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ON THE RISE Jessi Hamilton

The voice of Jessi Hamilton is probably one that you should become acquainted with because this twenty-year-old is coming out of the shadows and making a name for herself. The North Carolina native's music ranges from rich piano driven melodies and ballads to her song "Turn Off, Shut Down," which features rap by Ghetto Prince. The singer/songwriter has a solid team of both collaborators and producers. "It's all together now, so I am looking forward to getting out on the road and sharing my music," Hamilton says. Together with her accomplished band, we predict that this young talent will go far. Her music is easy to listen to, whether you're relaxing and seeking some inner peace, or hitting the road for a long trip. For more information and to listen to some of her songs, head over to her website at jessihamilton.com.

Jamie Rattner

Jamie Rattner's confessional songs combine beautiful melodic piano melodies with rock beats and her edgy, yet soulful, voice. The New York City musician's latest recording, "Within" comes with a booklet of her poems paired with beautiful photographs. In her poem, "How Much," she writes, "every sentient heart in spite of justification seems certain to suffer to maximum capacity." In "No Solicitation," she states, "I am an artist without talent which is worse that being a whore in a world without men." Obviously, she is incredibly talented. The album opens with the wonderful song "Numb" (my personal favorite), and then follows it with "Elementary," which is a prime example of how well a piano, guitar and catchy rock rhythm complement each other. The singer/songwriter studied at Berklee College of Music with teachers including Aimee Mann and Paula Cole and was recently named Runner Up for Song of the Year in an international songwriting competition for VH-1's Save the Music Foundation. Her song, "Acrobat" on "Within" also won honorary mention in American Songwriter Magazine's prestigious recent contest. Visit Jamie Rattner's website for more information and to listen to some wonderful music.

Below: Jamie Rattner

GUY WE LOVE: Jack Johnson

Corrie, my roommate sophomore year of college, once described Jack Johnson as "driving music." It's true. If you've listened to the radio within the past year, you've most likely heard "The Horizon Has Been Defeated" or "Wasting Time," but he has many other wonderful songs, including "Traffic in the Sky" and "Cocoon." In his song "Gone," he writes, "Look at all those fancy clothes, but these could keep you warm just like those, and what about your soul is it cold, is it straight from the mold and ready to be sold, and cars and phones and diamond rings, those are only removable things..." In this materialistic society, such lyrics truly hit home. His CD, "On and On," is perfect with laid-back rhythms and hints of reggae and intelligent lyrics. Check out his original style here.