Music: This Week's New Releases

Portishead: "Go on, drink it..."

Compiled By Noah Mallin

Portishead come back after 11 years with their atmospheric gloom-mongering intact. Their new one, Third (It's their third album, natch) is readily identifiable as the work of the pioneering trip-hop threesome but the beats have grown more abstract and the rich production is studded with off-kilter glitches and unexpected detours. Here's the video from "Machine Gun":

Philly's leading hip-hoppers The Roots continue in a serious vein with Rising Down. The new set won't feature the song "Birthday Girl" which the band's fans decided was just too darn commercial and lighthearted (though not creepy despite the fixation on the age of consent) to fit into the harsh survey of modern life that is the new record. Here's the video for "Risin' Up":

Santogold has been getting a great deal of hype around N.Y.C. for their self-titled debut. The duo of frontwoman Santi White and John Hill have weathered many an M.I.A. comparison but the album actually has a fair share of guitar based songs to go along with tracks helmed by Diplo and M.I.A. producer Switch. Here's the video for "L.E.S. Artistes":

Back in the early 70s Tom Petty was just a guy in this band Mudcrutch who moved out to L.A. in search of fame and fortune. The record company was all, "Dude, you don't need those guys Tommy -- you're the real star...ditch those losers..." And he was like, "Uh...Okay," and took off with guitarist Mike Campbell after one album. Guess the guilt has been eating him up 'cause he got the old band back together to record a new album. Here's the video for "Lover of The Bayou":

Finally Madonna does her embarrassing Mom who dresses too young and fakes a British accent routine on the lamely innuendo'ed Hard Candy (Mtume did it better with the song "Juicy Fruit" way back when..)