Pitchfork

Front page photo by Grumpy Man DJs

If that surprise club gig this past February was a single, ominous cloud, then this is the foreshadowed thunderstorm in all its full-blown, gloomy glory.

Following in the feedback squalls of last year's picker-outter person, Thurston Moore, Bristol trio Portishead will curate the 2007 edition of All Tomorrow's Parties' the Nightmare Before Christmas, according to the act's official website. The landmark event goes down December 7-9, 2007 at ATP's usual stomping grounds, Butlins Holiday Centre in wee Minehead, England.

And that's not the half of it. In addition to compiling the fest's menu of sure-to-be eclectic and electrifying fare, Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley will reconvene for their first full-on performance of new material in nearly 10 years.

Indeed, this year marks the tenth anniversary of Portishead's Portishead, the act's second-- and, er, most recent-- release. New album this year, guys? Maybe?

"We have always loved the All Tomorrow's Parties set up and we're happy our first shows will be there," wrote the band in a message on their site. "It's great to have the opportunity to introduce bands we love or have influenced us. We've chosen a diverse collection of artists to play with us and we're really looking forward to it"

Those artists have not yet been announced, but Pitchfork is banking on a diverse collection of 'head bands, including Radiohead, Talking Heads, Motörhead, and, hell, Pigeonhead.

And you may perhaps be aware that Pitchfork and ATP have partnered to present an installment of Don't Look Back-- featuring Sonic Youth, GZA/Genius, and Slint-- at the opening night of the Pitchfork Music Festival, July 13 at Chicago's Union Park.