Showing Their Promise, If Not Always Profits

Together, Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Christina Aguilera, 98 Degrees, Jennifer Lopez and Lou Bega have sold more than $205 million worth of albums.

What a waste.

Not that the formal pop world seems to notice--publicly at least. Record executives speak proudly of their new moneymakers as legitimate stars who will be around for years, and MTV welcomes Lopez, Kid Rock and the rest with the same enthusiasm the channel shows for such legitimate talents as Rage Against the Machine and Beck.

Privately, however, many of the pop powers are shaking their heads in disbelief over the marginal nature of this year’s most successful new arrivals.

Whom above the age of 14 can you imagine picking up any of those platinum acts’ next albums with any sense of expectation?

The lack of compelling artistry among these new hit-makers underscores a growing concern: that a bottom-line consciousness causes record labels to place an emphasis on immediate returns, making them increasingly reluctant to invest in challenging artists who may need two or three albums to build a respectable fan base.

Yet there are still quality acts being signed--enough to form a respectable Freshman Class in Calendar’s annual salute to the 10 most noteworthy artists who in the past year either made their formal album debut or took a dramatic upward career turn.

The list ranges from electronica-related acts to hard-core rap to a refreshing touch of Cuban son. The class is listed alphabetically.

Afro Celt Sound System. After a crisis point following the 1997 death of keyboardist Jo Bruce and a subsequent period of creative uncertainty, the London-based outfit--which mixes traditional Irish and African elements with ‘90s dance-music sensibilities--made a marvelously enticing album (“Volume 2: Release” on Real World Records) and followed it with a live show so colorful that it was described as a world music feast. Enchanting.

Dot Allison. You might find yourself wishing that Allison, the former vocalist with One Dove, would pick up the pace in places on “Afterglow,” her solo album debut on Arista. The combination of breathless vocals and moody instrumental textures sometimes seems to belabor the uncertainty and desperation of the lyrics. But there are moments when Allison’s music is so absolutely stunning (notably the naked emotion of “Message Personnel”) that she achieves the absorbing and aggressive mixture of personal reflection and electronic textures than we had hoped Beth Orton, a former Freshman Class member, would move toward (but didn’t) in her last album, “Central Reservation.”

Basement Jaxx. Beyond crafting invigorating sonic portraits, English DJs Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe specialize in something that is all too rare in mainstream electronica--fun. See if you don’t smile as they sneak in salutes to both ABBA and Bee Gees-style disco in “Rendez-Vu,” the opening track on “Remedy” (XL/Astralwerks Records), an album that is a natural for New Year’s Eve gatherings.

Death in Vegas. It’s fitting that two members of the defunct Jesus and Mary Chain sit in vocally (and contribute lyrics) on tracks on “The Contino Sessions,” a gripping album on Time Bomb that redirects this English entry’s electronica-based sound by injecting doses of raw rock guitar. Similarly, it’s fitting that this Death in Vegas be led by someone named Richard Fearless. The album examines the scary monsters of the psyche and heart with such uncompromising force that it lives up to the grand pop noir legacy of the Mary Chain and Velvet Underground.

Eminem. This Detroit rapper’s double-platinum album “The Slim Shady LP” on Aftermath/Interscope Records may well stand as the record that proved white boys can rap. Eminem steps past the generic imagery that has polluted hard-core rap for years to give us fresh tales that combine dark humor and R-rated violence. Like the movie “Pulp Fiction,” the album alternates between the outrageous and the wildly funny in ways that make you take seriously the parental warning sticker on the album’s cover.

Ibrahim Ferrer. At 72, the Cuban singer is the oldest artist ever to make Calendar’s Freshman Class--and one of the most winning. While enjoying some success in Afro Cuban orchestras in the ‘40s and ‘50s, Ferrer supported himself in recent years as a carpenter, painter and dockworker. That all changed when he was invited to join the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club sessions, where his vocal performance led to this year’s acclaimed “Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer” album on World Circuit/Nonesuch Records. His vocals sound effortless and exquisite.

Macy Gray. In “On How Life Is,” her debut album on Epic Records, Gray asserts enough authority and range as a singer and songwriter to put her on the kind of sprint up the pop charts that was taken by ‘90s soul mates Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. But the album stalled at No. 97. Artistically, however, Gray delivered music that is sophisticated and emotionally potent, combining classic Memphis and Motown soul traditions with hip-hop. The key songs explore obsessed relationships with sometimes troubling candor.

Handsome Boy Modeling School. Dan the Automator and Prince Paul have distinguished separate careers as hip-hop producers, but as a team they caught everyone off guard with this disarmingly playful concept album, which has accurately been described as the world’s first self-help hip-hop collection. The guest list is long (from the Beastie Boys’ Mike D to DJ Shadow), but the consistent wit and style of the producers make everything work well. A mini-classic.

Rahzel. Here’s a man with 1,001 nicknames--everything from “the Godfather of Noyze” to “the human beat box.” But the best way to think of him is as a vocal percussionist. He does employ some guest vocalists (including Badu and Meshell Ndegeocello) as well as musicians on his debut album, “Make the Music 2000” (on MCA Records). But he’s the star, thanks to the amazing arsenal of sounds coming from his mouth. It’s easy to think of Rahzel, who is a member of the Roots, as simply someone with a gimmick, but he’s a remarkable performer with a great sense of R&B; and hip-hop dynamics.

Hank Williams III. Hank Sr. and Hank Jr. aren’t the only artists you hear echoes of in this debut album. There are also traces of such other strong country personalities as Waylon Jennings and Ray Price. Hank III also needs to dig deeper for something original to say as a writer. Despite the limitations, there is a promising sense of stubborn independence in Williams’ manner that is ideal for the rock-tinged honky-tonk style he favors. Besides, you’ve got to have faith in those genes.

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The Freshman Class

Freshman Class nominees have ranged from pop auteur Beck (1994) to Grammy winner Lauryn Hill (1998). The list of past classes:

1998: Canibus, Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Sinead Lohan, Ozomatli, Placebo, Matthew Ryan, Elliott Smith, Timbaland, Rufus Wainwright.

1997: A3, Erykah Badu, Deana Carter, Puff Daddy, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Forest for the Trees, Hanson, Beth Orton, the Prodigy, Talvin Singh.

1996: Fiona Apple, Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow, Eels, Fugees, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pulp, Tony Rich, the Wallflowers, Gillian Welch.

1995: Albita, D’Angelo, Ani DiFranco, Elastica, Garbage, the Geraldine Fibbers, Alanis Morissette, Portishead, Rancid, Wu-Tang Clan.

1994: David Ball, Beck, Jeff Buckley, Dionne Farris, Green Day, Hole, Freedy Johnston, Luscious Jackson, Oasis, Spearhead.

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Robert Hilburn, The Times’ pop music critic, can be reached by e-mail at robert.hilburn@latimes.com.