Faces to Watch in ’95 : We’re Counting on Them : POP

Some of them you know. Some you don’t. But the following artists, entertainers and executives have one thing in common: We’re counting on each to mae a significant impact or difference in their respective fields this year. Sure, there will be thers who make a splash, but after we talked with dozens of people who work in entertainment and the arts, these were the names mentioned most often. You might say that Jim Carrey was a face to watch in ‘94, and you would be right. But, based on “Ace Ventura,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb and Dumber,” Carrey’s ’95 should bear watching. Another pair of familiar faces--Jay Leno and David Letterman--appear on our list. Why? Haven’t we looked at these guys enough? Well, truth be told, how do you know what’s going to happen to them this year? Fame can be sooooo fleeting.

The Mavericks

Elvis’ cool swagger and Roy Orbison’s melancholy emotionalism are linchpins in the sound of the Mavericks. But it’s their spirit rather than letter that has inspired the country band’s unconventional progress from Miami rock clubs to the bosom of Nashville, where they are the group to watch.

“The ‘50s and early ‘60s was about decategorization,” says drummer Paul Deakin, who teamed with singer Raul Malo and bassist Robert Reynolds in 1989. “Elvis had a lot of country in him, and Johnny Cash had a lot of rock ‘n’ roll. Country music now . . . has the ability to stretch out and take some different avenues.”

The Mavericks’ stretches--from Hank Williams to Springsteen--paid off in ’93. Their second MCA album, “What a Crying Shame,” earned critics’ raves and half a million in sales. Their first major tour, with Mary Chapin Carpenter, will set the stage for the next album’s fall release.