Queer pop duo Tegan and Sara dispel the eerie mysteries of twinship, but say they were born gay

WONDER TWINS, ACTIVATE! Tegan, left, says she uses a different hairstylist than Sara.

Identical twins have an innate creepy vibe like those ghost girls from "The Shining." But gay twins are fascinating: On one end of the spectrum, there's a big thirst for spitting-image incest. On the other, twins might unlock the mystery for those trying to determine if sexual orientation is genetic.

This week, Canadian sister act Tegan and Sara traipsed across Texas. The 27-year-old Quin twins are promoting their fifth album "The Con," their catchiest and best disc so far. They sound like they've completely ditched the "coffeehouse strumming" sound of years past and opted for straight-up pop laced with a keen, lo-fi edge.

While waiting for a phone call from either Tegan or Sara who were both in Austin this week I watched five of the duo's videos to see if I could differentiate between the sisters. The results were muddy. I think Sara usually gets more screen time and Tegan seems cast in a supporting role. Some reviewers say Sara's voice is more strident, but to me, their voices sound exactly the same.

When Tegan finally called, I asked questions either sister could have answered. It's easy to tell they've grown tired of people's fascination with queer twins.

Before Friday's gig at House of Blues, y'all will be in Texas for three days. Any special plans? We'll spend the night in Austin, and then we'll have a day off in Dallas. We'll probably just see a movie and have a family dinner together. Since I don't have to get up early, I'll just plan on sleeping in that day.

Your "If It's Not Fun, Don't Do It" DVD included footage of your gig at Gypsy Tea Room. That was the first and only time we played Dallas. The only thing I really remember is that the dressing room was super tiny.

What's up with the matching haircuts? Our haircuts are similar, but they actually different. All my friends have asymmetrical haircuts: long in the back, weird overhang bangs. But Sara and I use different stylists. For a long time, I had blonde hair. And when I had a shaved head, Sara had short, spiky hair.

A recent review in Pitchfork said that y'all have transcended the "tampon rock" tag. Curious have you and Sara always shared the same menstruation cycle? I have no idea.

Do you think you were you born gay? Absolutely.

Ever thought that being lesbian wasn't biological? Never.

Have you ever seen gay-twin porn? Nope.

What cover songs are you playing on this tour? None. We did "Umbrella" on the last tour. But we have five albums we're working from and we have a lot of our own material to get through.

Would you ever tackle the real bubblegum pop like the song form the Doublemint commercial? I don't know what that is. I don't have a television.

Do you have this intrinsic "twin dynamic" or a secret language? We're pretty intuitive. Since we've known each other our whole life, there are things that go without saying. But no, we do not have a secret language.
People's beliefs about twins must come from somewhere. But I think everybody has the ability to be instinctual with one another. We're just taught or trained to silence those parts of ourselves.

Do you really think your mother loves you equally? My mom realizes that our daughter-mother bonds are as strong as it could be. But ultimately, the bond between Sara and me is stronger.

Do you have identical tastes in women? Sara has always picked suitable and loving partners. But we go for very different people. Sara's more introverted and shy, and she dates completely different people than I do. I'm more gregarious, and that attracts a different type of person.


OUT THIS WEEK

Sigur Ros "Hvarf-Heim" (XL)
The gay-led Icelandic group's new double CD contains lost songs from the band's history. "Hvarf" translates to "disappeared." "Heim" contains six acoustic tracks. Get ready for more glacial, ethereal trippy soundscapes like "Pink Floyd on ice."


LIVE SHOT M.I.A. AT HOUSE OF BLUES

The young gay boys wore headbands. And to see the diva up close, the eager crowd near the foot of the stage became a standing crotch-to-fanny orgy.

POLITICAL POP: M.I.A.’s House of Blues gig began with a video to overthrow all governments.

The M.I.A. gig on Sunday at House of Blues was a massive, sweaty, grimy old-skool rap show. The British-Sri Lankan polemical entertainer didn't start until 10 p.m., but she quickly made up for lost time.

The show began with a video parody featuring a Chinese dictator who urged the audience to overthrow all governments.

With DJ Low B and backup singer-dancer Miss Cherry, M.I.A. emerged with sunglasses and military hat like Muammar Gaddafi. From there, the show was an assault of sing-along lyrics, videos of African youth culture and a music that mashed reggae, bailie funk, electropop and hip-hop.

"Where are my '80s babies?" M.I.A. asked as she tore through samples of New Order's "How Does it Feel?" and Eurythymics' "Sweet Dreams."

During the middle of the show, M.I.A. invited at least 100 audience members to climb onstage. And in the words of Lady Sovereign, "everybody got random."

While M.I.A.'s global popularity is undeniably growing, that didn't stop the superstar from crowd surfing.

The highlight of the show was "Paper Planes," which employed a loop from "Straight to Hell" by the Clash. The hook is made of four shotgun blasts, a cartridge reload and a cash-register ring.

Daniel A. Kusner



This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 9, 2007