Sisters kind of live up to the old adage "can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em." Or maybe that's just me because my sister is currently sleeping on my couch until she moves into her own apartment this weekend. She's two years younger than me, so we've always had a little too much in common and a little too many differences.

Like myself, some sisters know how to share, and they share the stage, the recording studio, and the songwriting credits. From the track record of these ladies who keep it all in the family, I'd say it's the best way to start making music.

Heart

Ann and Nancy Wilson are a duo that were born to perform together. The match perfected big hair and pop-rock in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, and they are still playing together today.

The Breeders

Kim Deal is best known as the bassist for the Pixies, but when she announced that she would be reforming the Breeders with sister Kelley and their male band mates last year, fans were elated. Their '90s indie rock hit "Cannonball" is impossible to get out of your head, and their new album showed the sisters had some more music like it left in them. My thanks goes out to the Deal parents! … continue reading

I keep coming across lists I can't really improve on, so I'm just going to list them. In a list. Of lists. (A few of these are via Pop Candy, which is always a good source for lists and, well, just about everything else.)

1. 10 Star Wars toys that unintentionally look like other celebrities

When I was a kid, I often complained that my Princess Leia action figure just wasn't made right — it kept toppling over. And it annoyed me that her gun was so flimsy and useless, especially compared to Chewbacca's giant over-the-arm weapon. But at least the '70s toy version of Leia didn't look like Christian Bale:

And then there's Mon Mothma and Laura Bush:

The list includes other frighteningly spot-on comparisons, like Han Solo/Josh Brolin and Yak Face/Robert De Niro.

2. 13 movies worth preserving

EW.com readers recently named the films they'd like to add to the National Film Registry. I agree with Raising Arizona and The Women — and with the reader who submitted the latter and said, "I can't believe it's not already there." … continue reading

Every year it seems that one song above all others gets the cover treatment. This summer, that song has been Rihanna’s ubiquitous “Umbrella.” Thanks to that simple piece of pop perfection, I will never again get caught in the rain without wishing some kind soul would look at me and say, “You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh.” And, apparently, I’m not the only one. Artists as varied as Tegan and Sara and Mandy Moore have rendered their versions, with surprisingly effective results.

So, in the spirit of Friday and our seemingly never-ending desire to see celebrities face off with each other (seriously, how else can you explain Dancing With the Stars?), I give you the end-of-summer battle royal. Let’s call it The Umbrella Ultimatum ’07, because, uh, that sounds cool. At this point, you need to imagine that “Let’s get ready to rumbllllle!” dude’s voice.

In one corner — wearing rocker T-shirts and seriously lesbian hair — are those Canadian cuties, those twin titans: Tegan and Sara. … continue reading

Lately I can't stop listening to Northern State's new album, Can I Keep This Pen?, which was released August 28 and has been getting great reviews.

Hip-hoppers Sprout, Hesta Prynn and Spero can keep all of my pens if they want to. The trio, which is named after the Northern State Parkway on Long Island, sort of sounds like a cross between Luscious Jackson and Le Tigre, only less mellow and less riotous, respectively. But not less luscious or less, uh, tiger-y. Rrrawr.

Here's the video for "Better Already," in which these fine MCs make it clear that they don't need to leave the living room to have a good time — but a few rainbows and unicorns can really make their day. (Am I the only one who feels like saying "Planet Unicorn, heyyyy" after watching this?) … continue reading

Last week, Tegan and Sara continued their summer tour with a stop at the World Cafe (which is continuing its string of amazing female musicians). They answered questions about being twins, their growing fame and The Con, and they played a few tunes live.

The interviewer did annoy me with his assertion that "it is only recently they have seen any real success." Please! I think you mean commercial success, which is not the only yardstick for success on the planet. Tegan and Sara have been touring, playing and singing music successfully for years. And my girlfriend and I were just reminiscing about an old Letterman appearance: … continue reading