Gomez

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About Gomez

Official Site: http://gomeztheband.com/ | @gomeztheband
When it came time to record their seventh studio album, the eclectic, beautiful Whatever's On Your Mind, the members of Gomez found themselves in a bit of a “long distance writing relationship.” Spread out on opposite corners of the world, the band – who had once shared a house – were forced to think outside the box and revamp their writing strategy. Not the types to shy away from a challenge, they took up an unusual, near-futuristic tactic.

Instead of getting together to write and record, the Transatlantic five-piece set up an online hub for their homemade demos. They tasked each other with delivering a set number of songs per week – each of which the other band members could modify at will. “I think we all knew the intensity of how good we wanted to make the record.” says drummer Olly Peacock. Many months were committed to focusing these musical chain letters. Over 50 compositions whittled down and blended.

The resulting tight, 10-song long-player was perfected in two ten-day sessions in Charlottesville, VA with longtime friend Sam Farrar (Phantom Planet) whose role was strongly editorial “Unlike other producers we've worked with, in Sam we had somebody who was familiar with our entire back catalog, and knew what it was that we were going after,” says Tom Gray. “He could help us achieve our aims even better than we could ourselves.” This return to a form of self-production seems to have allowed Gomez to incorporate the lush pop of recent records like How We Operate with the free-form feel of early, beloved Gomez albums like Bring it On.

This is a record in glorious Technicolor; the sound of a band enjoying themselves…not alone though. The other musicians on the record include Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun, Sleepy Jackson) and Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, TV on the Radio, Iron and Wine). Whatever's On Your Mind shares a lineage with In Our Gun, thanks to both a preponderance of strings and horns (check out the brass on the opening track, “Options”, the punctuation-abetted, groovy “I Will Take You There,” and the seasonal swells of the pre-chorus to “X-Rays”) and an electronic dance-aspect that always carries along with it some sort of guitar chunkiness. (“Song In My Heart” begins almost Gaga-esque before its keyboard lick is replicated by a strummed acoustic). At 38 minutes it's Gomez's shortest album to date, there is no fat on the disc.

Still, it maintains Gomez's trademarks: Ben Ottewell's gritty vocals tear through the carefully arranged background harmonies of “The Place and The People,” while bassist Paul “Blackie” Blackburn's overdriven bass gives a near-African beat to “Equalize,” and “Just as Lost As You” finds Ball yearning and introspective, while somehow still sounding hopefully positive, as the band explodes behind him in a memorable, throttling thrust. The title track alone should convince you that this is a band reaching further than they have before to achieve a balance in their work between musical exploration and lyrical content. The songwriting is adult, but the spirit is freewheeling.

The change of pace and influx of creativity has helped the band find themselves again. "Sometimes we might have been a little trapped by our own muso-ness" says Gray, "but this album is liberating. It doesn't feel at all stuffy. It's a real joy." Whatever’s On Your Mind finds Gomez driving forward on a beautifully lush and dynamic album. There is a fresh feeling of rebirth and awakening. One to raise a smile even from the naysayers. A broad grin from the rest of us.
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Music

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  • Options
    gomez-2
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    Options
  • How We Operate
    gomez-2
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    How We Operate
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    • How We Operate
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/5/5/6/0/993806552.mp3
    • Options
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/6/1/8/0/5/599050816.mp3
    • Revolutionary Kind
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/7/5/7/0/1/105610757.mp3
    • 78 Stone Wobble
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/3/4/8/7/105678435.mp3
    • Buena Vista
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/3/8/3/8/191683835.mp3
    • I Will Take You There
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/7/9/7/0/5/599050797.mp3

Photos

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  • Ben Ottewell of the group Gomez performs on stage in concert at The Tivoli on April 11, 2007 in Brisbane, Australia.
    Gomez
    Ben Ottewell of the group Gomez performs on stage in concert at The Tivoli on April 11, 2007 in Brisbane, Australia.
    Jonathan Wood/Getty Images
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News

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  • Gomez
    'American Idol' Needs To Start From Scratch, Experts Say
    MTV News
    May 17, 2013
    'The show needs to reboot in a drastic way,' The Hollywood Reporter's Shirley Halperin tells MTV News.
    Read More
  • Gomez
    'American Idol' Needs To Start From Scratch, Experts Say
    MTV News
    May 17, 2013
    'The show needs to reboot in a drastic way,' The Hollywood Reporter's Shirley Halperin tells MTV News.
    Read More
  • Gomez
    10 Years of 'Crazy In Love': 5 Things Beyonce Is Crazy About 10 Years Later
    MTV Act
    May 17, 2013
    Before she was Blue Ivy’s mom (with a second baby reportedly on the way!), before she was Mrs. Carter, Beyoncé was just a girl who was “ Crazy in ...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    What's Good: Maxim Hot 100, Seth Meyers & Mac Miller [VIDEO]
    clutch.mtv.com
    May 17, 2013
    The weekend's just about here, and Andrew Schulz is welcoming it with " What's Good ," MTV2's countdown of the week's hottest stories. A lot has hap...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Buzz Bites (5/17/13): Candice Glover Is The 'American Idol' Season 12 Winner!
    MTV Buzzworthy
    May 17, 2013
    Candice Glover wins "American Idol"; her album, " Music Speaks," streets July 16. + Congratulations to Candice Glover , the "American Idol" Sea...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    In This Week's Vinny Skinny: Selena Gomez Is Definitely Single And Danity Kane Is Maybe Reuniting [Video]
    Remote Control
    May 16, 2013
    There's never any shortage of celebrity news, or blogs that cover celebrity news, but the one thing Remote Control can offer that no other website can...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    The Wanted's Jay McGuiness Pulls An Epic Duckface In Australia (PHOTO)
    MTV Buzzworthy
    May 16, 2013
    Duckface Alert! We NEVER thought we'd say this, but turns out it IS in fact possible for a guy to look bangin' while making the dreaded (yet now ic...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    SoundScanner: 98 Degrees Reunion Fails To Heat Up, While Gatsby Triumphs
    VH1 Tuner
    May 16, 2013
    Much like the parents of the creepy undead toddler from Pet Semetary learned, Nick Lachey and his bandmates in 98 Degrees found out the hard w...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Demi Lovato Turns An Innocent Drawing Game Into An Adult Affair At MTV (VIDEOS)
    MTV Buzzworthy
    May 15, 2013
    Demi drew some VERY naughty pics on "Live From MTV." We're sure you all you Lovatics remembered to watch, but just in case, we'll bring you up ...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Jay-Z Exec Produced 'Great Gatsby' Soundtrack Lands #2 Billboard Debut
    MTV News
    May 15, 2013
    Selena Gomez's 'Come & Get It' makes it onto Billboard Digital Songs chart at #8.
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Decemberists, Gomez Give SXSW An Early Start
    www.billboard.com
    with new songs such as ''Airstream Driver,'' ''Win Park Slope'' and ''If I Ask You Nicely.'' The Decemberists' 85-minute set, meanwhile, was a fan's d...
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  • Gomez
    Stuart Bogie and Luke Steele Join Gomez for
    www.jambands.com
    's On Your Mind track listing 1. Options 2. I Will Take You There 3. Whatever's On Your Mind 4. Just As Lost As You 5. The Place And The People 6. Our...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Gomez Ask Fans for Setlist Help on 2012 Tour
    www.jambands.com
    Options from Gomez on Vimeo. Gomez cancelled a series of shows last fall after their lead singer Ben Ottewell lost his voice but the group will swing ...
    Read More
  • Gomez
    Gomez Celebrates 15th Anniversary With 'Lost' Songs Compilation | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    Gomez plans to celebrate its 15th anniversary as a band this year by digging into its vaults for a collection of "abandoned songs and lost children." ...
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  • Gomez
    Members of Gomez and Tea Leaf Green Sit in with Marco Benevento
    www.jambands.com
    Tea Leaf Green bassist Reed Mathis sat in with Marco Benevento on Saturday night. Mathis--who was a staple member of Benevento's trio for several year...
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Discography

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  • Whatever's On Your Mind (2011)
    Gomez
    Whatever's On Your Mind (2011)
    ATO
  • A New Tide (2009)
    Gomez
    A New Tide (2009)
    Shock
  • How We Operate (2006)
    Gomez
    How We Operate (2006)
    Independiente
  • Out West (2005)
    Gomez
    Out West (2005)
    Independiente
  • Split the Difference (2004)
    Gomez
    Split the Difference (2004)
    Virgin
  • In Our Gun (2002)
    Gomez
    In Our Gun (2002)
    Virgin
  • Liquid Skin (1999)
    Gomez
    Liquid Skin (1999)
    Virgin
  • Bring It On (1998)
    Gomez
    Bring It On (1998)
    Virgin
  • Sound of Sounds
    Gomez
    Sound of Sounds
    Hut Records
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