In a celebrity-obsessed age of product placement and plastic pop stars, Gossip are arguably the realest band in rock ‘n roll. Led by the Arkansas-born Beth Ditto, an often naked, unapologetically overweight outspoken feminist named NME’s coolest person in rock, Gossip have been breaking boundaries with their fiery soul-punk since 1999. Not because they’re bleeding heart activists (although they do wear their politics on their sleeves) or out to shock people, but because they just are who they are — not out to please anybody or make a million fans — totally real. As guitarist Brace Paine, original drummer Kathy Mendonca (now replaced by Hannah Blilie) and Beth put it, way back in the beginning, “We started a band ’cause we were bored. Our mission is to make you dance, and if you’re not gonna dance, just stay at home and listen to the oldies station.”
Let’s get back to Beth a minute because she deserves way more than one run-on sentence. One of the music world’s fiercest individuals, the powerhouse has appeared nude on several magazine covers under unflaggingly punk circumstances. In interviews she has admitted everything from a distaste for deodorant to having eaten squirrels (although she later claimed it was her cousin who ate the critters). But she’s not all outrage all the time. What her philosophy really comes down to may have been revealed in her regular Guardian column, “What Would Beth Ditto Do,” where she said, “Women aren’t cats, we aren’t pets, we are just people trying to cross the freaking street to get an ice-cream.”
Although obviously not your average spotlight stealers, Gossip have more than earned their infamy. Formed in Arkansas back in ‘99, they relocated to Olympia, Washington where they signed with Calvin Johnson’s legendary indie label, K Records. Their big break came six years later by way of third full-length, Standing In The Way Of Control. The title track, an all-out anthem, quickly hit #1 on the UK charts and became the unofficial theme song of British teen melodrama, Skins. This was a particularly major breakthrough because the song was written as an angry response to the US government’s refusal to allow gays the right to marry. Again, not your average spotlight stealers.
Since then the band has been signed to a division of Sony Records where they’re in the midst of work on a major label debut. They also closed the Glastonbury Festival and spent last summer touring North America as part of the True Colors Tour 2007, a star-studded event thrown to raise money for the Human Rights Campaign. For that reason and so many more, the fearless trailblazers are taking over MTV for the week. Watch as they go back to high school to play a totally punk prom and talk some frank trash about growing up weird. Warm up with the samples below and catch the full show here. ALSO: Be the first to see Gossip’s exclusive MTV photo shoot.
Filed Under: Artist Of The Week, Gossip, Music, Videos
Im glad the singer doesnt look like all the barbie borings out there! This music is RAW and I love everything about them. New and REAL ROCK!!! love love love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gossip is one of the best bands we have right now. I am just sad that they are more popular in Europe right now so I won't be seeing them touring in the states any time soon.
.. Finally a band that is 'velveteen REAL!'
Please disregard all comments that are negative in some way. I have sat here and read every single one of them and every one that was negative was also prejudice or racist. It was very ignorant for people to say that this band sucks just because home girl is chunky. She chunky, so what. Her voice is like an angel and she is fabulous and so is everyone else in the band. I would kill to see them live. I am a huge fan of 5 years and their music never gets old. And just for the record I feel so strongly about this that I would type it out from scratch twice. And believe me the first one is so much better.
Thank you for featuring artist that are out of the MTV box. You are starting to show me that you guys have an open mind now about music, and I love that. It really brightens up my day to here my kinda music.
And, i think its really sad that there are people on here who criticize her because of her looks. Everyone needs to stop being so judgemental and superficial.