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Distracted Beyond Reason: The Ting Tings

Fraser McAlpine | 17:09 UK time, Tuesday, 22 January 2008

See this? This is one of those hotly-tipped new bands called the Ting Tings, doing their, uh, thing thing on Later With Jools Holland.

Graham Linehan, the writer of Father Ted and the IT Crowd, has , and he put it up there, describing it very accurately (he's a writer you know, that's what they do) as "a belter".

Since then, strange things have been happening to me. Simple tasks, such as leaving my desk to get a cup of tea, or making important ChartBlog phone calls, or doing anything which takes me away from listening to this song over and over again, have become impossible. Meanwhile, my right foot is pounding away on the floor, in a manner which should only be familiar to tap-dancers and people who walk on hot coals for a living.

And then there are the questions...like how come, on a self-styled LIVE INSTRUMENTS ONLY show like Later, you can play an entire song arrangement on just a drum kit. I mean he's clearly not playing along to a tape, so is the backing triggered from his drums or what? It's not a criticism, I'm befuddled by it, is all.

And how is it that a song which borrows heavily from indie legends like Sleater-Kinney, PJ Harvey and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can suddenly leap ahead of its influences and suddenly take flight into a London's Burning-style round at the end, where three different melodies (three! And only the two voices!) spiral around each other, while the drummer rains down fiery beats in ever-increasing circles?

And does she really sing "I'm biting on my dong" in the first verse? That's troubling in so many ways...*

And, most importantly, why can't I get back to the Elliot Minor review I'm sposed to be doing today?

Well, maybe in a second, when I've had another quick listen...

* I checked, apparently it's 'tongue'. What a relief!

Comments

  1. At 06:42 PM on 22 Jan 2008, Claire Vernon wrote:

    Yea the Ting Tings are one of the catchiest bands around at the minute. When I first Heard 'Fruit Machine' I was hooked for weeks...

    Glad to see they're on the Radio 1 playlist; not quite on the A-list, but if they get the recognition they deserve, I'm sure they'll go far.

  2. At 08:49 PM on 22 Jan 2008, katstevens wrote:

    I think she has secret guitars and vocal harmony switches/some other gubbins hidden under those flappy dress bits of hers.

    This makes me want to go and dig out my Rogers Sisters album.

  3. At 09:53 AM on 23 Jan 2008, Hannah wrote:

    Wow! Amazing sound! But Fraser I'm very dissapointed in you. Having found something this catchy and addictive it was your responsibility to put big warning signs all over it to stop innocents being caught in it's trap when they should be writing essays.
    Mwah! Thank you for reintroducing them!
    Hannah x

    p.s. Get on with your elliot mior reveiw, alex was lovely in his cb interview.

    [He was, wasn't he? Don't worry, I'm doing it now. But I want you to know my right foot is still dancing to 'That's Not My Name'... - Fraser]

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