Sam Eastgate, frontman for English electro rockers Late of the Pier, recalls when he swore off the synthesizer. "I found one behind the shelves in our living room," says the 21-year-old, whose father played in obscure '80s rock act My Dog Has No Nose. "It was a weird plastic thing covered in dials. I thought, 'I'll never learn to play that.' "

Long story short: He did.

Either Alex Kapranos is hungry or the traditional English dish of beans on toast has played a pretty memorable role in his life.

Usually when someone says, "Music should be as free as water," it's safe to assume they don't make music for a living (or pay for water). Charles Hamilton is one exception. Since he signed to Interscope nearly a year ago, the Harlem-bred, stylistically scattershot producer/MC/singer/blogger has put more than 70 tracks online gratis. Label honcho