Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

The trio from Portland Oregon elevates garage punk to what appears to be fabulous level.  But a closer look into the groups sound and stage performance reveals many more dimensions than MTV can provide. I first heard this band before they appeared, spliced in between reality crap, on MTV late night. Upon listening and viewing of their Live In Liverpool, it’s safe to say that The Gossip isn’t really worth all the talk but they have something special I have yet to experience in a contemporary punk trio.

Beth Ditto! The personality and the passion that radiates from The Gossip’s lead woman bleeds through the recording. The DVD however is the real eye opener, welcoming you into every curve of her body and she races around the stage in a skintight one piece leotard and a silver wig, which comes off halfway though the show. In summary, her live vocal performance is like a bell curve, it moves from melodic soulful passages to less pleasant woo’s and screams.  Through these unstable vocal moments, her personality remains the powerhouse. Beth Ditto is The Gossip, she is responsible for making this band what it is. This is not the same degree of responsibility on Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s or Alison Mosshart of The Kill’s. The point I’m trying to make with The Gossip is that the attention Beth Ditto receives as fronting the band is not at the level of her talent as a singer. It appears to me as if she is compensating.

Gossip’s live show is both musically and visually entertaining. From Hannah Blilie’s (drums) driving pulse to Brace Pain’s (yes, like a brace for your pain) one-man guitar army. The bands live show restrains them from the luxuries of being a tree piece in recording studio. Pain is limited to covering either guitar or bass parts, where he may have been able to over-dub in the studio. But we’ve heard this before with groups like the White Stripes and The Black Keys. The music will stand alone. As for The Gossip, their music may not hold the same sophistication as The Stripes but it certainly rocks as hard. Ditto cries “I don’t want the world, I only want I deserve!” during Yr Mangled Heart, a song she introduces as “FOR THE FAGGOTS”. It’s apparent that she and others are battling the world for rights and appreciation, so I feel as if this subject matter is not only acceptable but a fantastic display of a culture and musical fusion. The Gossip’s message is clear, not matter how tangled Ditto’s syllables get.

Highlights on Live In Liverpool are the bands renditions of Wham!’s Careless Whisper and Aaliyah’s  Are You That Somebody. The Aaliyah cover is what’s most enjoyable on this live package. Hannah’s beat is creative and catchy and Brace Pain trades his guitar out for bass giving Ditto more room to be soulful. Moments like this in the bands live show remind us how long they’ve been together and how much they’ve been through since Hannah joined in 2003. This CD/DVD set is a look into the most raw side of The Gossip. It’s meant for the fans but I would also recommend it for newbies. This band produces passionate and powerful punk rock, but it’s clear that they have much room to grow. If Beth Ditto runs out of steam The Gossip will be forgotten.