Stereogum Home

 

June 15, 2009

New Gossip Video - "Heavy Cross"

thumbnail icon: New Gossip Video - "Heavy Cross"

When we posted the Hannah Blilie-centric Music For Men album art, a few folks thought it didn't feature enough Beth Ditto. The trio more than make up for that lack in the glammy, glittery video for "Heavy Cross." (Would be fun to see Ditto take on Karen O in a spotlight-stealing contest.) Unlike the OK, fairly whatever "Dimestore Diamond," the single-worthy tracks also offers a funky swing that almost justifies the clip's use of (Basement Jaxx's) modern dancers. Almost.

Music For Men is out 6/22 via Columbia/Sony.

Posted at 11:38 AM by brandon in
Tags:




32 Comments

I think its unfair to put Karen O vs. Beth Ditto in a "spotlight stealing" contest. I mean Beth Ditto is a walking solar eclipse.

Posted by: The Rat profile link at 06/15/09 11:45 AM  | Reply
Score = 15 Vote up Vote down

shes so pathetic fat people shouldnt be aloud 2 sing bc their vocal chords r covered in fatness lol

Posted by: erikaspanis  in reply to The Rat's comment at 06/15/09 12:11 PM  | Reply
Score = -39 Vote up Vote down

god, you're pathetic because the your opinion about her is based around the fact that she's fat! so shallow

Posted by: coop  in reply to erikaspanis's comment at 06/15/09 12:24 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

at least i wont be dead b4 i turn 30

Posted by: erikaspanis  in reply to coop's comment at 06/15/09 12:29 PM  | Reply
Score = -24 Vote up Vote down

erikaspanis i think your pathetic....................and what makes it better is that a fat girl has a career that you will never see or dream about.

P.S so long looser

Posted by: A.Bald  in reply to erikaspanis's comment at 07/25/09 1:27 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

All joking aside, would this girl be remotely popular if it weren't for her obesity and lesbian-ness?

then again, i guess you can say that about a lot of artists

Posted by: The Rat profile link  in reply to The Rat's comment at 06/15/09 2:15 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

Is the beginning a sample from night rider? or does it just sound a lot like it.

Posted by: Benjfier profile link at 06/15/09 12:31 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

sorry, before some nerd corrects me I meant to say knight rider.

Posted by: Benjfier profile link at 06/15/09 12:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 7 Vote up Vote down

Here comes Matt Lucas...


Posted by: daebhid profile link at 06/15/09 12:59 PM  | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

Beth Ditto. Yech! Go away and stay away.

Posted by: jjazznola at 06/15/09 12:59 PM  | Reply
Score = -4 Vote up Vote down

Those two chicks are basically the fat and skinny version of each other, they're the same person.

Posted by: anonymous at 06/15/09 1:49 PM  | Reply
Score = -3 Vote up Vote down

It's the the same chords and feel, without the riff, and actually, the 2nd chord isn't a minor, so it's not quite the same. but it's pretty goddamn close. I'm surprised no one thought to rip it off before now.

This song has terrible lyrics. I thought indie rock was supposed to be "smart". Or maybe that was just in 1990.

Posted by: joey at 06/15/09 3:00 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

The Talking Heads called, they want their riff back.

Posted by: the dude profile link at 06/15/09 3:18 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

LOL..."HEAVY" Cross...

Posted by: AnonyMEHus at 06/15/09 5:38 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

beth has a really great voice. Period. If you never saw her face you wouldnt be saying this negative shit. her apperance makes you uncomfortable because it's not attractive based on your tastes. Grow the fuck up and go watch another Megan Fox nipple slip.

She also does have a much stronger voice than Karen. It's no contest on vocal skill since Karen doesnt scream anymore. burb.

Posted by: iknowall at 06/15/09 6:43 PM  | Reply
Score = 6 Vote up Vote down

I agree that she has a technically good singing voice. But who cares? So do half the people on American Idol. She still makes silly music. I love how some bands are allowed room to grow and improve before they even do anything halfway great, while others are ignored when they're ALREADY good. That's the difference between a careerist band and true artists. Can you guess which the Gossip are?

Her appearance is not inherently offensive. Plenty of people struggle with weight issues, I have myself off and on. It sucks to be dehumanized and desexualized because of it. However, I don't agree with fat positivity. I don't think, just because obesity doesn't necessarily make someone completely unattractive and and unworthy of respect, that it should be embraced and encouraged. Only people in this country think so, because Americans are incapable of balanced, mature views on things. Obesity is a problem, and it's one that's got to be dealt with. It's not like Beth is merely curvy or something. Being that heavy is not healthy, and that shouldn't be the aspect of her that makes her an idol of any sort.

Posted by: joey at 06/15/09 7:28 PM  | Reply
Score = 15 Vote up Vote down

sure being as fat as this woman isn't healthy but neither is smoking, drug use etc. but we never bring those other things into question when judging other indie music. Even if she was a fat GUY it would raise less controversy. why do FAT GIRLS get it so tough? she's singing in a band and her voice is good, i don't particularly like their music but still i don't see why her weight is being brought into debate. it's not like if she was skinny she would sing better or make better music...

Posted by: tom  in reply to joey's comment at 06/17/09 5:27 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

How anybody likes this band is beyond me.

Posted by: arthur at 06/15/09 9:42 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

She's so... individual, she stand's apart.

Posted by: elmeliac profile link at 06/16/09 8:03 AM  | Reply
Score = -7 Vote up Vote down

haha i love how you don't get to see Brace Paine's face at all, just his gorgeous moppy hair.

Posted by: van at 06/16/09 11:08 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Props to Beth Ditto. She has a good voice and sings with lots of energy. The music is... meh.
Her weight is not an issue for me and people that have a problem with it need to grow up.

Posted by: SubSickAlien profile link at 06/16/09 10:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 6 Vote up Vote down

How many Swiffer men does it take to clean up all that Ditto- dust? The answer is three, three Swiffer men.

Posted by: blah at 06/17/09 2:34 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

they are awesome!!! the song is not their best. beth is unhealthy, but so are all you smokers. she's overweight, big deal, she's from arkansas what did you expect? no one cares if a band is full of fat ugly dudes. grow up boys.

Posted by: lauren hughes at 06/18/09 12:26 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

it's an OKay song, Not the best Gossip song. And if Ditto wasn't overweight, instead of that being the focus of the group, I do think the band would still be successful to some extent. Like a more soulful version of the YYYs.

Posted by: oh at 06/18/09 6:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

beth ditto is refreshing, but it's sad to think she might be all hype. My guess is she'll fade away in the coming months.

beyondrace.com

Posted by: ma117607 profile link at 06/19/09 1:52 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Actually, bands with fat ugly dudes usually just get ignored, since there's not enough of a consumer demographic for people who love fat ugly straight men. Conversely, the GLTB's community's largely shitty taste in music provided a perfect launchpad for The Gossip.

Posted by: joh at 06/19/09 3:25 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

the fact is, beth ditto doesn't give a damn what you think. she's making the music she wants to make and people are listening. meanwhile, you're sitting on your ass commenting about fat people. doy.

that being said, this video is ridiculous and stupid.

Posted by: anonymoose at 06/19/09 5:00 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

fat pig

Posted by: harharhar at 06/20/09 4:05 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

Slightly large girl, alright tune. Whatever, I'm just jealous that she's probably gettin some and I'm a skinny dude who just played NXNE and I've never had a girl even look at me before. Colon left-bracket.

Posted by: Elvis vs. Shark profile link at 06/23/09 1:17 AM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

this is my favorite gossip song, i absolutely love it! head to itunes today because "heavy cross" is the itunes free download of the week for this week only :] love gossip.

--C.

Posted by: chissyn profile link at 07/25/09 5:22 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I don't understand the discussion really! :-(
What are we discussing about? The singer or the music? I love this song (!!!) and can't a bit understand what her actually form has to do with it!? This girl has an incredible voice! Sorry, if I want look at pretty girls.. there are lot of sites on the net. But when I like (no, LOVE) a song... can me anyone tell what the singers body form can change my music impression? *head shake in understanding*

Holger Rogge (Germany)

Posted by: Holger Rogge at 10/06/09 5:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Beck - Little Hands (Feat. Feist, Wilco And Jamie Lidell) (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo