With Nothing To Consider

The Ting Tings “That’s Not My Name” – The Ting Tings’ debut album is a peculiar balance of chart pop style and indie affect, and as such, it seems like something that ought to make a select group of people very happy, and completely alienate pretty much everyone else. Aside from the single “Great DJ,” the duo are most successful when they lean hard on their slick pop influences, and end up with tracks that come off like a leaner, less brain-smashing version of Girls Aloud. “That’s Not My Name” is particularly strong with its ridiculously catchy staccato chorus melting into a softer refrain that eventually overlaps with two more vocal hooks when the song hits a crest in its final third. Aside from the basic thrill of the rhythm and melodies, there’s something very appealing just in the way Katie White spits out the names in the chorus — Stay-CEE, Mary-JO-Leee-suh! It’s fun. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Prototypes “Synthetique” – You know, it’s actually kinda hard to imagine that understanding all of the words in this song would improve it in any way. In fact, even though the Prototypes are from Paris, their French-ness seems like something of an affectation, sorta in the same way that American country singers play up their drawl, or the way guys like Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn, and Morrissey trade on their extreme British-ness. This song is a song, but it’s also like this very well-executed concept of vaguely rocking French hipster disco music. (Click here for the Prototypes’ MySpace page.)