If you ever find yourself in a middle-of-nowhere roadside juke joint that serves up corn liquor in jam-jar glasses -- assuming there are such things, and I'm not just fantasizing about the fictional worlds of Faulkner and Welty -- I expect there'll be a band playing there that sounds something like The Gossip. The juke would be lucky to have them, though. The pop-punky That's Not What I Heard grabs you by the collar and won't let you go until you're rocking right along with the band, whether you want to or not. The Gossip's stated musical goal is to get their fans dancing, and if this debut CD is typical of their output, they're in for a long career.

The sound is melodic, bluesy rock, sort of like Joan Jett or a riot grrl singing gospel: seraphim in black leather. At certain points, the music is similar to Tuscadero and Bratmobile -- but the sound's unique, and you won't ever mistake the band for someone else. Lead vocalist Beth shouts/sings/strains in a strong, soulful alto, competing with the rough and twangy chords of Nathan's guitar and Kathy's fast-paced drumming . There are times when Nathan's guitar almost wins, as in "Got Body If You Want It", where Beth's voice is nearly drowned in a rising tide of sound. Conversely, "Heartbeats" stresses voice-as-instrument over lyric delivery, with the simple chorus -- "I'm not good at being alone / when you leave me my heart just stops" -- providing almost all of the song's lyrics. "Swing Low", an updating of the traditional "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", is sexy, energetic and fired up, and makes you think of heat more than heaven, while "Catfight"'s twangy sound employs the same three chords over and over, giving the short tune an countrified feel.

Feeling aggressive? Feeling sexy? Feeling aggressively sexual? No problem. Just pull out That's Not What I Heard and roar along with it 'til you feel better.