StudioA: Antigone Rising relishes girl power

No sibling rivalry here: When Kristen Ellis-Henderson and her sister Cathy founded Antigone Rising in 1993, they were determined to play better than the boys. And they've held their own over the years. They've rubbed elbows with the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, the Allman Brothers Band and Rob Thomas. They're also not afraid of hard work: Early in the New York-based band's career, they played about 280 shows a year. (Lead singer Nini Camps and Ellis-Henderson are both mothers of young children now, so they've since scaled back some on the touring.)

Singing out for gay rights: The all-lesbian band has always been outspoken on gay rights. In 2008, Kristen and her wife, Sarah, got pregnant on the same day and gave birth to their son and daughter. Their unusual birth circumstances inspired Ellis-Henderson to write a memoir, Times Two: Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made, which launched the couple into the spotlight. The couple appeared on the cover of Time's April 8, 2013 issue, "Gay Marriage Already Won."

The funny four: The band has been through multiple lineup changes over the years, but judging from the friendly banter and warmth they showed the StudioA crew, drummer Dena Tauriello and Camps, this one might be here to stay.

Vanna White: That's the name of their trusty 15-passenger van. Before she came into their lives, the bandmates piled their gear into four separate cars to drive to gigs. "I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but I had some room on my credit card, so we drove it right off the lot," says Kristen. Vanna's been with them ever since. "She's the fifth Beatle," jokes Cathy.