Folk-rock duo Tegan and Sara first burst onto the Canadian music scene in 1998, when they earned the highest score in history at Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition; their quick rise didn't stop, for their melodic acoustics and charming stage personas led to a slew of dates with Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair that same year and a record deal with Neil Young's Vapor Records in April 2000. Natives of Calgary, these twin sisters transpired their music interests from the likings of their parents. Tegan and Sara began playing piano at age eight, and in their teens they were skanking around in their own punk bands. This Business of Art, which was produced by singer/songwriter Hawksley Workman, marked their debut in mid-2000, and a summer tour with Neil Young and the Pretenders followed in July. Two years later, Tegan and Sara released If It Was You, and the So Jealous hit shelves in 2004. In 2007, Tegan sang backup on a song on new Sire labelmate Against Me!'s album New Wave, and the twins, who had by now moved far from the singer/songwriter mold and were more interested in exploring pop, punk, and indie rock, came out with the Christopher Walla (of Death Cab) produced The Con. -MacKenzie Wilson City and Colour http://www.myspace.com/dallasgreen http://www.cityandcolour.ca/ City and Colour was the solo acoustic project of Dallas Green, best known as the singer/guitarist for the Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. Born September 29, 1980, in St. Catharines, Ontario, Green served as a member of Helicon Blue before co-founding Alexisonfire in late 2001. Despite scant radio airplay, the band developed a strong fan following on the strength of their ferocious live shows, and their 2004 sophomore LP, Watch Out!, debuted in the Canadian Top Ten. At year's end Green issued the first City and Colour EP, The Death of Me, selling copies at his earliest solo shows. The full-length Sometimes followed in late 2005. Green supported the album with a Canadian tour and a sold-out string of gigs in the UK the same year. Sometimes was certified Platinum in 2006 and won a Juno in 2007 for Alternative Album of the Year. In March 2007, City and Colour released City and Colour Live. The following year saw the release of Bring Me Your Love, Green's second solo album, which featured appearances from Gordon Downie of the Tragically Hip and Romano and Spencer Burton of Attack in Black. Girl in a Coma http://www.myspace.com/girlsinacoma http://www.girlinacoma.com Naming themselves in homage of the Smiths' song "Girlfriend in a Coma," Girl in a Coma started in San Antonio, TX, with bassist Jenn Alva and drummer Phanie Diaz, two best friends who bonded thanks to a shared interest in Nirvana and the Smiths. The duo endured several failed experiments in both band lineups and musical styles before discovering that Nina Diaz, Phanie's younger sister, possessed talent as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Though Nina was only 12 when she performed her first song for them, both Alva and Diaz recognized her potential. After recruiting the younger Diaz, Girl in a Coma spent five years writing, performing, and touring before coming to the attention of label reps and tour managers in the summer of 2004. One of the managers sent a homemade demo tape to Morrissey music director Boz Boorer; after hearing it, Boorer invited the trio to London to record its first demo. Soon after returning, Girl in a Coma found themselves featured in a television documentary about emerging Latino bands. As part of the show, the group went to New York City for a show at the Knitting Factory and a surprise meeting with Joan Jett. While on camera, Jett and her producing partner Kenny Laguna praised the trio's set -- and invited the band to join the Blackheart Records label. Girl in a Coma accepted and released their debut album, Both Before I'm Gone, in May 2007.