shows that will fill the hours of your day.
You're probably aware that, while Hulu shows are great, it's far from the only streaming service with plenty of TV to offer. So whether you’re looking for the best Amazon Prime shows, the best Disney Plus shows, or the best Netflix shows, we've got you covered. Below, we'll dig into the best shows on Hulu that you can watch now.

Read more
The best Disney Plus shows to watch this month
Disney nostalgia and awesome new shows to stream
The Mandalorian looks out over the sun

Disney Plus has finally created a competitive library of original series that can compete with other services like Netflix and Max. It is also a treasure trove of Disney nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s. On top of all that, the streamer has released a few of the most popular TV series to come out in recent years, and those series, on top of the deep catalog, make a Disney Plus subscription worthwhile for any viewer or Disney fan.

With content from Star Wars, Marvel, and the Disney channel all available to stream right now, there's something for everyone, whatever you might be into. If you're looking for movies, take a look at our must-watch list of Disney Plus movies. Now, keep reading and check out the best Disney Plus shows you can stream this month.

Read more
The best movies to watch on Peacock in December
From Bernie to The Farm, these are the best movies to stream on Peacock
Jack Black in Bernie.

A fun bit of historic TV trivia is that the original NBC peacock logo was first implemented in 1956 to highlight the network's new color programming. Even though the logo has gone through numerous iterations since then, the network has stuck with the colorful bird, in one form or another, for going on six decades now. It’s fitting, then, that Peacock is known most for its TV programming, highlighted by shows like The Office, Parks and Rec, and the self-mocking (and hilarious) 30 Rock. If you are on Peacock for the shows, however, don't overlook that the platform is also home to a number of great movies spanning cinema history, including everything from great comedy to excellent sports movies.

Peacock streaming offers both free (registered) and paid accounts. As a result, some Peacock movies are available without a paid subscription, and others only for subscribers. This roundup culls titles from both groups. To be sure you can access all of these classics, you'll have to fork over the $5-a-month service cost. Happy streaming and keep reading to find the best movies on Peacock right now.

Read more