So I really should be writing about the Ani DiFranco concert I went to last night - but I still haven't quite gotten down from cloud 9 yet about that one, so I've decided to do a little bit about the next best thing - masters of trip-hop, Portishead.
Formed in 1991 in Bristol, England, Portishead changed the way people listened to the trip-hop/drum and bass genre. They pioneered a sound that made people sit up and think, "So this is how it should be. This is how it has to be. This is how it will be." Since Portishead's growing presence in the music industry, I do not know of any current groups that come anywhere close to Portishead's sound or anyone who could do anything equally original and not end up being criticised for sounding "too much like Portishead". Well, maybe Tricky and Massive Attack could give Portishead a run for their money, but all 3 names are big names in the music industry now, and all 3 names churn out sounds that have their own uniqueness, and ultimately, their trademark.
I hesitate though, to introduce people to Portishead. I've heard alot of feedback about how depressing and debilitating they sound, the whole package being like a downward spiral journey from an acid high. But like beauty, music is to the ears of the beholder. You either hate Portishead or love them. Some people love that downward spiral journey, some don't - it really depends on how the listener wants to get off.
So how do you want to get off?
