Keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Tom Gray has described his band Gomez as "kind of an art rock-jam band-thing-combo-pop-thing," but in some ways "typical British band" might have sufficed. Skiffle, a pleasant combination of American jazz, country blues and folk originally played on guitars, banjos and ad hoc rhythm instruments such as washboards and even grandmother's tea chest, has been brought up more than once by critics describing the interesting Gomez approach. Four members come from Southport, a bit up the road from Liverpool, where the skiffle style dominated like a dictator in the '50s and early '60s. The Beatles, denizens of Liverpool, were also highly influenced by skiffle, even if the end result wound up dislocating the public concept of what popular music was supposed to sound like.

Gomez's distinctive blend of vocalists--three members who have their own lead style as well as a skill at harmonizing--also brings to mind the Fab Four as well as a host of other great British rock bands. But the band-members--besides Gray the line-up consists of Ian Ball, Ben Ottewell, Paul Blackburn and Olly Peacock--have also listed influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Slayer in interviews. In addition, the group's tendancy to stretch out instrumentally onstage has brought over fans from the jam band scene. This Gray is no connection with the Tom Gray from Atlanta who wrote Money Changes Everything. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi