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Spotlight

Jamie T

Who? Jamie T may sound like another hard-partying urban youth, but his musical output proves the kids are all right. At the tender age of 18, the British upstart (born Jamie Treays) issued 2004’s “Salvador” as the debut single off his own Pacemaker imprint. Impressed with his manic, south London-inflected tracks, Damon Albarn recruited the singer to remix the Gorillaz single “Kids With Guns.” Jamie subsequently signed to the band’s label, Virgin, and was named Best Solo Artist at the 2007 NME Awards.

What’s the Deal? Ska, punk, hip-hop and rock are all part of Jamie T’s repertoire and the lyrics to his full-length debut, Panic Prevention, are both playful and confrontational. Opening number “Brand New Bass Guitar” kicks off with the salutation “Fuckin’ croissant!” before launching into a sparse and raucous ditty about the instrument. Part Arctic Monkeys and part Mike Skinner of the Streets, the cheeky U.K. songwriter is informed by both the pub life and the thug life. “Calm Down Dearest” is a slurred recollection of a boozy night out on the town while “If You Got the Money” is a reggae-tinged track about birds and benjamins.

Fun Fact: Jamie used to suffer from panic attacks when he was younger, which inspired the name of the disc. GINNY YANG

Now Hear This:
Jamie T – “Oh My Girl” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
jamie-t.com

Talk: Do Jamie’s jams fit you to a “T”?