Beth Ditto is sexy as hell. But that's been well-established, hasn't it? Ditto's force-of-nature personality, her pride in her voluptuous curves, her vixenish wardrobe, her outspokenness about her sexuality, her brassy, soulful voice — these are all staples of any conversation about Ditto and her punk-soul-dance band, Gossip. Ditto and Gossip have a loyal following, but what's remarkable about the release of their first major label record, Music For Men, is that the fabulous hurricane that is Ditto is being celebrated by a whole new audience. As fans of the MTV show The Hills saw during commercial breaks that featured interviews with the band, Ditto is more talented, more beautiful — and certainly more real — than any "reality" TV heroine could ever hope to be.

"There was a time before girls knew they weren't pretty yet/there was a time before boys knew they weren't tough enough," Ditto sings on "8th Wonder," and Music For Men seems to be a raucous celebration of those unself-conscious moments — the times when music grabs hold of you and propels you to the dancefloor, insecurities cast aside and decorum set awhirl like a disco ball. And this joy is infectious — it even permeates… read more »