EAST SIDE LUMBER

Spears' public image was dealt more blows in early 2008, when she lost custody of her children, made several court appearances, and was placed on involuntary psychiatric hold two times in one month. Blackout nevertheless won several MTV-sponsored awards, including "Album of the Year" from the Europe Music Awards in November 2008. That same fall, the leadoff single from Spears' next record, "Womanizer," became her first number one single in nearly a decade. The full-length Circus arrived in December, featuring a mix of syrupy ballads and uptempo dance numbers that were designed to fuel Spears' comeback. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

RANDY MEEK HOMES

The third generation cassette sounded like crap and the recording methods were far from professional. However, his unique voice (brooding pop to primal scream) and keen ear for a jaw-droppingly catchy tune was evidence enough that this boy was the real deal. >/p>

Nic didn't win the contest but the tape fell into the right hands and within days, he had gone from scratching a living to picking up a recording contract with respected British indie, One Little Indian, and a management contract with Quest (home to Bjork). After years of accruing an enviable armory of songs and assembling a fabulous band called 'The Thieves' (Shane Lawlor on bass and Jonny Aitken on drums), there was no hanging about. They were promptly dispatched to Toe Rag Studios in London, the analogue bastion of producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes, The Zutons, The Kills) who immediately understood what Nic and the band were hoping to achieve. A couple of weeks later, Nic Armstrong & The Thieves' debut album, The Greatest White Liar was born. Originally released in the U.K. during the spring of 2004, the album garnered ecstatic reviews. The Sunday Times wrote "A 14-track stunner ... a truly exceptional singer." The Guardian raved, "Melodies so instant they could arrive in a jar."

RANDY MEEK HOMES IN AUSTIN

EAST SIDE LUMBER : Come summer 2005, Def Jam timely rolled out "Pon de Replay," the lively leadoff single from Music of the Sun. Produced almost entirely by Rogers and Sturken, the song synthesized Caribbean rhythms with urban-pop songwriting. "Pon de Replay" caught fire almost immediately, climbing all the way to number two on The Billboard Hot 100 and contesting the half-summer reign of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" atop the chart. The debut album spawned one other hit, "If It's Lovin' That You Want," which also broke the Top 40. Rihanna's follow-up effort, A Girl Like Me, saw even greater success and spawned three sizeable singles: a chart-topper ("S.O.S.") and two Top Ten hits ("Unfaithful," "Break It Off").