Gossip | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Searcy, Arkansas, U.S. |
Genres | |
Discography | Gossip discography |
Years active | 1999–2016, 2019–2020, 2023–present |
Labels |
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Members |
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Past members | Kathy Mendonça |
Website | readyforgossip |
Gossip (or The Gossip) is an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas. For most of their career, the band has consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah Blilie. [1] After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, Standing in the Way of Control . A follow-up, Music for Men , was released in 2009. The band played a mix of post-punk revival, indie rock, and dance-rock. Their fifth album, A Joyful Noise , was released in May 2012. They disbanded in 2016 but reformed to embark on an anniversary tour for Music for Men in 2019 and released the album Real Power in 2024.
Gossip was formed in 1999 in Olympia, Washington, by vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell, and drummer Kathy Mendonça. [2] All three were originally from Searcy, Arkansas; Mendonça moved to Olympia to attend Evergreen State College and Howdeshell and Ditto followed. [2] Howdeshell and Mendonça had been in bands together in Arkansas. [3] Gossip coalesced when the three members were roommates in Olympia. [2]
In 1999, the independent record label K Records released Gossip's first recording, their debut EP The Gossip, to coincide with the band's tour with Sleater-Kinney. [2] Gossip played at the first Ladyfest in Olympia in August 2000 and was included in Time magazine's article on the festival. [4]
Their next record was the debut studio album That's Not What I Heard , released by the label Kill Rock Stars on January 23, 2001. They followed it with the EP Arkansas Heat on May 7, 2002. Movement , their second studio album, was released on May 6, 2003. In November 2003, two months after the release of their first live album Undead in NYC on September 9, drummer Kathy Mendonça left the band to pursue a career as a midwife. Established punk drummer Hannah Blilie joined to replace her. The band then dropped "The" from their name, continuing as plain "Gossip".[ citation needed ]
The first release featuring new drummer Hannah Blilie was the band's next album, Standing in the Way of Control . It was released on January 24, 2006, on Kill Rock Stars and later in 2006 on UK independent label Back Yard Recordings. The record was produced by Ryan Hadlock, owner of Bear Creek Studio, and Fugazi singer/guitarist Guy Picciotto.
The album Standing in the Way of Control has earned Gold Record Status in the UK. Gossip's first UK TV appearance was on BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross , where they performed the title track "Standing in the Way of Control".
As reported on Pitchfork in March 2007, the group signed to Music With a Twist, a subsidiary of Sony Music Label Group, concentrating on LGBT music acts. [5] During the summer of 2007, Gossip was a part of the multi-artist True Colors Tour 2007, [6] which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. Hosted by comedian Margaret Cho and headlined by Cyndi Lauper, the tour also included Debbie Harry, Erasure, Rufus Wainwright, The Dresden Dolls, The MisShapes, The Cliks, and special guests. Profits from the tour went to benefit the Human Rights Campaign.
Gossip is based in Portland, Oregon and has played with bands such as Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre, CSS, Erase Errata, Mika Miko, Panther, Comanechi, and Mates of State. They also opened for Scissor Sisters on three dates of their November 2006 tour.
On June 24, 2007, Gossip closed the Glastonbury Festival, playing the final set on the John Peel stage during which Ditto gave a tribute to the late John Peel. The band also performed the following year, on the Pyramid Stage.
Gossip launched their Live in Liverpool album in the UK and the U.S. in April 2008. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and also features a DVD of their live performance. A new studio album called Music For Men was released in June 2009. The first single from the album, "Heavy Cross", was especially successful in Germany where it was certified triple gold [7] for selling over 450,000 copies, and was mentioned as the "most successful internationally produced single" of all time in September 2010. [8] In January 2011 the single broke the German record for the longest-selling track in chart history. By January 14, 2011, it had spent 82 consecutive weeks on the German Top 100. [9]
On March 12, 2012, the band's comeback single, "Perfect World", was unveiled on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. Their fifth studio album, A Joyful Noise , produced by Xenomania's Brian Higgins, was released in late May. [10] [11] The band's music had evolved and become poppier. Andy Gill, writing in The Independent , welcomed the result, [12] whereas Pitchfork's review was more negative. [13] A second single, "Move in the Right Direction", was issued in May. During the summer, the band headlined various festivals.
In an interview with Pitchfork in February 2016, Ditto confirmed the split of Gossip. She stated that she intended to focus on her clothing line and music as a solo artist. [14]
In March 2019, Ditto announced the band's return with a show in late July 2019 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Music for Men. [15] This later expanded into a world tour. [16] The band played their final show of the tour at Rote Fabrik in Zurich, Switzerland on August 19, 2019. [17] In October 2020, Ditto shared a photo to her Instagram page of herself with Paine and Mendonça in the studio together. [18]
In November 2023, the band announced their second reunion and shared a new single, "Crazy Again". The song is lifted from their sixth album, Real Power , which was announced simultaneously and subsequently released on March 22, 2024. [19]
The band's style has been described as "a soul or gospel" voice with "a sort of funky punk soundtrack". [20] Members of Gossip have stated a liking for rock bands like the Birthday Party, [21] Siouxsie and the Banshees, [21] [22] Nirvana, [22] and The Raincoats, [22] but also for other genres such as dance and hip hop. [23]
Current members
Past members
Former touring musicians
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | "Heavy Cross" | Best International Hit[ citation needed ] | Nominated |
Themselves | Best International Newcomer[ citation needed ] | Nominated | |
Best International Group[ citation needed ] | Nominated | ||
2012 | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Music for Men | Alternative Music Album of the Year[ citation needed ] | Nominated |
2013 | A Joyful Noise | Won |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | "Standing in the Way of Control" | Song of the Year[ citation needed ] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Themselves | Best Alternative[ citation needed ] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | "Standing in the Way of Control" | Song of the Year[ citation needed ] | Nominated |
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Themselves | Best International Discovery [26] | Nominated |
Sleater-Kinney is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's lineup features Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, following the departure of longtime member Janet Weiss in 2019. Sleater-Kinney originated as part of the riot grrrl movement and has become a key part of the American indie rock scene. The band is also known for its feminist and progressive politics.
Sebadoh is an American indie rock band formed in 1986 in Northampton, Massachusetts, by Eric Gaffney and Lou Barlow, with multi-instrumentalist Jason Loewenstein completing the line-up in 1989. Barlow co-created Sebadoh as an outlet for his songwriting when J. Mascis gradually took over creative control of Dinosaur Jr., in which Barlow plays bass guitar.
The Scream is the debut studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 13 November 1978 by Polydor Records. The album is considered a landmark recording: its innovative combination of angular and serrated guitar with a bass-led rhythm and machine-like drums played mostly on toms, made it a pioneering work of the post-punk genre.
Shoplifting was an American punk band, formed in 2002 in Seattle, Washington.
Standing in the Way of Control is the third studio album by American indie rock band Gossip, which was released on January 24, 2006. The album was produced by Guy Picciotto and Ryan Hadlock It reached number 1 on the UK indie chart and also reached Gold status in the United Kingdom.
"Happy House" is a song written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and recorded by their band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as a single in March 1980 by record label Polydor, then later included on the band's third album, Kaleidoscope. "Happy House" was the group's first record made with guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie.
Hannah Blilie is an American musician who is the drummer of the American R&B band Chanti Darling and formerly Gossip and Shoplifting. She has also performed with Sarah Dougher, Chromatics, Stiletto, Mr Yuk, The Lumpies, Vade, The Vogue, and Soiled Doves. Her twin brother, Jordan Blilie, was one of the two lead vocalists of now-defunct The Blood Brothers. A photo of Blilie is featured on the cover artwork for the Gossip's fourth studio album Music for Men.
Undead in NYC is a live album by American indie rock band Gossip, it was released on September 9, 2003.
Movement is the second studio album by American indie rock band Gossip, it was released on May 6, 2003.
"Standing in the Way of Control" is a single by American indie rock band Gossip from the album of the same name. The remix by Le Tigre was released in 2005, the original was then released as a single in 2006, and was re-released again on February 26, 2007. The 2006 issue had climbed up to number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in early 2007 on download sales, but the 2007 re-release was under a new catalogue number, meaning that their six-place climb to number seven on March 4 was listed as a new entry rather than as a climber. But it reached the top spot in the UK Indie Chart for one week.
"Listen Up!" is a song by American indie rock band Gossip, released in July 2006 from their third studio album, Standing in the Way of Control (2006). It was re-released in 2007, peaking at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart during this second run.
"Jealous Girls" is a single by the band Gossip. It is the third single from their album Standing in the Way of Control and was released on August 20, 2007.
Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto, is an American singer and songwriter most notable for her work with the indie rock band Gossip. Her voice has been compared to Etta James, Janis Joplin and Tina Turner. She disbanded Gossip to pursue a career in fashion, and has since started a solo career. In 2022, she portrayed country singer Gigi Roman on the Fox drama series Monarch and two years later, Gossip reformed.
Music for Men is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Gossip. It was released on June 19, 2009, by Columbia Records.
"Heavy Cross" is a song by American band Gossip. It was released on April 28, 2009, as the first single from the band's fourth album Music for Men. The song was the first international hit for Gossip, reaching the top ten across Europe, with a massive commercial success in Germany. When writing it, the band was influenced by Donna Summer and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band recorded a studio version of the song in early 2009, but they had already been playing it live for two years.
The discography of Gossip, an American indie rock band, consists of six studio albums, four live albums, two compilation albums, seven extended plays, twelve singles, and ten music videos. The group was founded in 1999 by vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Kathy Mendonca while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. The following year they released a self-titled EP on the independent record label K Records. Gossip released their debut studio album, That's Not What I Heard, in January 2001. Their second EP, Arkansas Heat, was issued the next year. Movement, the band's second studio album, and a live album titled Undead in NYC followed in 2003.
A Joyful Noise is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Gossip, released on May 11, 2012, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Xenomania founder Brian Higgins.
"Move in the Right Direction" is a song by American indie rock band Gossip, released as the second single from their fifth studio album, A Joyful Noise (2012). The song found some success in Europe, reaching number two in Poland and number three in Austria and Hungary. The accompanying music video was directed by Price James.
Cherry Glazerr is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2013. The current lineup consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Clementine Creevy, bassist Sami Perez and drummer Tabor Allen. The band's sound has transitioned from lo-fi and garage rock on their debut release Haxel Princess in 2014 to a more polished rock sound, with elements of grunge, punk and new wave on their subsequent releases Apocalipstick and Stuffed & Ready. Their fourth studio album, I Don't Want You Anymore, was released on Secretly Canadian on September 29, 2023.
Real Power is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Gossip. It was released on March 22, 2024, by Columbia Records. The album marks their first studio release in twelve years, following A Joyful Noise (2012).