Faces to Watch

The Hives

Rock band

Along with the White Stripes and the Strokes, the Hives were one of a handful of bands that in spring 2002 convinced critics and hard-core alt-rock fans that rock ‘n’ roll could matter again.

The Swedish quintet’s two indie albums captured the impatience and exuberance of youth in exquisite bursts of guitar-driven rock that recalled some of the energy and attitude of the early Rolling Stones and Stooges.

Signed by powerhouse Interscope after a spirited bidding war, the Hives returned to Sweden to work on what could be their make-or-break album. If the CD, which is due March 9, lives up to expectations, it could also help give a boost to the new rock movement, which is now being largely carried by the White Stripes.

-- Robert Hilburn

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Kevin Johansen

Singer-songwriter

The Argentine American, who debuted in the U.S. this year with a strikingly original record, “Sur o No Sur,” is among a new generation of singer-songwriters who are revolutionizing Latin music. Though not widely known outside Argentina, Johansen has already become a critical favorite with his quirky melange of styles, his deadpan wit and his slightly off-kilter, bilingual and bicultural view of the world.

Johansen jokingly calls himself a “desgenerado,” a play on the Spanish word for “degenerate,” suggesting that he fits no genre. He also fits no commercial radio format. The challenge for Johansen and his group, the Nada, will be to find an audience without sacrificing his unique identity.

-- Agustin Gurza

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The next ‘Idol’ winner

Colorless singer

There have been only two seasons of “American Idol,” but the Fox network’s cheesy talent show has already accounted for three No. 1 albums, by Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. That makes Simon Cowell, above, and his fellow “Idol” judges one of the most reliable scouting teams in the music business -- along with you, the public, who make the ultimate decision on which performer most deserves to be idolized.

So when the curtain rises on Season 3 on Jan. 19, scan those eager faces and start taking notes. One of them will probably be big on your Christmas list next year.

-- Richard Cromelin

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Kurt Rosenwinkel

Jazz guitarist

Over the past few decades, guitarists have moved past the traditionally in-the-vanguard horn players to become the cutting-edge instrumentalists of jazz.

Philadelphia-

born Kurt Rosenwinkel, 33, is rapidly establishing himself as one of the vital voices of the next generation of jazz guitarists -- players who have come to maturity comfortably immersed in the rhythms of mainstream jazz as well as the sounds of hip-hop, fusion and pop.

Rosenwinkel reveals a breakthrough musical imaginativeness on his latest effort, “Heartcore,” produced with hip-hop’s Q-Tip, with the Bad Plus’ Ethan Iverson playing piano. At his best, Rosenwinkel has moved past the too-common grafting of other styles onto jazz, into a genuinely symbiotic, boundary-less form of improvisational expression.

-- Don Heckman