Portishead Blog and Journals

Mix together elements of acid house, jazz and hip-hop. Add a flair for experimentation and a passion for breaking the rules.

The result? Portishead.

 

 

I'm never surprised to hear that one hasn't heard of Portishead. Their aversion to press coverage is no secret among fans, but let me tell you something. If you've never heard them before, today is your day. 

 

 

They've released only 3 studio albums since 1994, but each album is rich with creativity and sonic beauty. Beth Gibbons' haunting and gorgeous vocals are angelic, conveying feelings despair, loneliness and frustration about the complications of human connection.  Morbid, disturbing sounds, eerie melodies, spine-tingling pianos and rich bass lines are definite hallmarks of their sound.  Although they are categorized as Trip-Hop, they blur together so many styles, instruments and techniques that it becomes a sound that stands all on it's own.  And just when you think you have them figured out, they change their sound.  Where most musical acts fail, Portishead succeeds in being consistently inconsistent.  Their sound tends to drift like a breeze, borrowing from and manipulating whatever it happens to pass along the way.  And it doesn't matter what direction it takes because this band has the talent to make whatever they touch into something amazing.

Bottom line? Listening to Portishead is like an instant acid trip.  Their music will wrap around your brain stem and take you through the cosmos while breathing eerily down the back of your neck.  It is a spooky, seductive mind-screw that will take you to the brink of insanity and back...and you will come back for more.  So do yourself a favor....plug in your headphones, turn out the lights, close your eyes and give the music list below a listen.  Let the ambient amazement of Portishead transport you to another place.   You won't be sorry you made the trip.

 

As anyone that follows me on Twitter or Facebook can attest, I go out a lot. And by "a lot," I mean "I probably see 3-5 shows per week—every week." If I had to venture a guess, I've probably seen at least 200 shows this year, especially if you factor in South By Southwest. Now that bands are taking a break from the road and there aren't as many shows to go see, I'm ready to talk about the 10 best I saw this year. To be totally honest, this is pretty much off the top of my head, with a little help from someone who was at nearly every show I was. I need to keep better track of the shows I see. Most of the time I just dump the ticket stub in my stub drawer. —Brad Barrish, Buzznet head of artist and label relations, whatevernevermind

10. Ratatat at The Henry Fonda Theatre on 09/09/08
I think I've finally figured out how to get an L.A. audience to take their hands out of the pockets and move a little. Play music that makes people want to move. The most memorable shows are the ones where I look around and think, "Now, this is how it's supposed to be!" There wasn't a dry shirt in the house after this show. Ratatat is unique in that their songs don't have lyrics and it's a guitarist, a bassist and a keyboardist on stage. I definitely moved more at this show than any other. Ratatat never put on a boring show.



9. Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre on 10/25/08
I've been going to The Bridge School Benefit for six years now and it's always one of the highlights of my year. Aside from being an important charity, there's something very different about this show. Maybe it has something to do with being at Shoreline, but more than anything it's the kids and families that The Bridge School helps. Of course seeing Neil Young is always amazing too. Every year Neil and Peggy Young put on a special show where incredible artists and bands play acoustic. I've seen everyone from Brian Wilson to The Foo Fighters to Tenacious D to James Taylor to Jerry Lee Lewis. This year's lineup wasn't as interesting as I would have liked, but Band Of Horses, Cat Power and Wilco all played impressive sets. Even with a less-than-stellar lineup, Bridge is always one of the best all-around experiences.



8. The Cure at The Troubadour on 12/13/08
For nearly three hours, I watched The Cure play music from their entire career. It was definitely one of the best shows I'd ever seen. I have to confess to not being the biggest Cure fan in the world, but i couldn't help but enjoy it. Why fight it, right? I think any one of the lucky few that got to see this would agree that the last third of the show was probably the best. The encores were the highlight for me. Seeing the band play "Why Can't I Be You," "Boys Don't Cry," "10:15 Saturday Night" and closing out with "Killing An Arab" was amazing. Perhaps the second best thing was watching Robert Smith interact and converse with the likes of Davey Havoc, Jared Leto and others after the show. I even heard someone from MySpace called it the best Secret Show they ever did.



7. Kid Cudi at Cinespace on 09/30/08
Hip-hop usually can't keep my attention in a live setting. Perhaps I just go to the wrong shows. I wasn't really expecting a lot from Kid Cudi, but I stayed around until nearly 1am to see him play. As far a hype goes, there's tons of it around this kid and his mixtape is at the top of the heap as far as I'm concerned. He mixes rock rhythms and wicked synths with smart rhymes and incredible MC skills that bring some much-needed freshness to hip-hop music. He was a little sick for this show, but that didn't stop him and the crowd from going completely nuts. If you didn't hear about him this year, you will definitely hear about him next year.



6. Deerhunter at The El Rey Theatre on 11/25/08
I'm not a Bradford Cox fanatic, but you wouldn't know it by looking at my top albums and shows of the year. His bands appear 3 times. When Deerhunter played The El Rey, I loaded up the culmination of all my appreciation and brought it to the show. I parked myself right behind the soundboard and watched and listened to one of the most talented artists in indie rock play an intense set. Noisy guitar rock has always been my comfort music and this was a show at which I felt completely at home.



5. The Walkmen at The Troubadour on 08/22/08
It had been four years since The Walkmen put out a good record. I didn't see them at all when they were touring on A Hundred Miles Off. Boy, was that a fitting title. But, I digress. They made it all up to me and then some with their latest album, You & Me (one of the best albums of 2008). The first shows they played were small clubs and this Troubadour show was one of those shows where I heard myself say "wow" outloud a few times. I can't put my finger on why I am so fond of this band. Maybe it's the raw emotion that Hamilton [Leithauser, vocals/guitar] puts into his performance or the loud, crunching guitars. All I know is that The Walkmen would do well to stick with the formula they used on this album.



4. Portishead at The Mayan Theatre on 04/24/08
There are many perks to what I do for a living, and being invited to see Portishead do a rehearsal show before their Coachella appearance is one such perk. The last time I saw Portishead play was at The Roseland Ballroom in the '90s, after the release of Dummy. They had just released Third, which is one of the best albums released this year, and the Coachella show was to be the first and only show in the US. There was no stage production and the band was totally dressed down, but there was nothing but brilliance coming out of the speakers. Laid back or not, Portishead put on a really special show for their die-hard fans. I remember leaning over to someone four songs into the show and saying, "we're witnessing something really special and this will be one for the books."



3. Blitzen Trapper and Fleet Foxes at The Troubadour on 03/01/08
I knew this was going to be a special show before I actually got to the venue. While I intended on only seeing Blitzen Trapper, I had heard some rumblings about Fleet Foxes and was excited to see them as well. To say they blew me away would be an understatement. Keep in mind, this was months before they would become indie press darlings and be in the top 5 of everyone's top albums of the year. They were just starting out and only had an EP, which I purchased after they played. I missed some of their other LA appearances throughout the year, but this one has stood out for more than a few reasons.



2. Travis at The Troubadour on 11/11/08
In 2000, I got my hands on The Man Who and proceeded to see Travis play every show that they played in LA over the next few years, including their first US show ever, at The Troubadour. Many years later, they decided to play The Troubadour again and I was there once again. I like their newer material alright, but seeing them play songs from Good Feeling, The Man Who and The Invisible Band was incredible. I even jumped around in sync with the rest of the audience to "Why Does It Always Rain On Me." Andy [Bell, guitarist] climbed the rafters and Fran [Healy, lead vocals, guitar] played with shingles. There wasn't a person at that show that wasn't having fun.



1. Radiohead at The Hollywood Bowl on 08/24/08
There is only one other live band that can come close, but not with the same consistency. If for some odd reason you have never seen Radiohead play live, you need to add it to your things-I-should-do-before-I-die list. Even if you don't like their music, in which case you're no friend of mine, you will walk away with a new appreciation for the band. They never phone it in. They play their hearts out like no one on Earth and the stage production is always just as unique as their music. When someone asks me what the best live show is, I always answer with Radiohead. It's just a matter of which one I pick. This year, it was their Hollywood Bowl show.

So I've been feeling sad and lonely lately.  I've been "single" literally since October of last year, and in a true and actual way (as in not spending almost every day with my ex) since early July, and lately I've been kind of lonely.  This is the longest I've been totally single, not sleeping with someone, not dating someone, not having any "potientals" since I was... 14 ish I think, so its been a damn long time.  And I'm sort of enjoying seeing who I am without a boyfriend, but its almost my birthday, and being reminded of my single-ness on my birthday is always a kicker to my suck birthdays.

Anyhow, for the last.... hour... ish... I've been playing with the Buzznet music player.  Anyhow, this has lead me to wanting to write up a "sad and lonely" play list.  So here goes.

(I'll put an * next to the ones which I was able to find on the music player)

* A Perfect Sonnet:  Bright eyes
* Break Your Heart: Barenaked Ladies
Hello Rain: The Softies.
*You Had Time: Ani DiFranco
* So Much For My Happy Ending:  Avril Lavigne
Everyday: Go Sailor
* Undenied: Portishead
* True Rulers: Common Rider
Boston And St John: Great Big Sea
* Where I Stood: Miss Higgins
* Sorry:  Maria Mena
* Goodbye To You: Michelle Branch
* The One That Got Away: P!nk
* Angel: Massive Attack
* You: Bad Religion

I feel the need to mention I was going with "single and sad about it" list and not a "single and doin' ok with it" list... yes...

Additions?  Suggestion?  Leave me it in the comments.

This was a tough week.  The auditor was in work all week, pulling her hair out right beside me at the absurdity of these books.  I worked from 9 a.m. straight through to 3 p.m. without a break.  Their system of accounting is enough to make one run for the hills....I can't wrap my head around the logic of it all.  Needless to say I left work early instead of taking a lunch, which is a fine way to start the weekend if you ask me.  As of today, I share my office with another girl.  She seems nice...whatever.  I'm probably not going to be very good company, as I will be knee deep in accounting crap for the predictable future.  My boss told me that my assignment is indefinite, that I'm probably going to be there for many months.  Crappy books = money in my pocket.  I guess I better put on my hip waders and steel myself for the long haul, eh? 

Tonight I am decompressing with Portishead's Dummy.  I'm sure I've said it before, but I'm absolutely in love with this album (have been since it came out).  I have to get their new album, Third.  I'm going to ask Brian to get it for me for Mothers Day (oh, is that Sunday?  Well, I guess I'll have the album sooner than I thought).  To me, Dummy is one of those albums that has to be listened to in the middle of the night.  It's gorgeous, dark, haunting, galactic, trippy....it puts me in that place where I feel stoned and sober at the same time....the perfect antidote to stress.

I have a couple of secret missions I'm on...and I really should be tending to those, but I am too content.  Aural bliss has taken over, I don't want to do anything but let these strange and wonderful sounds carry me away.  There's always tomorrow.  For now I'll just close my eyes and float along a starry midnight sky, swirling the richness over my mental palate. 

Goodnight, Buzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

Newleywed Mariah Carey might be too busy this week with husband Nick Cannon to notice that Madonna has knocked her out of the #1 position on this week's Billboard 200. More!

Prince, Portishead, and Roger Waters may have grabbed the most headlines at this year's Coachella, but M.I.A.'s politically charged set was one of the most memorable.

Amping up her already over-the-top live show, the Sri Lankan-born artist nearly brought the crowd to a riot. Crowdgoers had packed tight into the Sahara tent, but there were loads more outside who were trying to cram inside. A flurry of police responded, along with ambulances.

M.I.A. described the intense experience in a recent interview with Spinner: "The cops tried to shut [my show] down," she said. "They were on the back side of the stage, and they were trying to shut me down, and I was singing, 'Cops don't work, they just make it worse.' I was really thinking about the situation in New York."

The situation M.I.A. was referring to was reportedly that of Sean Bell, the unarmed 23-year-old black man who was gunned down by officers outside a New York strip club in 2006 the night before his wedding. The accused cops were acquitted of criminal charges the day before M.I.A.'s set at Coachella.

But the singer, who was banned from MTV for her controversial lyrics and artwork, also said that performances like the one she held at Coachella is allowing her to more closely connect with fans.

"Playing right now in America, during the election times, I feel more and more connected with my fans," M.I.A. added. "They cheer when sh-- happens or boo when they don't agree. It's amazing, getting people to be interactive."

You can get in on the action if you're lucky enough to catch one of the shows on her current tour:

5.8: Detroit, MI @ Fillmore
5.9: Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
5.12: Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
5.13: Myth Maplewood, MN
5.14: Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
5.17: Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
5.18: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
5.23: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
5.27: Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
5.28: Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
5.30: Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
6.2: Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
6.3: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
6.6: Brooklyn, NY @ McCarren Park Pool
6.14: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo

[Click on the image to see pics of M.I.A. at Coachella.]

Did you miss Coachella? Check out Buzznet's coverage of day one, day two and day three.

- Soikatron

Aussies Midnight Juggernauts were relatively unheard of when they toured North America with Justice last fall, but you wouldn't have guessed it on Friday. Their Coachella set fused indie-rock bombast with pulsating dance rhythms and synthesizers. The crowd looked overjoyed, sweaty and would have stayed for another hour given the chance. Midnight Juggernauts came across like a twenty-first century version of Xanadu, minus the roller skates of course.

I caught up with drummer Daniel Stricker for a quick interview:


Buzznet: That was an amazing set, where did all those people come from? What do you think it is about your music that people are connecting with?

Midnight Juggernauts: Well … it's the first U.S. festival we've ever played. When we finished our first run of the U.S. with Justice last year we had gotten great responses as the tour went forward, so most of these kids must have actually heard of us.

Buzznet: So how does the band prepare for a festival like Coachella?

Midnight Juggernauts: Well, we started off sort of mellow and just built it up throughout the set, so it's climactic. Normally, in a theater, we play more atmospheric songs. At a festival, the crowd wants to dance, so it's hot no matter what we do.





Buzznet: Do you feel like your music is more tied-in with the younger dance-rock crowd, than say a band like The Breeders?

Midnight Juggernauts: I think in some ways, definitely yes — we want people to have fun. I think it's important as a musician to make music for you, but at the same time we have such a broad range of influences. That's just one aspect.
 
Buzznet: You're album, Dystopia, has been out since the fall of last year, but won't be released until next month in North America. How does that factor into the equation?

Midnight Juggernauts: That's why it's crazy. I couldn't believe how many people were there because we don't have a physical release out yet in the U.S. I mean, you can get it online — or for free — but we didn't expect the tent to be filled like that.





Buzznet: You guys are done for the weekend. Are there any other bands you're looking forward to seeing?

Midnight Juggernauts: Yeah, we have some friends' bands playing: Cut Copy, Architecture in Helsinki and Justice. I REALLY want to see Portishead. Have you heard the record yet? It's so good. And obviously, I'd love to catch Prince.

Buzznet: If you had to pick three albums to live with for the rest of your life which would they be?

Midnight Juggernauts: The Pixies' Surfer Rosa, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and … either a My Bloody Valentine record or Nirvana's Nevermind.

 
-Scott McDonald
 

INDIO, California – With a name like The Cinematic Orchestra, it comes as little surprise that the British jazz/electronic collective bides a lot of its time scoring tunes for film. About a decade ago, the band was courted to perform as part of a salute to late director Stanley Kubrick at the Director's Guild Awards, and shortly after that, was tapped to score a vintage silent film – and then play it in concert in conjunction with a screening of the movie.

Well, now The Cinematic Orchestra – who were formed by Jason Swinscoe in the '90s and are signed to reputed indie label Ninja Tune – have a new project up their sleeves, and it's a far cry from Kubrick: The band has been recruited to score the wildlife-friendly "The Crimson Wing," the first flick from Disney Nature, a new subdivision of the mega-company.

Swinscoe caught up with Buzznet at Coachella on Saturday to talk about making music for flamingos, shed some light on The Cinematic Orchestra's next album and get psyched before Prince's headlining set later in the day.


[Click on the image to watch the full video interview.]

Buzznet: Tell us about playing Coachella. Is it an exciting opportunity for you?

Jason Swinscoe: Yeah. A quick look at the main area ... it's not a polo club [referring to the venue's name, Empire Polo Field], [but] it's pretty well laid-out, well-organized, and it should be a lot of fun, yeah.

Buzznet: What reputation have you heard that Coachella has?

Swinscoe: I had some friends play here last year with Damon Albarn. I'm just here watching ... L.A. stars just hanging out, Sean Penn – I think he's doing something here. [Prior to My Morning Jacket's set on Sunday, the actor/director announced a new volunteer/biodiesel initiative. -Ed.] It seems very hip, [a] very cool festival.

Buzznet: Is the set you do at Coachella different than your usual one?

Swinscoe: Yeah, it'll be a lot shorter. We're doing just under an hour. We're just going to pull out some of the highlights. It'll be kinda, like, bang-bang-bang, festival-style. Half-vocal, half-instrumental, break it up a beat. Two vocalists, a female and a male.

Through the years, doing different festivals, depending on the kind of festival it is and depending on the time slot you get – day or evening ... it's a really short amount of time, you have to try to get your point across. If the audience is really up for it, [then try to] really share that moment. It can be a lot of fun and it can, at times, be very daunting, depending on the setting. It's fun.

Buzznet: What has the band been up to?

Swinscoe: Well, we're – actually, we're taking a break by doing these shows – we're in the middle of doing a soundtrack for a Disney film coming out at the end of this year or beginning of next year. We're pretty intensely working on that, and that's kind of taking [up] all of Cinematic's time.

Buzznet: What's the film?

Swinscoe: It's called "The Crimson Wing." It's going to be the first film on a new subdivision of Disney called Disney Nature. Kind of half-wildlife, half-fiction. There's a narrative, there's a story line, characters ... it's very interesting.

Buzznet: Is it your first time doing something like that?

It's the first time on such a theatrical scale. ... After Coachella, we've got a KCRW [Southern California NPR affiliate] show and then "Jimmy Kimmel," and then back to finish the film.

Buzznet: Are you watching scenes from the film and getting inspired by them?

Swinscoe: It all started end of last summer. I met the directors, [was] taken out to Tanzania, where it's being shot, I went to [the film shoot's] location, saw some of their rushes, and they were sending rushes back to New York. I was vibing off them in terms of if I had the right pieces ... it was all a very collaborative process very early on, and they're just locking in the picture in the next few weeks. It's been a long process, a lot of writing. Things have changed and redeveloped and have been thrown out and brought back in. It's not a very normal process for a film score. It's been interesting, finding different ways to approach that whole other world. It's tight.

Buzznet: And how does it compare to what we normally might expect from you guys?

Swinscoe: It's still very cinematic, but cinema has a much wider, broader emotions and tempos. Happy and sad to contemplative and everything in between, depending on the shape of the picture. And it'll be orchestrated as well – we're going to be working with a 50-piece orchestra, and just kind of widen our palettes. It's great for that – helping expand out the ideas of The Cinematic Orchestra.

Buzznet: Anything else coming down the pipeline?

Swinscoe: After the film it would be ... probably do some production work for a local guy in Brooklyn – he's playing with us tonight, he's the male vocalist – and probably the next Cinematic record. We're hoping for next year. Busy.

Buzznet: Is there anyone you're especially excited to see?

Swinscoe: Just the main stage, the last three slots. Should be awesome.

Buzznet: Are you a big Portishead fan?

Swinscoe: Portishead have been an awfully big inspiration since way back. I've yet to hear the new record ... I'm hoping for good things for them. ... They're one of the classic trip-hop bands. Really resonated. ... I've never seen Prince live, so it'll be amazing to see Prince.

–Adam Deroy

INDIO, California — The most anticipated name at this year's Coachella took the stage late Saturday and then minutes later disappeared. It's been that kind of a weekend. Check out full day two coverage.

LOS ANGELES -- With the Mayan Theater about half-full and slowly being filled with puffs of pot smoke, Portishead took the stage last night for their super-secret-show, and welcomed the crowd by announcing that it was a rehearsal for Coachella, and that this whole event is just so they can test their instruments.

The crowd was immediately awestruck, as the band started off with two new songs from their album Third, even the security guards.

It became crystal the band still had it, and if anything were better than ever.

They seemed to be taking a departure from their more trademark trip-hop sound complete with turntables and scratching, to a more shoegazer style.

Mysterons was their third song, and they played it exactly like the CD up to a point, and gave it a unique ending. By now the crowd was swaying like crazy with a sporadic, “WOOO!” being screamed here and there. Even the occasional, “I LOVE YOU GUYS!”

After a couple of songs that were either new or unfamiliar to me, they played Glorybox for their 5th song, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight out.

The band seems kind of shy, like they appreciate the crowd 100% but are at the same time a little intimidated by the attention. It’s cool though; you get the feeling that they’re just more into making good music than being in the spotlight.

For song 6 they played Wandering Stars, where they sat down and played the song more as an acoustic “unplugged” version.

I went upstairs at this point to check out the vibe, and everyone was just in a trance, completely engulfed in the music. I nodded in approval and moseyed on back downstairs.

They then played their new single, Over, Sour Times, Roads, several others that I just can’t remember right now.

They came out for a two song encore, and while the very last song was playing lead-signer Beth Gibbons hopped off the stage and stood on the barrier in front of the crowd so that she could shake hands, and greet the audience.

She made sure to span the whole front of the audience as to greet and high-five as many fans as possible.

Then we all cheered like maniacs and filed out of the Mayan, and you could see the expression on everyone’s faces was that of, “Holy Fuck! I am blown away!”