Portugal. The Man

What a difference eight years makes: In 2002, Portugal. The Man singer John Gourley was fronting screamo band Anatomy of a Ghost — which, while not being all that bad, was still a screamo band. After AOAG broke up two years later, Gourley went on to found the punctuation-abusing, experimental-rock troupe Portugal. The Man. The band has been one of the underground's more prolific groups for the past half-decade, having released a new album (plus assorted EPs and singles) every year since 2006. Thanks to its catalog and its relentless touring schedule, the band finally caught the eyes and ears of Atlantic Records, which signed it this past April. Although P.TM's major-label debut is due in early 2011, don't be surprised if the band is already playing songs that could appear on its second major-label album; Gourley is notorious for always pushing his songwriting forward.