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MUSICIANS

TEGAN & SARA,
AMANDA PALMER,
& AMY COOK

Responsible for some of the most rousing, heartbreaking tracks of the decade, Canadian lesbian twin sisters Tegan Quin (far left) and Sara Quin (second from left) have achieved royalty status on the indie-rock circuit. After releasing their Juno Award–nominated fifth album, The Con, last year, the duo snagged a spot on this year's True Colors Tour and played sold-out shows across the globe, which they will continue to do through early 2009.

As one half of the Weimar cabaret goth-punk duo the Dresden Dolls, bisexual singer—pianist Amanda Palmer (second from right) released this spring's No, Virginia…, a pop-inflected collection of the Dolls' B-sides, before enlisting Ben Folds to help her produce her incendiary, dramatic solo debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, one of 2008's most acclaimed records.

Alt-folk thrush Amy Cook (far right) fled Los Angeles, headed to west Texas for a four—week retreat from civilization, and turned her gaze to the stars to craft 2007's The Sky Observer's Guide, a bittersweet song cycle and collaboration with lesbian artist Amy Adler. Now an integral part of Austin's music scene, Cook will release the album's follow-up in early 2009.

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