Artists to Watch: Seven Acts Who Are Defining Rock, Soul and Hip-Hop in 2008

Click above for an exclusive clip of Dan Hunter singing "Texas."

Four years ago, Dan Hunter was a misfit among the wanna-be cowboys in tiny Aledo, Texas. That wasn't his only problem: "I was smoking an ounce of weed a week," says Hunter, who was fourteen then. After a Mom-mandated rehab stint, Hunter transformed from burnout to electro-pop whiz kid, making demos in his parents' garage.

PLAY THIS "My Attendance Is Bad but My Intentions Are Good"

With the help of MySpace — his tracks have logged 10 million plays — he signed with Island Records while still in high school. Now eighteen, Hunter makes music as PlayRadioPlay! His debut LP, Texas, is wistful electronica in the vein of the Postal Service.

Though the lead single, "Madi Don't Leave," was self-recorded back in the garage, most of the CD was made in professional studios. And now that he's touring with Yellowcard, Hunter has put his plan to study music production in college on hold. "I had an opportunity to work as an artist in a real-life situation," Hunter says, laughing. "It was kind of a no-brainer." CHRISTIAN HOARD

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Photograph by StudioDahan.com

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