Root Down in the Shadow

'Teardrop' is amongst the awesome tracks by Massive Attack on Mezzanine   with 'Angel' and  'Inertia Creeps'.  It is more well known than most people would recognize as an instrumental portion is the theme music on the television show HOUSE.  DISCLAIMER Also, the video can be somewhat disturbing... just page down, and listen instead if you don't like it, as this post is about the song, not the video. the original 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack(sorry for the commercial) During episode 16(the finale) of Season 4 of HOUSE, a cover version of 'Teardrop' by José González, was featured.  It was extremely haunting to me.  Although I had been, in a matter of months, watching four seasons of House and hearing the original, albeit instrumental, track each time, when the vocals came on through a different voice, I was stumped.  What was this song, and why was it so familiar?  I even knew the words to it, but I had no idea what this was.  Finally I

Back in '96, I had a semester abroad in Bristol, England .  Bristol and it's surrounding area was booming with Big Beat and Trip Hop.  The "Bristol Sound" included  Portishead , named after the town across the way, Massive Attack, and Tricky.   Being young (19) and carefree at the time (I rarely had class, and even less was expected of me as a foreign student), made it extremely easy to see this scene in it's prime.  I was frequently being asked by a young french co-ed, named Julie to accompany her to the clubs to partake.  But, I was into this German girl named Annette , and I totally missed it.    ALL OF IT. The sounds, the scene, everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know what I missed until a few years later.  I did, however, start my journey into Big Beat, Trip Hop and Electronica, a year later.  I had been receiving CMJ New Music Monthly for a few years at this point, and during my junior year of college, I was getting exposed on a montly bas