FICTIVE FRIDAYS : #11

I honestly can’t imagine being a twin. Just one of me is more than enough for most people. But of course there are twins in the music biz and, as it turns out, some pairs make exceptional music together.

I’m On My Way. Proclaimers. I thought I’d start off with the popular Scottish duo in honor of our good host, but it occurs to me now that JC might not even like them. Oh well. I do, and this is my favorite song of theirs. From their second LP, Sunshine on Leith.

Safari. The Breeders. Recorded while Pixies were between albums and Tanya Donelly hadn’t formed Belly yet. The Safari EP was the band’s first release to feature Kim’s twin Kelley Deal (and the only one to include both Tanya and Kelley).

Walking with a Ghost. Tegan and Sara. I don’t know too much about T&S, if I’m honest, apart from the facts that they’re Canadian and are vocal LGBTQ+ activists. I did sell a bass to their music director once, and he seemed like a pretty nice guy.

The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Third single from the self-titled debut album, when the band included twins Lee and Tyler Sargent. The band chose its name after seeing it spray-painted on a wall in their adopted hometown of Brooklyn.

Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces). The National. Here are frontman/lyricist Matt Berninger and two pairs of brothers. Only Aaron and Bryce Dessner are twins, though. It’s awesome that twenty years into their recording career the National are still producing great tunes like this one. An album side from 2023’s Laugh Track. I don’t know who Paul is but I hope he’s okay.

23. Blonde Redhead. Title track from the NYC dreampop trio’s 2007 album. The band features Milanese twins Amadeo and Simone Pace and are named after a song by the o.g. No Wave group DNA.

God Only Knows. MonaLisa Twins. Mona and Lisa Wagner might be the first group I discovered on YouTube. From Vienna and based in Liverpool, they made a name for themselves by posting videos of their acoustic versions of Beatles songs. Those are great, but their harmonies on this Beach Boys classic are just gorgeous.

Windstorm. School of Seven Bells. From the band’s second album, Disconnect from Desire, before singer Alejandra de la Deheza‘s twin Claudia left the band. SVIIB are purportedly named after a South American school for pickpockets.

Black and White Town. Doves. Twins Jez and Andy Williams met high school buddy Jimi Goodwin in 1985. They released a few records under other names, but have been going as Doves since 1998. From 2005’s Some Cities album.

Hey Scenesters!. The Cribs. The band are twins Gary and Ryan Jarman joined by their little bro Ross on drums. This is the lead single from their second album, The New Fellas, produced by TnVV champ Edwyn Collins. The Jarman brothers are still active as a trio, although the band included none other than Johnny Marr for a few years.

With apologies to Cocteau Twins, Thompson Twins, Nova Twins, the Glitter Twins, and the Gutter Twins, who aren’t twins, and without apologies to Good Charlotte, who do include a pair of twins but are truly awful.