The Tings Tings are a cute pop/rock band.

Really, that's the only way to describe them-- they fit in the same box with Blondie, The B-52's, The Tom Tom Club, and Mates of State. Here in the States, The Ting Tings went largely unnoticed until one of their songs was featured in an immortalizing iPod commercial. The band has yet to have a second here, but one thing Apple did give them was a cult following. I started listening to their debut We Started Nothing after I got wind of a free show they'd be giving later this year-- since then, the album has been on repeat. Last summer, a close friend had played me one of the music videos, and I instantly fell in love with it, but if there's one thing about The Tings Tings that will annoy people, it's that their music terrible. This, in turn, makes it great.

The only song that most Americans would know is the cheerleader-soaked Shut Up and Let Me Go, and it's a good representation of every facet of this band. This song combines catchy melodies, slick new-wave production, and cutesy (and punching) vocals. The chorus, no matter how juvenile, is like an internal motto that you'll be saying in your head all week: "I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this, shut up and let me go! HEY!" This track gives a good introduction to The Ting Tings, but most people don't go any further than this song. The indie-rock anthem Great DJ and the pop Fruit Machine are catchy and fun, the former of which is definitely better than Shut Up.  In the UK, however, The Ting Tings is best known for the obnoxious and amazing That's Not My Name, a longer track with an in-your-face (growing) style and vocal performance; just note that you can't understand a damn word she's saying.

We Started Nothing has been slammed for being a really uneven album, but I have to strongly disagree. If anything, this album is very solid, though perhaps a little abrasive to listen to in order. By the time people get to the incredibly catchy Be the One and slicky presented The Walk, the listener is exhausted with the spiky production and odd style. It's very important to listen to an album all the way through, but if it's so taxing that I have to do it multiple sittings, there's an issue. That may be the biggest issue with this album, but another slight irk is that the title is very, very appropriate-- The Ting Tings have started nothing. Their sound isn't exactly original, no matter how enjoyable their music is. Some songs border on derivative, not to mention that this band is a hipster kid's wet dream. Rather than a mixture of inspiration, The Ting Tings are more like a salad-- I can pick out each and every sound from this music. We've got Joan Jett, The Waitresses, The Ceasers, etc. etc. etc.

If you're looking for something that sounds and feels like a sugar high, then We Started Nothing is just about the best album to listen to. If you're looking for something hypnotic and mindless, then you should keep on moving, because, like lead-singer Katie sings: "I was something unignorable!!"

TRACKLIST
Great DJ
That's Not My Name
Fruit Machine
Traffic Light
Shut Up and Let Me Go
Keep Your Head
Be the One
We Walk
Impacilla Carpisung
We Started Nothing

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving