We Started Nothing

The Ting Tings | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia/ Red Ink
• ASIN: B0018OAPI4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,404 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #42 in Music > Indie Music > Dance & DJ > Electronica
  • #42 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Electronic Pop

Track Listings

1. Great DJ

2. That's Not My Name

3. Fruit Machine

4. Traffic Light

5. Shut Up And Let Me Go

6. Keep Your Head

7. We Walk

8. Be The One

9. Impacilla Carpisung

10. We Started Nothing

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The debut album by Salford's The Ting Tings comes hot on the heels of their No.1 single "That's Not My Name", a nugget of pop gold that comes on like a genetic splicing of Toni Basil's "Micky" and The Knack's "My Sharona". The bulk of We Started Nothing follows a similar formula, navigating a path between the smart, angular indie of CSS, Bonde Do Role, et al and the pop mainstream. Here and there, they pull it off perfectly: the stutter-rap of "Fruit Machine" sees vocalist Katie White leading on some poor sap with sultry charisma and lip-gloss sass, while the excellent "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is snappy dance-punk in the spirit of Blondie's "Rapture" or Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love". Elsewhere, they branch out with mixed results. "We Walk" builds from quiet flourishes of piano into a surprisingly steely manifesto: "Smash the rest up/Burn it down/Put us in the corner cause we're into ideas", sneers White. Rather less good is "Traffic Light", a light, jazzy number that employs a number of somewhat forced driving metaphors to describe a relationship hit the skids. Still, it's a debut with promise, and a string of good singles is nothing to be sniffed at. -–Louis Pattison

Product Description

10 tracks. Katie White and Jules De Martino needed a name for the "unintentional band" they'd created in 2007. For the sheer fun of it, Katie (vocals, guitar and bass drum) and Jules (vocals, drums, electronics) had begun writing songs together and doing impromptu shows as a two piece. Suddenly, they were generating massive excitement at a series of house parties at Manchester's Islington Mill, a derelict cotton mill from the Industrial Revolution converted into a thriving underground artist collective housing painters, filmmakers, writers, sculptures, musicians and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, unapologetic pop May 23, 2008

By Kirk J. Mckinley

Format:Vinyl

This album will probably be dismissed automatically by people like myself for being too manufactured, too saccharine, or too whatever, but the truth to this is that it is a fun, unapologetic, unassuming pop rock album that is a lot of fun.

Too often with rookie albums, whether pop or indie, the songs you've heard on the radio or wherever are light years better than the rest on the album (I'm looking squarely at you, MGMT). This is NOT the case with this album.

The album starts with two of their most biggest songs to date- Great DJ and That's Not My Name. Most bands would kill for just those two songs. Next up is Fruit Machine, which keeps the fun of the first two going with a lot less chanting. Traffic Light is a wonderful little jazz-pop plinky tune that will float in the summer breeze a lot this year.

Next up is the rousing Shut Up and Let Me Go, probably the most known in the US thanks to the latest iTunes/iPod commercial, with its solid rhythm section (a wise DJ will mash in Queen's Another One Bites The Dust). Keep Your Head follows with a fun popping, bopping synth line and drumming. If you haven't started dancing yet, this one will get you off you seat. Be The One follows a little more quietly, but still has a solid groove that will put a smile on your face.

We Walk starts in, and you think, "Uh, oh. They are going to get quiet and ballady now." Um, no. Not even close. Impacilla Carpisung is the Ting Tings getting crazy and a bit experimental. Not sure how I'm feeling on this one. We Started Nothing closes as a long jam that closes things well.

The last two are a bit 'scattered' to me, and don't really close the album the way it should be. Maybe if they'd been put earlier, or with a rousing closer after these two, it would leave me feeling more excited, but....hey- you've gotten 8 great songs to start out this album.

Really, highly recommend this one. I could easily see 12 year old girls absolutely loving these if given the chance. Fortunately, their parents will also enjoy this as well.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bloody Brilliant July 20, 2008

By J. Kerr

Format:Audio CD

My new favorite album. Take the White Stripes and reverse the roles. Add in some Devo, electrified disco and Cibo Matto. This album is a blast.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Why I love Brits June 10, 2008

By VMR

Format:Audio CD

The Ting Tings are the epitome of the fun and funky British pop. They've been in heavy rotation on my Ipod - I dare you to hear 'Fruit Machine' and not want to sing and dance along. What's it about Brits that they have such fun bands, and make pop music that doesn't sound cheap or embarrassingly mindless? Just for comparison, if you liked Lilly Allen, you should like The Ting Tings.