Screaming Ballerinas
Words by Dan Jude
Let’s face it. Pop music isn’t cool. Say the word and you think of Mika, Pussycat Dolls and Miley Cyrus. Dross, basically. In such a context, it’s refreshing to hear a band eulogize the brutally bastardised genre. ‘More than anything, we are a pop band’ proudly beams aptly named lead-singer Laura Trouble. ‘Anybody that’s in a band that says they don’t want to be popular is just lying. Pop means catchy. It means people like it. The Beatles are pop, you know?’
Its difficult not to get caught up in the sound of Screaming Ballerinas – like their musical heroes the band’s talent ostensibly lies in their ability to marry anthemic pop-hooks with disco-punk bass-lines and foot-stomping beats. ‘We make music that makes people dance, not music that makes people question. We’re not trying to be controversial’, guitarist Ollie Pound declares.
Musically, and aesthetically, their influences aren’t heavily disguised, nor are they distinct from one another. Flaunting vibrant scarlet lipstick and sporting a black sequined mini-dress, Laura Trouble comes across as a modern day Debbie Harry with a pinch of Gwen Stefani thrown in for good measure. No surprise then that critics have labeled the band as somewhere between Blondie and No Doubt.
Despite the group still being in fairly early stages (they’re currently in the process of choosing a producer), they’ve garnered an overwhelming level of media praise, and they’re even starting to gather a global fan-base. ‘We played a gig in Milan recently and it was amazing, we didn’t realise that we actually have loads of fans out there through MySpace. We played in this massive tent by a lake - it was absolutely rammed and everyone knew all the words to the songs. There was even one bloke crying in the front row!’
So there you have it. Screaming Ballerinas have arrived. They’re here to make you cry and they’re here to make you dance. A bit like Gary Glitter at a school disco. But more than anything else, they’re here to conquer the world. ‘We are the ultimate pop band’ Laura declares with unwavering self-belief. ‘This time next year we will be a household name. In 5 years we’ll be playing Wembley.’ A brave prediction, but with an arsenal of songs containing more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle-box, who’s to say they can’t?
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Posted Thu, December 04, 2008
Comments on Screaming Ballerinas
Pop Music is as cool as Folk, Love Metal, Punk, Hard Rock or Rap Attack… each have their own fan base, and if you wanted to actually measure the popularity of the genre you just need to cite the sales charts. Kylie Minogue would have something to say about your opinion, and also all the world’s gay population that lives and breathes Pop! I thought Mika was ‘cool’, or at least up until his FatGirlFetish....right?!?!
PussyCar Dolls is as Pop as Madonna as popular as Rhianna as ChristinaX !?!
What about adding a link to their website or a soundbite of their best song or video clip??
Posted by: ChloeM | 08/12/2008 at 05:24
They sound like Placebo .... they are more Rock n’ Roll than Pop after listening to ‘Crucify’ .. why would they call themselves Pop?
Posted by: Peter | 08/12/2008 at 08:03