In a nutshell: The Memphis native's musical career got off to an early start after his dad gave him an ultimatum in 1995: Do your homework or give up your guitar. The decision was a no-brainer for Reatard (born Jay Lindsey), whose moniker comes from a misspelling on an early homemade cassette. "I moved out of my dad's house and never showed up for the first day of grade nine," he says.

In a nutshell: Thrown out of her school choir at age eight for being too loud, Welsh native Aimee-Ann Duffy poured all her energy into a pink karaoke machine, a gift from Santa. On it she recorded countless original songs, sending CDs off to record companies. "That machine was my dear friend for about six years," the singer says over a latte in a London café.

It doesn't sound very cool, but D.A. Wallach and Maxwell Drummey, the Harvard alums who make up harmony-loving pop duo Chester French, owe their success to solid study habits. "We got deep into the canon of classic rock in the summer between our freshman and sophomore years," says Wallach, 22, whose ghostly pallor, goofy grin, and scarlet hair make him resemble a modern-day Archie.

"Informer"
Snow
A Canadian rapper who tries to sound Rastafarian, but his asshole Canadian accent keeps getting in the way.
Dear Snow (back in time): Please don't make any more albums.
Dear Snow (present day): Thank you.

Bobby Ray Simmons was an early bloomer. At an age when most kids are still mastering the finer points of tag, the man who would later be known as B.O.B. was mapping his future.

VIEW SIA'S ROOM, FULL-SIZE

1. TOY LAMB "I bought it for a friend for a dollar at this funny little auction in Australia, but then I couldn't give it to her, because it was too cool. It's also an instrument. [Blows into a hole on the lamb's belly] See?"