FNX FILES [THURSDAY - 1/24]

My Chemical Romance leader Gerard Way has told the NME that the band will likely pare down their sound for their next record. After the theatrically-inspired Black Parade album and tour, Way says, "I think [the next album] will definitely be stripped down. I think the band misses being a rock band. That doesn't mean we won't explore really crazy ideas on the next albums, or do something even crazier. It doesn't necessarily mean we'll start to take steps backwards creatively."

AFI have begun work on the follow-up to 2006's Decemberunderground. Guitarist Jade Puget writes online that the band is recording in the studio where many of their earlier albums were tracked, "currently working on new songs." He adds that AFI is feeling "very nostalgic" working on their old turf.

It's taken Portishead over ten years to craft their follow-up to 1997's Portishead, but probably not more than a couple minutes to decide on a name for the thing. Entitled Third, the album will be released April 14 on Island Records. (Since that's a Monday, we assume there will be a different U.S. release date.) According to the band's website, Third is an 11-track affair, with 49-minute-and-13-second run time. And, even after all these years, it's still too damn far away. Thanks to Jason Klekovic for the heads-up. In other Portishead news, the band recently announced a tour and a stop at Coachella.