Gossip face potential backlash for their major label shift—a far
cry from an Arkansas punk-rock blues band originally on Kill Rock
Stars. But Music for Men is an homage to homos. The title track
and “Men In Love” nod to the lack of queer-minded music. Political
dance anthems “Pop Goes the World,” “Heavy Cross” and “8th Wonder” will
fill clubs, but it’s Beth Ditto’s powerhouse vocals that make Gossip
one of the best bands in the business. “Love and Let Love” winks at
Salt-n-Pepa when Ditto whispers, “Ah, push it.” And that she does.
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2009.