They may not be twins, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Siamese Sound Club is made up of pretty cool cats. While that expression may seem out of fashion, the style of jazzy retro soul that this sometime-duo, sometime-trio makes harks back to a sound that may never be eclipsed.
In the late 50s, the 60s and even into the early 70s, artists would mix ice cool jazz with hot buttered soul to create a sound that was sometimes danceable, but always highly listenable. What the Siamese Sound Club does is update this sound with its own contempo-electro groove and make music that is very much of the moment, but subtle and timeless in a way lacking by most artists on the R&B charts today.
Born in Asheville, North Carolina, the core group currently consists of Simon George, Phill Bronson and CaroMia Tiller. George is a multi-instrumentalist and a one-man orchestra, whose versatility and ability to play just about any instrument and to multi-layer the instruments effortlessly are a throwback to Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Prince and others. While he certainly doesn’t have the body of work behind him of those artists, he has an uncanny knack to singlehandedly create a full range of sounds that most entire groups can’t execute. Lead singer Tiller sounds like a veteran and her smoky and powerful jazz approach recalls Sarah Vaughn, Anita Baker and even Adele. Drummer Phill Bronson’s tight backbeat gives the band its distinct hip rhythm groove.
It’s extraordinary that such a young group is able to so authentically bring to life the soul jazz of the 60s. What’s even harder to grasp is how mature the group’s sound is, considering that it has not been together very long and doesn’t even have a full album under its belt.
While it’s easy to compare the group’s sound and approach to music from the past, this is a group with its own style who is creating a fresh new sound that is a welcome counter to the sameness of today’s pop music.
This is a musical club with no velvet rope or door policy – just an open-mind for good original music.
Check them out in an exclusive live jam they performed for SCENES Live Sessions:
