Tegan and Sara

Guitar-slinging twins Tegan and Sara got their start handcrafting simple but satisfying singer-songwriter fare (see the caffeinated and cutting Ani Difranco nods of "The First"). These days, they're on more of an indie pop tip, especially on 2007's The Con, a Top 50-cracking fan/critic favorite that features the spot-on production of Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla and such standout moments as the spellbinding piano melody of "Back In Your Head," the woozy, atmospheric effects of "Call It Off," and the head-nodding peaks of the title track, a song that won't let go of your ears until you're singing along like a karaoke casualty.

Oh, about Tegan and Sara's buzzed-about beginnings — they're explored in depth throughout our Next Steps, along with an incredibly random (and incredibly effective) remix.

Tegan and Sara were just two months away from turning 20 when they released their first official full-length, the universally acclaimed This Business of Art. What a way to say sayonara to those dreaded teen years, right? Especially since the duo delivered it on Neil Young's label, Vapor Records, bringing an insane amount of attention to such a wiser-than-their-years collection. Case in point: "My Number" rides a gentle wave of lazy keys and lumbering drums, "Frozen" delivers rapid-fire verses with the ease of a seasoned MC, and "Proud" is just that — a seize-the-day/don't-back-down anthem for anyone in need of a rallying cry to simply be themselves.

When Tegan and Sara earned the highest score in the history of Calgary's Garage Warz competition, the duo — barely out of high school — quickly built enough buzz to earn a record deal with Neil Young and a spot on the Lilith Fair festival. With their career sparked like a crate of Chinese firecrackers, the pair hasn't looked back since their big break — from tours with the Killers, Weezer, and Ryan Adams to boundary-pushing collaborations with AFI's Hunter Burgan and the Rentals' Matt Sharp, who compose the groove-locked foundation of The Con. At the same time, nearly every corner of the music industry has recognized Tegan and Sara's knack for writing picture-perfect pop songs, from the White Stripes (they happily covered the tractor-beam hooks of "Walking With a Ghost") to Tiesto (the globe-trotting DJ managed to propel "Back In Your Head" onto the dance floor with a space-age remix).