Gossip with Many Birthdays at Emo's [Tonight]

Gossip, a vivacious experimental act bringing punk rock for the soul, currently resides in Portland. Often referred to as Austin's twin city, Portland is chock full of interesting, creative things and happenings. With so much going on, it's easy to get involved and find some form of self expression. That means anyone can start a band, art exhibit, etc. The problem is that when everyone's doing something, it's hard to know what's quality. The same problem exists in our dear city—this week alone, there's about 5,000 activities to chose from. Rest assured, we're here to steer you in the direction of cool and away from the crap.

With Gossip, you're going to get a seasoned group of creative minds who are truly talented. They've got ten years under their belt in which time they've pumped out four full-length albums, a bunch of EPs and a live album. They've toured with Cindy Lauper, Le Tigre and CSS and have been remixed by MSTRKRFT, among others. Self-proclaimed feminists, Gossip must have thought it'd be cute to call their latest album Music for Men.

The band is comprised of vocalist Beth Ditto, Nathan Howdeshell (a.k.a. Brace Paine) on bass/guitar/synth and drummer Hannah Blilie. Get a feel for them by listening to the mystical, transcending tones of "Heavy Cross." Ditto's glamorous voice make stair-stepping melodies seem effortless. Her vocal range dances on the line between fem-rock and seductive Aretha Franklin-esque soul. She makes the no-frills line "It takes two and it's up to me and you to prove it" transform into a powerful explosion of punk attitude. Even Perez Hilton is a fan of the song, so much so that it's posted on his homepage (oh my!).

It's dance, but nowhere near trance. Go on and see what Gossip's all about tonight at Emo's. Get there early for Many Birthdays, an indie electronic mix from Austin with roots in Japan. Driving beats are balanced with samples of Japanese lyrics for a rich, full-of-texture sound. Great for warming up the dancing shoes!

Gossip: [myspace] [official]
Many Birthdays: [myspace] [official]