Portugal. The Man Speak Out on Sarah Palin

So, the MOST famous person from Wasilla, Alaska is GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But, RIGHT behind her are Wasilla natives John Baldwin Gourley and Zachary Scott Carothers, two members of indie-rock band Portugal. The Man, who, in its four-and-a-half-star review of the band's new album, "Censored Colors," Alternative Press called "one of the truly great bands of this generation."

John Gourley has just posted a blog on the band's website - portugaltheman.net - where he writes a passionate and touching essay about HIS Alaska, what is a TRUE Alaskan, and why we, the American people, don't need Sarah Palin.

Gourley and Carothers grew up in the tiny town of Wasilla, fishing, hiking, and playing music together. Gourley and his hippie parents lived outside of town in a remote log cabin that was powered by a generator and had no phone. His mom and dad, a team of dog sled mushers, ran Alaska's annual Iditarod, dubbed the "last great race on earth." And Carothers remembers his frequent banter with Palin, then Wasilla's Mayor, about building a town skate park (never happened). Gourley and Carothers' families still live in Wasilla, and both return home whenever their touring schedule allows. Gourley has said that Alaska, with its breathtaking, ice-filled landscapes, has had a huge impact on the band's music.

With their third album, "Censored Colors" set for release September 16, and their fall U.S. headline tour kicking off October 14, the critically-acclaimed blusey/ folkie/ indie/ progy/ poppy rock band has been making their own mark in the Lower Forty-Eight. Cutting-edge media, from Filter to Absolute Punk to Alternative Press to theTripwire have raved about the band, and put P.TM in some pretty heady company, comparing their music to the music of artists like the White Stripes, the Mars Volta, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin and even the Beatles.

Check the blog and the band. portugaltheman.net

U.S. Fall headline 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 Orpheum, 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
16 Jillan's, Las Vegas, NV
18 Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
19 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
20 Soma Sidestage, San Diego, CA
21 Howie's, Visalia, CA
22 The Dome, Bakersfield, CA
23 Eureka Coffee, Lathrop, CA
24 Slim's, San Francisco, CA
25 The Boardwalk, Orangevale, CA
28 El Corazon, Seattle, WA