Tim Armstrong

Modern punk big shot Tim Armstrong has played guitar in Op Ivy, sang in Rancid and launched the seminal Hellcat Records label. With A Poet's Life, the scruffy-voiced jack-of-all-trades embarks on a solo career. He tones down the "punk" and goes for an unstoppably fun reggae a la London Calling. With guest appearances from teen sex bomb Skye Sweetnam, Rancid's Lars Fredrickson and, seemingly, the very spirit of Paul Simonon's plunking bass on every track, A Poet's Life restores Armstrong a credibility he may have lost showing up on all those Pink and Gwen Stefani cuts.