IT'S GONNA BE FINE IN 99

End of a millennium it may be, but it's also the beginning of a new year and the music just don't stop, oh no, although music does sound better with you, apparently. So, who are we going to get all sweaty and excited under the collar about this year? Last year we warned you about Animalhouse, Medal, the Samurai Seven, Cody, Callous and the Secret. This year? Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that. Some other stuff. We're not saying they're all going to be chart-topping coke-snorting groupie-abusing megastars by Christmas. We just like to think they deserve your attention. Trust us, your life will be better.

HESTER THRALE Not so much if, as when for these fresh-faced pop puppies. Formerly part of angst-rockers the Full Monty, they've wisely taken a new name and adjusted their aerials to take in all manner of smart influences, variously fusing Radiohead's experimentation with a frenetic pop aesthetic; adding a jazz spangle to 'The White Album' or creeping broodily down the dark corridors of the Doors. Add a splash of space-rock, a bit of Dire Straits, some perfect 60 harmonies, the best bits of U2 and plenty of instrument swapping and you just can't go wrong. Time was you could have either musical virtuosity or imagination, nowadays you can have both. Just look for the words Hester Thrale on the packet.

MARINE RESEARCH Hardly new kids on the block - Amelia, Pete, Rob and Kathy have done time in Heavenly and Talulah Gosh in the past which makes them fully-fledged local pop veterans - but with the addition of DJ Downfall on drums they've reinvented themselves, bolstering their classic sugar-sweet songs of love found and love lost with a kooky electronica that sweeps away accusations of cutesiness. Debut single 'Queen B' was a breathless slice of perfect naive pop, coming on like a soft-focus Blondie, while elsewhere they touch on bases as diverse as Belle & Sebastian and Stereolab. Probably forever destined to be cult favourites, those who know them will love them enough for the rest of the world. Sweet and simple, like little baby pandas.

THE FOUR STOREYS Two other veterans of the local scene, Nick and Simon Kenny, previously of Thurman, return to the fray with a less stylized new band, featuring ex-Nubile drummer Dan Goddard. Armed with a sack of classic influences, notably Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach and David Bowie, they've opted for a cooler, more enigmatic approach, stripped of much of their old swagger. Perhaps they're feeling their age after all that youthful excess, at least it hasn't drained their ability to pen a top pop hit or six. The first fruits of their recent studio visit should see the light of day early in the year with a Shifty Disco single the most likely outlet.

SCRIBBLE Spanning the bridge between Witney and Derby, Scribble are every rock-weary hack's dream. Their recent gig on the opening night of the Jericho saw them tear through concrete walls with the effortless zest of an over-eager smart-bomb. Joyously speed-fuelled pop tunes get crushed under splendidly monstrous noise and everything disappears beneath a blizzard of frantic sonic meltdown. Or, if you will, My Bloody Valentine, Supergrass, the Stooges, the Sweet, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead play 'Who can hit everyone else the hardest with a stick of Semtex'. Oh, and they look like sickly punk rock aliens. It's time to get very excited indeed.

THE WORKHOUSE Back in the mid-80s guitars were sometimes seen as a tool to creating something precious. Something other-worldly. Nowadays they're more frequently employed hacking out lumpen powerchords and lame rock anthems. So, the Workhouse are going to reinvent beauty and grace and take us on an ethereal space ride. They're going to introduce a new generation of pop kids to the joys (or sorrows) of the Cocteau Twins, Spacemen 3, Modern English and Xymox. They are sleepy-headed, dronetastic sound sculptors with three (count 'em!) guitars and they don't sing very often. Which is doubly cool. Think of it as art.

DOLLY Sweet as soft fluffy bunny type things. But with guitars. And songs about wanting to kill your ex-employer. Sung in Spanish. We told you they were happy bouncy smiley punk-pop dumplings and we spelt singer Julia's name wrong and they spat bubblegum-flavoured venom in our faces. But still we insist they are a harmony-drenched bundle of fun. Angelic folk-inflected ramshackle pop noise with occasional bursts of spleen-venting, but mostly eminently huggable. Comparisons? You could try Belly or the Breeders for starters with vague echoes of Sinead O'Connor and Talulah Gosh. Cool.

And you could also try.... The dark intricate arrangements of SURIKI, fresh from supporting Marillion, as are HALO who neatly blend trip hop and indie rock, or maybe MECCA, whose 70s prog-rock sound has come on leaps and bounds over the past year. The funky 80s pop of CHAMFER, the post-Nought noise attack of SKINNY ARM and the revamped post-Mondays funky rap/rock fusion of SHOKTOPUS. On a hardcore punk tip, try XI, or try the extreme metal thunder of MINDSURFER, or the full-blooded rock of MAN MOUNTAIN if they ever get round to playing their first gig. Back in the land of pop, try OVERGROUND for smart 60s vibes. Or WHISPERING BOB's melancholy contemplation. Feeling a little strange? Try psychedelic synth rockers DIE PRETTY. Or maybe just spend all year in front of the telly.