The Ting Tings

[Natasha Rock]

In a music generation where new acts are mostly stereotypes or
copycats, it is tough to find a unique sound to enjoy and follow.
Meanwhile, those who don't fall in either category try to be inventive
and make up something, only to end up an embarrassment to their fellow
musicians. In the rare event that the experiment works, we dub the
artist a musical genius. The same can be argued for The Ting Tings.
When you have an indie pop band that blends original British New Wave
groove with simple disco-punk riffs, it's either a hit or a miss.
Making up The Ting Tings is front woman/guitarist Katie White and
drummer Jules De Martino. Before getting a taste of the bitter reality
of the music industry, this Manchester-bred duo was rocking out with
their own respective bands. White was in a punk rock girl band named
TKO, while De Martino played for indie bands Babakoto and Mojo Pin.
The twosome's first attempt to make music together actually included
another member, but creative differences and management issues
eventually caused them to split.
Since White and De Martino still had common music interests, they
decided to form The Ting Tings. Today, when you think of a two-piece
band, the first group that jumps to mind is probably The White
Stripes. Besides number of members, the only thing similar between the
two bands is the surname of their main vocalists. Even the beats of
Meg and Jules are completely different, even if your first impression
says otherwise. At this point, comparing The Ting Tings' plucky, pop
assault to The White Stripes' powerful blues style is pointless and
downright unfair. Still, The Whites Stripes isn't a bad measuring
stick if Katie and Jules are aiming for success.
The Ting Tings started out playing small gigs at Islington Mill,
Salford. Little did they know that those frenetic gigs at The Mill
would lead to We Started Nothing, the band's debut record under the
Columbia Label Group. Despite White's rudimentary guitar skills (as
seen in their live performances when she strums only one chord for the
whole song) and De Martino's minimalist approach to drum beats, their
music is surprisingly catchy and appealing. Try listening to Great DJ
or That's Not My Name and you might find yourself bobbing your head
and shaking your shoulders in no time. Even if you don't see Katie's
propulsive energy during live performances, you can certainly feel it
through the band's music.
Jules and Katie have developed a musical identity that represents
their snappy personalities and do-it-yourself attitude. This is
completed by a backing track to give the band a fuller sound that
allows Katie to go crazy in live shows. The Ting Tings knows exactly
what they want and they are making it happen their way, their rules.
They know they are a pop band, but that doesn't mean you can't change
the way it is played. The Ting Tings have a sound that is immediately
identifiable and purposefully perky. So call them the pop version of
The White Stripes or the two-bit versions of Franz Ferdinand or The
Killers. But that's not their name. They are The Ting Tings.

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