As U.K. artists such as the Manic Street Preachers, Chemical Brothers, and Stereophonics wait to hear who takes home this year's coveted Mercury Prize, last year's winner, Gomez, is getting ready to release its new album, "Liquid Skin," next month.

"Liquid Skin," the follow-up to the Southport, England band's 1998 award-winning debut, "Bring It On," was recorded at several U.K. studios earlier this year, including Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and Abbey Road Studios in London -- the same site the band recorded a Beatles song for a TV ad (see [article id="1425528"]"Gomez On Going Commercial For Beatles Cover"[/article]).

Gomez plans to release "Rhythm & Blues Alibi" as its next U.K. single from "Liquid Skin" (which takes its name from the medical liquid glue) on August 30, and are shooting a video for the song that its publicists describe as a parody of the highly-stylized rap videos from the likes of Puff Daddy and TLC.

The band's American label, Virgin

Records, is still mulling over which song will be released over here first, although "Bring It On," a track released in Europe over the summer to preview the new album, will likely be the first U.S. single.

This weekend, Gomez will bring its multi-flavored, jam-heavy songs to the V '99 Festival in Staffordshire and Chelmsford, England, where they will share the stage with Massive Attack, Supergrass, Placebo, the Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Mercury Rev, and the Cardigans, among others.

Gomez's "Liquid Skin" is due out in the U.S. on September 21.