[youtube myJnsqGgxxM nolink] POP! The blogosphere just spit out a new popsensation/duo/hype. The Ting Tings were on everybody's list of 'bands to watch' for 2008 and singlehandedly caused an army of lazy journo's to announce the comeback of the boy/girl indie band. Strange, 'cause despite the fab colours of the video, there's nothing really 'indie' about them.
"Great DJ" will be out in March as a limited edition 7" on Columbia Records with hand-crafted vinyl sleeves. Below: the single that sparked the hype: 'That's not my name', live on Jools Holland.
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What all the bloggers have been missing, for some reason, is that these guys have been around for years. The duo used to be a trio: same line-up with a DJ in tow. They were called Dear Eskiimo and this is a video they made themselves, MC'ing in a ballerina outfit and a clown costume.
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Wait, it gets better. A quote from their 2006 press release (Yes, I used to be a music journo for a hype mag.):
"Realising that we crossed so many genres," Jules explains, "we wanted our name to be as nomadic, as tribal and as independent as possible. Of course there were already several bands called Eskimo, but some of our songs told such good stories that it felt as if we were writing it all down in a letter. As a beginning, 'Dear Eskiimo" just fitted." And the strange spelling of 'eskimo"? "It"s two 'I"s," Simon explains. "Like on your face."
Someone please send this to Simon Amstell. Please.