Santogold

As a solo project comprised of a revolving door of members, the heart and face of Santogold is vivacious frontwoman Santi White. Paired with John Hill, her former counterpart from ska-punk band Stiffed, the two use their common backgrounds as production-savvy musicians to make bombastic, bass-oriented songs that fuse punk, reggae, grime, and indie rock with electro. Tribal island rhythms merge with flavorful digital chirps and blips, culminating in an original sound that is comparable to M.I.A. but draws from too many other influences to be considered just another M.I.A. knockoff. While showcasing her array of vocal styles at a Stiffed show, White was spotted by Martin Heath, who made her an offer to record a solo record on Lizard King, the label responsible for the successful promotion of the Killers. After failed attempts with a few mainstream pop producers, White and Hill decided to pair up with a crew of like-minded musicians -- including Freq Nasty, Disco D, Switch, Spank Rock's Naeem, Xxxchange, Steel Pulse guitarist Clifford Moonie Pusey, and none other than M.I.A. herself. In only three weeks, the full-length Creator was completed and scheduled for release in January of 2008, though it took until April for the album (retitled to simply Santogold) to actually hit shelves.