i am very excited by the prospect of this new album. since the self-titled second album, beth gibbons has gone on to do a brilliant solo album (which was the one perhaps that didn't cause a stir). geoff barrows produced a fantastic album for stephanie mckay (titled 'mckay', which caused even less of a stir as it was never released in america). the new songs from atp do not seem like a rewrite of their old sound and the spex magazine review from mark (motherfucking POP GROUP!) stewart is excellent.

wait until april to hate on it!

in a world infatuated with flo rida's low, I'm not surprised that good music goes past your ears without a whisper.

Except the new songs Portishead premiered at this year's All Tomorrow's Parties are loud, claustrophobic, and cruel -- more Yorkshire freak-out than trip-hop pastiche -- and not much like anything they've ever done before.

With luck, it won't get undercut by the studio, lost in the translation.