Independent Workforce Tonight: Black Kids, The Ting Tings and More!

4th Annual 101X Independent Workforce
Thursday, December 11
Emos (603 Red River St)
Doors 8pm, Show 9pm, Sold out
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There’s a special event going on tonight that’s got us all geared up and giddy. Here’s a hint: Independent. Local. Alternative. Music. (Ping!) If you’ve turned on a radio in the past two months, you probably know what we’re talking about. It’s the 4th Annual 101X Independent Workforce X-Mas at Emo’s, featuring a stellar lineup of The Ting Tings, Black Kids, Eagles of Death Metal, Airborne Toxic Event and Black and White Years. The radio station is teaming up with Vans shoes to raise money for Habitat for Humanity—a perfect way to make precious dollars count whilst bearing a sour economy.

Perhaps the freshest on indie pop lovers’ palates are Black Kids, a fiery getup from Florida who leaked their blissful dissonance into our hearts this summer with their first album, Partie Traumatic. Brother/sister duo Reggie and Ali Youngblood make blend peppy vocals and timeless synthpop musicality—their crowd-pleasing single "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" is indeed intoxicating, but “Listen to Your Body Tonight” is a far better representation of the band’s talent beyond sheer danceability. Rapid syncopation, eccentric lyrics and plenty of buoyancy make these kids worthy of all the hype they’re getting.

The Ting Tings are also a surefire win in this lineup. The English new wave duo is big on synthesized movements and youthful vocals. Jules De Martino and Katie White first started writing and playing music merely to pass the time. When pressed to come up with an actual band name, Katie thought of her Chinese co-worker, Ting Ting (Mandarin for band stand). Representing innovation and the 'ting' sound when you get an idea, their music is clearly reflective of their namesake.

Chiming in early will be the jittery California-born Eagles of Death Metal, playing refined garage rock ditties. Airborne Toxic Event will mellow out the evening nicely with a sound similar to The National, while Black and White Years bring hypersonic punches and chanting vocals. This far-reaching lineup is sure to tickle a little bit of everyone’s ear drums at Emo’s tonight.

Black Kids Myspace
Ting Tings Myspace
Eagles of Death Metal Myspace
Airborne Toxic Event Myspace
Black and White Years Myspace

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