RADAR: Jamie N Commons

British born 22-year-old Jamie N Commons soaked up some American-style blues and rock when he lived in Chicago for eight formative years, moving back to England at 16. Influenced by swampy southern gospel, the songs of Tom Waits and the dark bluster of Nick Cave, Commons serves up his own brand of down-home grit and spit with his debut EP The Baron and bristling, bruising songs like the "The Preacher" - an explosive track about a murderous minister - and "Now Is Not the Time". With a raspy voice that sounds like his larynx has been slow-smoked and basted a whiskey glaze, Commons drags "Time" from dusty ballad into a towering display of distorted guitar reverb and ominous bass rumblings, a gospel tent hymn re-imagined for a smoldering power trio. With luck -- and patience -- we're looking forward to a long player in 2012. Watch "The Preacher" video after the jump...

Jamie N Commons - "Now Is Not the Time" (from The Baron EP)

Jamie N Commons - "The Preacher" (from The Baron EP)