Is it Aly or AJ? Take a guess

Who can tell all those look-alike sister acts apart? Now you can with this guide.

By Jay Cridlin
Published August 17, 2007

Actress-singers Aly, left ... wait ... yeah, left, and AJ appear onstage during MTV's Total Request Live on July 10.
	[Getty Images]

ADVERTISEMENT [Getty Images] Bindi Irwin, center, daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, celebrates her ninth birthday with Jess and Lisa Origliasso of the Veronicas last month. [AP photo (2005)] A 2005 photo of Chloe Smoosh and Asya Smoosh of, you guesed it, Smoosh. [AP photos] Miley Cyrus as stage persona Hannah Montana, left, and as herself, right. [AP photo] Sara, left, and Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara.

Aly and AJ

They play the Ford Amphitheatre at 7 p.m. Saturday with High School Musical's Corbin Bleu, Drake & Josh's Drake Bell and America's Got Talent's Bianca Ryan. You'll be able to hear the squealing from space. Tickets range from $27.50 to $39.75. (813) 740-2446

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If you've never heard of the Michalka sisters, you either (A) don't watch a lot of Disney, (B) don't have a kid who watches a lot of Disney, or (C) think all blond teen pop groups kind of sound and look alike.

We're with you on that last one. Because as huge as Aly and AJ Michalka are among 11-year-olds, millions of older music fans still probably can't even tell them apart.

No disrespect to Aly and/or AJ. But if you, like so many others over age 12, have never heard of them, you may be wondering: What sets this cute teen-pop sister duo apart from every other cute teen-pop sister duo in history?

Here's a guide to some of pop's many hard-to-distinguish sister acts.

Aly and AJ

Who they are: California sisters Alyson (18) and Amanda Joy (16) Michalka, who play upbeat pop music that sounds a little like Christian rock. (And on some level, it might be - last year, the home-schooled sisters told Blender they didn't believe in evolution.) They recently starred in MTV's Super Sweet 16: The Movie.

How to tell them apart: We're pretty sure Aly is the one with wavy hair and a slightly rounder face.

The Veronicas

Who they are: Aussie twins Jess and Lisa Origliasso. The fact that they play a Michelle Branch-y style of inoffensive pop rock makes them perfect Radio Disney fodder; the fact that they're 22 and drop-dead gorgeous makes it easier for older fans to, um, appreciate their music, too.

How to tell them apart: Jess sometimes plays guitar. These days, Jess has dyed her hair lighter than Lisa.

Smoosh

Who they are: Single-named sibs Asya, 15, and Chloe, 13, who write and perform their own startlingly mature indie-rock tunes. Their mentor is Death Cab for Cutie's Jason McGerr.

How to tell them apart: Asya sings and plays keyboards, and Chloe drums. YouTube them. Seriously.

Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana

Who they are: The same person. Miley, 14, plays pop star Hannah Montana on the Disney show of the same name. The show has spawned two No. 1 albums, but one has Miley singing as both Hannah and herself. To add to the confusion, Miley has announced a tour in which she'll perform both in and out of character, like a teenybopper Chris Gaines. The tour hits Tampa in November; hopefully we'll have this all sorted out by then.

How to tell them apart: Hannah's a blond. Miley's a brunette. They both sound like Ashlee Simpson covering Avril Lavigne.

Tegan and Sara

Who they are: Tegan and Sara Quin, your everyday quirky Canadian indie-folk-pop lesbian identical twins. They'll play St. Pete in November.

How to tell them apart: Tegan lives in Vancouver and Sara lives in Montreal. Does that help?

Kim and Kelley Deal

Who they are: Identical twins who made up half of the early-'90s alternative outfit the Breeders, best known for the hit Cannonball.

How to tell them apart: Simple: Kim sings in the Breeders and plays bass in the Pixies, and Kelley is the Breeders' guitarist. The real question is, how can you tell the Breeders apart from Belly, Veruca Salt, Letters to Cleo, Elastica, Sleater-Kinney and Luscious Jackson?

Nelson

Who they are: Technically, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are dudes. Whatever. The flowing blond locks they sported in the video for (Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection earned them a spot on this list.

How to tell them apart: Sadly, the Nelsons long ago cut their hair. So we have no idea. But they're still touring. Online, you can even pay $1,000 to be their assistant for a day. Really.

[Last modified August 15, 2007, 15:41:07]