When techno meets pop and the sounds of 80’s synthesizers, you get the chill out, feel-good tune of the indie pop band, The Ting Tings. They blasted into the Billboard charts with songs like Shut Up and Let Me Go, Fruit Machine, and That’s Not My Name making a huge following among the Ting Ting’s fans club members. With a name like that, this band is definitely easy to remember and hard to forget.

The Ting Tings is a 2-man band consisting of Katie White on vocals and bass, and Jules de Martino on drums and guitars. Both Katie and Jules came from various other bands in England before the formation of The Ting Tings in 2008. Katie was with Technical Knock Out while Jules was signed in with Babakito. Soon after breaking up with former co-artists, the two found that they share the same direction in terms of creative endeavors and decided to make their own music marked with a style of their own. Hence, The Ting Tings was born.

The unusual name of the band is taken from a Chinese character which means “to listen” in English. Because of its catchy feel and, the group decided to officially take it up as their mark. With cool sounds and unique name in check, The Ting Tings started playing in bars and private parties in their Islington Mill, Salford. Soon after, songs were released from local label Switchflicker, and later moved on to signing in with Columbia Records. They were already making hype around Britain as their songs were already doing regular airplays on radios. Thanks to their live performance in BBC Introducing, they were discovered and put into the Glastonbury running order. Since then, the band started opening for various big artists in concerts and performances.

The band received more exposure when their songs, Great DJ, Fruit Machine, and That’s Not My Name were used in famous American TV shoes like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. Shut Up and Let Me Go appeared in an I-Pod commercial and also landed the 55th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s Not My Name also became number 1 in the UK Singles Charts. However, the release of their album, We Started Nothing was blotched by its leakage in the internet. The band then released a statement to encourage fans to buy only original CDs and albums. Despite the internet leakage, the album sales never wavered for this famous British act.

In the recent months, the band has been receiving more airplays, acclaims from critics and awards from the VMA and UK music circuits. With these current activities, and the buzz of their first album, the music industry has more than enough seats for the Ting Tings. In the meantime, the world is enjoying their eclectic sound as the Ting Tings fans club member from all over the world grow in numbers by the minute.

Joel Owens

When techno meets pop and the sounds of 80’s synthesizers, you get the chill out, feel-good tune of the indie pop band, The Ting Tings. They blasted into the Billboard charts with songs like Shut Up and Let Me Go, Fruit Machine, and That’s Not My Name making a huge following among the Ting Ting’s fans club members. With a name like that, this band is definitely easy to remember and hard to forget.

The Ting Tings is a 2-man band consisting of Katie White on vocals and bass, and Jules de Martino on drums and guitars. Both Katie and Jules came from various other bands in England before the formation of The Ting Tings in 2008. Katie was with Technical Knock Out while Jules was signed in with Babakito. Soon after breaking up with former co-artists, the two found that they share the same direction in terms of creative endeavors and decided to make their own music marked with a style of their own. Hence, The Ting Tings was born.

The unusual name of the band is taken from a Chinese character which means “to listen” in English. Because of its catchy feel and, the group decided to officially take it up as their mark. With cool sounds and unique name in check, The Ting Tings started playing in bars and private parties in their Islington Mill, Salford. Soon after, songs were released from local label Switchflicker, and later moved on to signing in with Columbia Records. They were already making hype around Britain as their songs were already doing regular airplays on radios. Thanks to their live performance in BBC Introducing, they were discovered and put into the Glastonbury running order. Since then, the band started opening for various big artists in concerts and performances.

The band received more exposure when their songs, Great DJ, Fruit Machine, and That’s Not My Name were used in famous American TV shoes like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. Shut Up and Let Me Go appeared in an I-Pod commercial and also landed the 55th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s Not My Name also became number 1 in the UK Singles Charts. However, the release of their album, We Started Nothing was blotched by its leakage in the internet. The band then released a statement to encourage fans to buy only original CDs and albums. Despite the internet leakage, the album sales never wavered for this famous British act.

In the recent months, the band has been receiving more airplays, acclaims from critics and awards from the VMA and UK music circuits. With these current activities, and the buzz of their first album, the music industry has more than enough seats for the Ting Tings. In the meantime, the world is enjoying their eclectic sound as the Ting Tings fans club member from all over the world grow in numbers by the minute.

Joel Owens

MGMT and their album Oracular Spectacular have been making waves of both sides of the Atlantic. The band are a part of the new wave of American talent that has been crossing the pond. NME selected them in their Ten Artists to Watch in 2008 and the BBC placed them 9th in their Sound poll. Since then they have released their début album, reaching 12 in the UK album charts, and topping the Billboard Heatseekers chart in the US. The band are Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser who combine to produce an uplifting ,electronic, psychedelic pop sound.
MGMT have been keeping good company in 2008, having already supported Radiohead and Beck. They’ve also been on the festival circuit playing Glastonbury and Leeds here in the UK, the Conchella festival in California and SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. They’ve also found the time to go and perform in Canada and Japan.
Touring relentlessly, the band have confirmed dates throughout the UK in November – their third UK tour this year. The band definitely work hard, describing each other as ‘ practically spontaneous and spontaneously practical.’ Either way the pair produce arresting tracks that are as hook-laden as they are exciting and experimental. Their current touring line up includes Will Berman (drums), James Richardson (guitar), and Matthew Asti on bass.
MGMT are no strangers to TV either, having appeared on the Conan O’Brien Show. The host, of course, wasn’t going to be out done by David Letterman who had MGMT play ‘Time to Pretend’ two months earlier. The song can also be heard as the opener to the massive film 21, starring Kevin Spacey. Their music has been featured on several hit TV shows, Skins, Gossip Girl, and the new version of 90210 .
After the release of their first EP Time to Pretend, released on the tiny Cantora Records, they signed to Columbia Records having been picked up by A&R man Steve Lillywhite. Their subsequent release of Oracular Spectacular, an album produced by Dave Fridmann, of Flaming Lips fame, confirmed their place as part of Columbia’s and America’s new wave of talent emerging in 2008.
Looking to the future, MGMT have announced that they are looking to collaborate with well-known UK dance duo, The Chemical Brothers, as they search for a new sound. Any results might be several months off but with the UK tour in November, now is the perfect time to catch MGMT.

Peter Ruppert

After the controversial and risque GG ad campaign, the Gossip Girl cast find themselves in the midst of squealing fans, million dollar contracts and multimedia endorsements. They did not only rule primetime television, but also graced the covers of famous magazines all over the world. With their faces all over any medium of entertainment, it’s hard not to conclude that Gossip Girl is breeding the next paramount set of Hollywood stars.

The Faces behind the Massive Number of Gossip Girl Fan Sites

Blake Lively
Blake comes from a showbiz family. Inevitably, she gave in to the heed of theater at a very young of 11 when she took the role of Trixie the Tooth Fairy in the movie, Sandman. She finally got her first big break in the hit movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants I and II. In the movie, she played the role of the blonde athletic babe, Bridget. It was said that her similarity with the character was so strong that handing in her photo alone already got her the part. Blake’s success really hit when she landed the part of Serena van der Woodsen in the hit teen sensation, Gossip Girl. She also starred in the college comedy, Accepted opposite Justin Long. We will soon see her in the film Elvis and Anabelle, a movie which is already receiving a lot of support and great reviews from fans and critiques.

Leighton Meester
Leighton’s statuesque look and come-hither glamour were first seen in several TV series such as CSI, Seventh Heaven, Law and Order, Simple Rules and House. But before all the fame, her life already seemed like the stories you see in movies. Before she was born, her parents were incarcerated for drug charges. For a time, she lived with her relatives until her mom was given pardon. Despite these, Leighton has maintained a very positive outlook about her parents’ past saying that she has no hatred towards what her parents did. Staying true to the saying, “let bygones be bygones”, Leighton never allowed this stumble to stop her from reaching her dreams.

Aside from being glammed up for her role as the manipulative Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester is also an aspiring singer/songwriter. In fact, she’s already working on her album in between her GG responsibilities. The album is said to be an eclectic mix of RnB, soul and pop according to the star.

Taylor Momsen
At a tender age of 15, model/actress Taylor Momsen has already cast her name as one of the most famous upcoming teen stars thanks to her role as Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl. She started out starring in kiddie movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Spy Kids 2, and Underdog. These days, the 5’8” actress has been the muse of many fashion designers for her model-like appearance and doll face. Momsen was signed as a model under IMG.

Recently, Momsen is facing a lot of issues and controversies touching on her rail-thin body, outrageous fashion sense, and her hospitalization scare. There is also a rumor about her dating 23 year-old co-star, Chace Crawford. On the hand, the two young stars haven’t commented regarding their alleged relationship.

Ed Westwick
He rose to fame because of his role as the womanizing Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl. Far from the character he portrays, Ed Westwick said that he’s a one-woman type of man and that he doesn’t see himself as morally bankrupt as the persona he exudes on-screen. The only similarity he probably has with his character would be their undeniable appeal with the girls.

Unknown to some, Ed Westwick is actually British, but his amazing American accent and suave look landed him the part of the most famous womanizer on TV.  He is also a member of an up and coming rock act which first shot to fame in London. When he’s not busy shooting for GG, he’s creating music with his band, Filthy Youth, back in his hometown.

Penn Badgley
Just like girlfriend Blake Lively, Penn also heed the call of acting at a very young. When he moved to Washington, he juggled schooling with his passion for the theater and became part of the Seattle Children’s Theater. Starting out as a child star, Badgley appeared in TV series including Will and Grace, What I Like About You and Daddios. He also did some voice work for video game, Mario Golf 64.

In 2002, he starred in Do Over and played Joel Larsen, a 34-year old man who gets a second shot to straighten his life through a weird accident that brings him back to 1980 as a 14-year-old. He also appeared in another show, Drive Through, with his future Gossip castmate, Leighton Meester.

Badgley also appeared in movies like John Tucker Must Die and is soon to star in the remake of The Stepfather.

Chace Crawford

Chace Crawford began acting as a hobby while he was attending Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. Shortly after, he landed a role in the hit film, The Covenant before bagging the role of Nate Archibald in Gossip Girl.

Chace Crawford has been pretty popular with the ladies on and off screen with his much publicized relationship with country singer, Carrie Underwood, and rumored fling with co-star Taylor Momsen.

Gossip Girl has been a springboard for many of these young actors to access an instant ticket to Hollywood portal. With the extreme popularity that the Gossip Girl cast is gaining not only in the US but the world over, we are certain that this bunch of gorgeous stars have already begun their long journey in the realm of glamour and lights.

Joel Owens