Midnight Opera

Glam isn’t a word used to describe many artists these days, and that’s what sets Siamese apart. They make fun, engaging art-pop that redefines boundaries and blurs the lines between theater and music. More interesting still is their use of onstage alter egos that lend to the atmosphere of surrealism that surrounds their performances. Siamese push the envelope on their single “Savage High” that features ominous and foreboding vocals, mixed with minimalist guitar that crescendos at each chorus, suspending the listener inside their own subconscious, before dropping them back into reality. - Dallas Observer

Avant-glam band Siamese is yet to release an album, but as far as statements of intent go they couldn't have put things more succinctly than they do on "Neon Lights." The four-piece wraps its shoegaze in a curtain of ever-changing theatricality, and the song follows in kind: It starts off fast, but singer Teddy Waggy drags on the title words with a sunshine-drenched melancholy, keeping with the varying mood. Happy chords are intermittently derailed onto a forlorn note and "Neon Lights" results in a simple but memorable melody, marked by Waggy's downright dreamy pop vocals. - Dallas Observer

This band only has 2 songs available on Soundcloud, but you can't make a summer mixtape without including one of them. The group is self-described as theatrically inclined glam rockers, and they got a nod from the Dallas Observer as having one of the ten best local songs released in 2016 so far. This is music for lovers, friends, and single people. Your relationship status doesn't matter when you have the lo-fi bright rock of Siamese compelling you to sway with the music. - The Dentonite

You may never recognize Siamese from one show to the next. The Dallas band is an avant-garde dream-pop experiment whose members try on different personas seasonally. By changing their concept every few live appearances and rotating themes according to their latest inspiration, the band's like a DIY Cirque du Soleil, or a smaller-scale Beats Antique, whom they actually haven't heard of. Through their crafty onstage production and their performing alter-egos, they've placed themselves on sci-fi horror and '60s space-themed sets, while portraying many parts, which range from stoic aliens to a character they describe as a "petulant queen witch."

The members of Siamese materialized their collective concept into a live show that unravels like a musical, one with a very faint plot. While there's no overt theatre or dialogue taking place, they relate that their live show's mood is story-boarded from start to finish. "Some of the shows have a clear story arc. Throughout the set there are plot points that develop, it's not just music and costumes," singer and guitarist Teddy Waggy says. They make no alterations to the songs, however: "The performances change, but the music stays the same. It's just perceived differently according to what character we're projecting."

While the group is heavily influenced by the glam rock of the '70s (they say they were inspired by David Bowie and Brian Eno), it's also a bit of a surrealist outfit, being the result of years of Waggy and fellow singer Nicole Marxen-Myers' (who also plays synthesizer) day-dreaming of their concept out loud, and other subconscious motifs, like the upcoming set design based on a nightmare that Grass once had. "I think it involves Tetris cubes and maybe blood," Waggy surmises.

None of Siamese's members have a background in theater, although, like consummate thespians, they rehearsed their act for about a year before making their live debut. "We always wanted to create a music project where it was okay to branch out, and where anything goes," says Marxen-Myers. "That was one of the seeds of how this all started."

The members — which also include bassist Paul Alonzo and drummer Paul Grass — met after playing with each other in past bands, some since their teens, and brought together their disparate resumes, which include rock 'n' roll bands and a punk-rock group that used marching band instruments. They split up the duties on the non-music side of things as well: Alonzo and Grass are in charge of building sets, while both women handle the costumes and makeup. "It's a little cross-dressy," Alonzo says, of one particular theme. "I wear pretty makeup."

Siamese's first venue show, which also featured Pinkish Black and Unconscious Collective, took place at the Texas Theater in July of last year. The bands performed behind the theater's screen at the showing of a film directed by the brother of composer Danny Elfman. The director was present for his screening and "too lit," as they recall, "running around with clown shoes with his scantily clad burlesque dancer wife." The band decorated the stage with 2,000 paper flowers that they'd crafted themselves, and took on the character of psychotic funeral directors.

"They write great songs and are true artists in every sense," says Amy Miller, the programming director for 91.7 KXT. The band gets regular airplay on the station and even performed at their Summer Cut festival at South Side Ballroom last Friday. "It's obvious that they take great pride in their live performance and put a lot of time and effort into it. It's like you're watching a wonderful piece of performance art, accompanied by a really cool soundtrack."

At Summer Cut, Siamese brewed a seance-themed performance, with black tulle draped over their instruments, candles and silver flowers scattered onstage, all while looking Goth or like unhappy witches. Waggy, whose eye makeup went up to her hairline and covered her forehead, has a speaking voice that's barely audible, but it becomes a wail of expert sweetness while performing a song like "Neon Lights," which gushes in rivulets of shoegaze sounds. In between her wide-eyed quiet mania, Waggy skipped over to Marxen-Myers mid performance to tenderly kiss her forehead. Whether it's a plot point or spontaneous affection, their playfulness is still endearing.

They've taken on a handful of mini-tours this year and break into a collective laugh when describing how they're received out of town. "It's 90 percent positive and 10 percent negative, which is mostly just confusion," Waggy estimates. They recall one particular "Simon Cowell-looking dude" who approached them after a show in Tulsa. "He was really opposed to the way we looked," Marxen-Myers remembers. Waggy adds that the man asked Grass, "What is this?" "'I guess that's fine. I just don't think it's fair,'" she remembers the man saying. "'Because people might want to hear your music but they might not want to see THAT.' "

The group is currently mixing their debut album, which was recorded at John Congleton's Elmwood Recording studio with producer Alex Bhore. "Alex had a lot of really awesome suggestions," Waggy says. "We're all very visual people so we end up describing musical ideas in very abstract, kind of dumb ways. I remember I was writing a guitar part for one of the songs. We were talking about it and I was like 'I think it should sound like a drunk uncle at Thanksgiving who just barreled into the conversation.' And he said 'Okay, like this,' and just twisted some knobs."

"He was very patient," Alonzo deadpans.

In preparation for their album release, which will take place at an undetermined date later this year, they've been collaborating with the Tribe, a group of playwrights and actors/directors, in order to hatch out a plot and work on their choreography. They're currently in the rehearsing process with several actors, and they unanimously conclude that their biggest struggle as a band has come from executing outlandish ideas on a budget.

"I think this is the first time I've been in a band where I think everyone was really invested in it," Waggy says: "I know we all want to lean into more ornate and lush sets moving forward."

But Siamese can't stay out of the Imaginarium too long, and they return to their afternoon reverie, by speaking of films that they find influential. Fittingly, the movie Labyrinth comes on the outdoors screen at Sundown just as they're preparing to leave. "If you have any more questions, please refer to this movie," Marxen-Myers jokes. - Dallas Observer

Siamese is a glam rock band from Dallas, Texas and they visited us to talk about their music and the theatrical productions they like to bring for their live shows! - From A Basement In Tulsa

You know the feeling. Every hair stands up on the back of your neck. All sense of time and place evaporates. You’re transported. Hanging on every squeal of distortion, relishing every echo, every timeless melody, basking in the afterglow of a flawless performance. It’s physical, visceral, undeniable, unexplainable, other than: this is why you listen to music. In case winter’s snuffed out your hunger for discovery, we’re here to reassure you that spring boasts an embarrassment of riches from musicians both established and as yet undiscovered. There are gems waiting to be found; it just takes some digging. See you in the dirt.

In the never-ending flood of Next Big Things, Dallas, Texas-based avant-pop outfit Siamese glistens as a rare example of inspired discovery. The band’s first two singles (“Savage High” and “Neon Lights”) are enough to hook any fan of inventive indie rock. Mixing the distorted tenderness of St. Vincent with the wide-screen ambient pop of Beach House, Siamese’s slinky, groovy art rock is sophisticated far beyond the band’s short lifespan.

But it’s what Siamese has up its sleeve that really gets our blood racing. Unpredictable songwriting; waterfalls of catharsis; gorgeous, haunting melodies—Open Wide, the band’s proper debut, timed for an April/May release, doubles down on everything exciting Siamese already excels at, and heaves plenty of curveballs as well. Remember the name: in six months you’ll be bragging about how you heard Siamese before anyone else. - NY Observer

One of the coolest stage setups I saw at the festival. But the Bauhausian minimalism get-up wasn’t gimmicky and a mask for the music. The set was incredible; droney, shoegazey and definitely some
inspirations of St. Vincent. They had everyone’s attention from beginning to end, mostly because you wanted to capture every movement. - 35 Denton Blog

Mark your calendars, call a babysitter, and put it in your BlackBerry (if you’re living in the year 2007) because Dan’s SilverLeaf is the place to be on Sunday, October 11th. In a move befitting the month of October, beloved Denton band Spooky Folk will headline a concert that includes Fort Worth’s Whiskey Folk Ramblers and Oak Cliff’s Siamese.

The show is a benefit for Bright Mosaic, a new autism therapy center started by Spooky Folk drummer Chris Brown (EDITOR's NOTE: Not that Chris Brown, y'all). The center was approved for opening, and now hopes to raise $5,000 to finalize construction costs. The event starts at 6 PM and includes food and raffle in addition to a silent auction and a limited run of band merchandise that cannot be found anywhere else. All proceeds will go to help Bright Mosaic build build an aquaponics greenhouse and science center for their students.

To gear up for the show, we talked to the members of psychedelic art pop band Siamese. Specializing in a blend of choreography and elaborate set designs, the group is made up of four faces that Denton audiences may find familiar: Teddy Georgia Waggy and Nicole Marxen-Myers of Moonbather and Mount Righteous, respectively, Fox & The Bird’s Paul Grass, and Paul Alonzo, who plays in Missile.

WDDI: Tell us about Siamese. How did y'all get started?

SIAMESE: Nicole and Teddy had been talking for almost three years about starting a band that had a visual and theatrical side, writing songs and making up story lines and character arcs as a way to inspire the set design and performance. They both really like glam rock musicals like Phantom of the Paradise, the concept of alternate personas and malleable identity.

But yeah, it was kind of a lavish and oversized undertaking that was hard to pull together until this year, when Paul and Paul joined. They're really solid musicians and songwriters who also like building things and making costumes and all that. Once we all started playing and writing together last January, everything fell into place.

WDDI: How did you get involved with Bright Mosaic and the fundraiser event?

SIAMESE: Chris, the founder, and Teddy have been friends for years, so she's gotten to be around to see Bright Mosaic develop from the beginning. Teddy would come over to his house and he'd have filled the basement with tilapia for an aquaponics system, or created a light installation room for the kids to have color therapy. The man is proactive.

WDDI: What are you most excited about in regards to the show on the 11th?

SIAMESE: Apart from the excitement of the school opening and the whole shebang, we're also excited to play with Spooky Folk. We've all loved their music and been friends with them for a while, and for Teddy they were part of the soundtrack of her angstiest, coming-of-age-iest years.

WDDI: If you could pick one Siamese song that sums up the band, what would it be and why?

SIAMESE: We all have different answers for this. There's a song Nicole wrote called Coyote that's kind of ominous and jittery, that's probably our dark side. There's one called Youth In Asia that has bummer lyrics but a really satisfying guitar solo at the end, that's probably our light side. The song on our website, Savage High, is the middle ground. It's got pop sensibility, but there's some fuzz creepers in there too. Teddy also tries to sing the chorus like she's Frank Sinatra. Mostly she and Nicole both just want to be old crooner dudes.

WDDI: Apart from the show on the 11th, where can Siamese be seen in the coming weeks and months?

SIAMESE: After the benefit our next show is in Norman, OK in November, and then we'll be back in Dallas on December 4th with Daniel Markham. We'll probably book some more stuff in between, though.

WDDI: Thanks, Siamese! - We Denton Do It

Siamese only played its first show this summer, but the startup Dallas outfit ... is already quite a thing to watch live. There's already a lot of thought being put into costumes, set pieces and other visuals, and Waggy's guitar prowess immediately brings to mind the gracefully brutal shredding of St. Vincent. - Central Track

PLAYLIST

Stay With Me – Drowner

Neon Lights – Siamese

Bridges – Little Father

I’m Gonna Eat Your Brains and Gain Your Knowledge – MeanGirls

Reunite – Since Always

New Odor – Pleasure 2

Forfeit – Walking Misery

Dali Rocker – Sado Massachusetts - ANON Magazine

Even newer is Siamese, a startup that boasts Nicole Marxen-Myers (Mount Righteous), Teddy Waggy (Moonbather), Paul Alonzo (Missile) and Paul Grass (Fox & the Bird). The outfit will perform at Texas Theatre this Friday along with director/performer Richard Elfman of Danny Elman's brother fame and a screening of Forbidden Zone. In the meantime, check out an early demo from the group below.
https://soundcloud.com/siamesetheband/savage-high - Central Track