Gossip

Gossip are a Seattle-area trio whose 24-minute 14-song debut album That's Not What I Heard (Kill Rock Stars, 2001) is more steeped in blues and gospel than anyone west of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. From the sexy Swing Low to the desperate Jailbreak to the sarcastic Hott Date the trio pulls together the slow, driving, sweating spirit of the plantations. But even stronger vibrations emanate from the stomping Sweet Baby and Southern Comfort, and from a couple of ferocious voodoo-boogies, Got All This Waiting and Bring It On. The Cramps-ian punkabilly fest Got Body If You Want It, the dark, epileptic, Beefheart-ian Bones and Catfight, the Patti Smith-ian ode Where The Girls Are (virtually a reworking of Rock And Roll Nigger) showcase affinities with the classics of manic derangement. Thanks to Arkansas-native Beth Ditto's Joan Jett-ish vocals and melodic flair, and to a vintage guitar style (that could potentially flower in a Brian Setzer-y saga), the Gossip can be soulful and atmospheric where Jon Spencer can only be raw and dirty.

The six-song EP Arkansas Heat (Kill Rock Stars, 2002) continued the show in a grander vein. The songs are not only better produced and played, but also more sophisticated. They still pull out an anthem, Ain't It The Truth, and they stretch over the 11-minute The Revolution, which is quite a leap from the two-minute standard of their debut.

Movement (Kill Rock Stars, 2003) is still blues-rock with a punk attitude (Nite), and Beth Ditto is getting better at melodrama (Light Light Sleep).

Unded in NYC (Dim Mak, 2003) is a live album.

Standing In The Way Of Control (Kill Rock Stars, 2006) was entertaining but not particularly profound or innovative. Mainly missing in action were Beth Ditto's visceral post-gospel vocals, now reduced to a gracefully gritty shout. Despite the rhythmic urgency and a more cohesive sound, even the best songs (the danceable hit Standing In The Way Of Control, Jealous Girls, Fire With Fire) sounded predictable.

Live in Liverpool (Columbia, 2008) is a live album.

Music For Men (Columbia, 2009) was a cauldron of vintage stereotypes grafted onto their disco-punk roots (Heavy Cross).

A Joyful Noise (2012) continued that dramatic artistic decline: the album is basically pointless, a hodgepodge of nods at whatever electronic dance music is playing on the radio, with the notable exception of Move in the Right Direction.