Portishead

It's been almost 11 years since Portishead released their last self-titled album (I'm not counting Roseland NYC Live). The three member group of Adrian Utley, Geoff Barrow and more prominent Beth Gibbons have been often credited with making the trip hop genre more mainstream. Originating out of Bristol, UK, Portishead introduced their hometown sound to the commercial radio waves in 1994 with Dummy. With downtempo hip-hop beats, a touch of turntablism, and Gibbons' staple v... MORE

I'm still in the middle of gathering all the half year lists of 2008! A list of the best albums of 2008 so far according to all Moggers. If you haven't voted yet, go to this thread: http://mog.com/SA/blog_post/169238  and post your top 10 albums of 2008 so far. On to my number 9:  Band: Portishead Album: Third Best Track: The Rip Best Line: 'Cause I don't know what I've done to deserve you/And I don't know what I'll do without you In words: Aerial... Mystical...Buil... MORE

I'm loving Portishead's latest album, Third, more and more.  Thom and Jonny of a little band called Radiohead do an amazing cover of "The Rip." Click!

It may seem like an odd pairing to fans of each group, but the recent performance by Portishead and Public Enemy together was a dream come true for Geoff Barrow.  At the Primavera Festival in Barcelona last month, Chuck D joined Portishead for the perfromance of "Machine Gun" off the Bristol band's new album Third.  Here's video  of it from nialler9:   (There aren't many videos of this rare moment, so I wasn't able to find any that are less shaky.) Barrows is a ... MORE

There was no way that Third would be anything less than an instant classic, nestling comfortably with Portishead's two other classic offerings. That said, many were concerned that their newest would just continue along the (by now) worn path that they themselves forged almost a decade before. Would this just be a "Dummy II"? How would the world take Portishead now, in a time well beyond the heyday of the Bristol scene, when acts like fellow classmates Tricky and Massive At... MORE

Is anyone else completely obsessed with this song? Sadly to admit i'm a new fan of Portishead (I'm on of the 'eliteist white people' who seem to grapple to the band, but no I don't read PASTE magazine), and am just learning of their stuff, old and new. But I can't stop spinning this tune. The strings, beats, mixing, vocals are so bloody amazing. I'd stretch to call this one an epic. wowwowowo. the video is RAD RAD too. so timeless. This could be made today or 1... MORE

Portishead just announced that "The Rip" will be the next single released off Third. It's one of my 2 favorite songs on the new album ("Machine Gun" is the other) so I'm thrilled! "The Rip" will be released on June 9th. There's no video yet, but here is the audio via youTube: Check out the description of this video too. Even if you think you've seen every new Portishead video out there, you might find some you haven't seen linked. The list is nuts! I found ... MORE

... Age 9, I got into electronic music through Eiffel 65. Yes, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)". Anyone who wants to laugh at me can go kick themself in the shin, it was a catchy album and even now I can revisit a few of those songs and smile. I played it once for my dad and it tortured him and his girlfriend. He then stopped the CD and put on Bjork's "Homogenic" instead. Ah yes, the great artifact of a once unsquandering Bjork. I should thank him again for that. Then, came Portishe... MORE

These are songs from the year 2008 that I like. Ten words.

i haven't stopped listening since it came out... anyone else?

Beth Gibbons has an excellent, extraordinary voice. This does not mean "she sounds nice when she sings"; "she has the 'voice of an angel'", or "she'd do a mean aria". It means: she sings, and you listen. She sings, and she communicates. In my view, she has one of the most distinctive, affecting, expressive voices in modern music. (What a horrible phrase - "modern music".) Listening to her sing after any number of 'cool', 'trendy' vocalists, there really is (for me) a s... MORE

... will be on infinite loop in mind for a looooong time. This will be the music-based enduring memory from Coachella 2008, for me at least. Picture, if you will, burrowing your way to the second row of the main stage at Coachella, and witnessing a fantastic set by Kraftwerk. Then, then stage is set for Portishead to arrive, which they do clad in black. Black would also well describe the hearts on their sleeves. The anguish in the songs is clear from the pained express... MORE

How long has it been, 10 years since Portishead played a full live set in the US? According to a review on Fader Mag, the Portishead show in L.A. last week was very much an equipment test for their big Coachella appearance. Watching videos from the live show at the Mayan Theatre on April 24th, it would seem that this exact thing made the event way more intimate and friendly. Like watching Portishead practice in their basement for close friends. Beth Gibbons was sportin... MORE

So here we are , its been too long since Portishead has toured or released their follow up to their second LP and last night I got the pleasure of seeing them live on my computer from Coachella; but man I wish I had been there! But here I am back also to MOG and not to the hail of critics and MOGGERS delightful screams of Hurrah - to a much lesser extent in fact but back none the less... So last night I did what everyone else hopefully not at Coa did and I plopped down i... MORE