Music: Sour Times

I've been accused of being a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to trip hop, and in a sense, it is true. I first really noticed Portishead in my freshman year, when "It Could Be Sweet" was playing on the local NPR station's late night jazz program. Beth Gibbons' crooning voice on the piece echoed through the room as I tried to get to sleep, and it was evocative enough that I went out and got the album, "Dummy" (which of course had been released a decade ago).

Since then, I've sampled other artists in the genre (Massive Attack, Tricky, etc.), but the quality of that original Portishead album is still excellent. My favorite track is "Sour Times," which uses a killer sampled dulcimer sound throughout:



A live version. Portishead is one of those bands where the live acts sound as well-produced and polished as the studio stuff: