You probably already know all about Tegan and Sara, who’ve been around for a decade now. But did you know they have a book? Hello, awesome. The first single off the album, Sainthood, is called “Hell,” which in comparison with the twin sisters’ keyboard-pop image really cranks things up a notch. From Canada’s Calgary, Tegan and Sara have produced a whopping six records since starting out in 1998, when they won their local Garage band competition as “Sara and Tegan” at the ages of 17. They toured extensively, recorded their first album in ’99, and just kept touring. They’ve opened for Neil Young, Hot Hot Heat, The Killers, performed at Lillith Fair, and have had their songs featured on a dozen TV shows from MTV’s The Hills to Showtime’s The L Word. The sisters, who are both lesbians, don’t often write about their sexuality or like to see it concentrated on in print. Still, it’s a big draw for some fans looking for role models.

What do they sound like? New wave pop, heavy on the keyboards, that always manages to hook you in with a catchy riff.  Its bubbly 1980s power-pop that still manages to be, as Rolling Stone described it, “uncommonly detailed.”

Photo Credit: Pamela Litky