The Pipettes

They sound nothing like the Beatles, nor especially like the Vernons Girls or the Caravelles.

Doubtless if they were middle-aged, hairy men replicating the period details of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Uncut writers would be disposed towards them more favourably.

I like to think of them - incidentally - as the Pie Pets, which is a much better name, don't you think?

Funnily enough, I have written about the Pipettes for Uncut. But I don't think I have written about many middle-aged hairy men! I do quite like that Midlake record though.

Funnily enough, The Pipettes are, in name at least, on the cover of the new Plan B! Big feature within, too, with much polka-dottage and excited/ing chatter.

can you expand on this Marcello? i thought it was an interesting remark.

never mind, i've seen the Stylus TOTP thing now.

God no. "Pull Shapes" is great, but it's hardly "Cruel Summer" is it?

It was most pleasant and attractive.

I think their album will make for fine and supple summer listening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/radcliffe/

You should play some Marvelettes - much better than Dross and the Supremes.

I actually think this "emotional flatness" is kind of characteristic of some early girl group stuff -- Diana Ross is almost too late -- and so, to an extent that it may be intentional. I do agree, however, that only one of them (Gwenno, noted above) really seems to be a good singer.

(hmm, well, I guess I disagree with Marcello on this. Maybe the live session will convince me I'm wrong)

?You should play some Marvelettes

i should HEAR some marvelettes! i have no idea where to start with any old girl groups. (while you're here marcello, where should i start with pre-tilt scott walker? i have never heard any of it!)

the pipettes sound fine on record, praise be to autotune, but i heard a live tv show they did and it was appalling, their voices are these awful out-of-tune caterwauling things which completely betray their lack of formal training (obv formal training is not a necessity by any means but if you are in a girl group and are singing HARMONIES it is best not to flaunt your vocal deficiencies)

However, since you asked...

steve, girls aloud sing (technically) badly on record too, but it doesn't matter because they don't sing material which requires much technical mastery.

Pardon me?

tom otm

oops, I just refreshed it
fuck

I'm not at all bothered by their voices, they add no more or no less to their songs than Girls Aloud, Rachel Stevens or any of the other several ILM-feted pop ciphers you could name. Also IT DOESN'T MATTER that they can't sing - male vocalists who can't sing get a free pass these days (unless you're Lex of course), it's very rare that female vocalists are afforded that luxury. Doesn't mean I'd want to see them live though, if only for the dodgy harmonies.

Still not as good as GA of course.

I'd still go see them live.

Who cares about vocal ability and autotune generally? Well, myself and Neko Case, to name two off the top of my head, but that's not really here nor there. I don't think there needs to be a rockism debate here.

They sound better on the record so I presume it's been autotuned.

the live session on radcliffe sounded very close to the single fwiw.