Worthy Students Who Passed the Test

Calendar’s annual salute to the most notable pop newcomers is now 13 years old, which means there are enough honorees to start thinking about a class reunion.

If the 130 artists who have been singled out in the Freshman Class lists did get together, it would certainly be a diverse bunch. But lots of winners would have much in common.

Jill Scott, part of this year’s class, could celebrate the rise of captivating female singer-songwriters in R&B; with such past Freshman Class members as Erykah Badu (class of ‘97), Lauryn Hill (saluted with the Fugees in 1996 and on her own in 1998), MeShell Ndegeocello (class of ‘93) and Macy Gray (class of ‘99).

Freedy Johnston (‘94), Rufus Wainwright (‘98) and Eels leader E (‘96) could warn one of this year’s choices, Badly Drawn Boy, about the difficulties of getting radio exposure for sensitive pop-rock singer-songwriters.

But Beck (‘94), Ani DiFranco (‘95), Moby (‘93) and Bjork (with the Sugarcubes in ‘88) could then encourage Badly Drawn Boy by pointing out that artists with strong, original viewpoints can ultimately find a sizable audience.

Joining Badly Drawn Boy and Scott in this year’s Freshman Class are eight other standout arrivals who either made their formal album debuts during the past 12 months or whose career took dramatic upswings. They are artists who show the imagination, craft or personality to be vital for years. The list is alphabetical.

At the Drive-In. The overriding feel of this promising young El Paso band’s aggressive, hyperactive approach onstage and on record is chaos. The instrumental textures often collide with the random force of turbocharged arcade bumper cars on the group’s major-label debut (“Relationship of Command”)--and maybe that impatience and urgency are what it takes for a new generation to express its outrage at injustice.

Badly Drawn Boy. Damon Gough may have taken his stage name from a British cartoon strip, but he must feel like the Boy Who Won the Mercury Music Prize these days. His victory in that competition has focused so much attention on him that curious listeners may be expecting fireworks. Instead, his excellent debut album, “The Hour of Bewilderbeast,” is a modest, cult-level affair that speaks of relationships in gentle and thoughtful ways.

Dido. This British singer-songwriter is best known as the voice on the haunting refrain that runs though Eminem’s “Stan.” The music on her enchanting debut album, “No Angel,” offers a similar mix of mainstream assurance and restless independence, which is why she has been described as a cross between Sarah McLachlan and Sinead O’Connor. And Eminem isn’t the only one who has latched onto her. “Thank You,” the song sampled in “Stan,” also appeared in the film “Sliding Doors,” and “Here With Me” was picked as the theme for the TV series “Roswell.”

Nelly Furtado. It gives you pause when this Canadian singer-songwriter lists Mariah Carey as one of her early inspirations, but there’s far too much attitude and imagination on her debut album, “Whoa, Nelly!,” to suggest this 21-year-old would settle for the synthetic emotion of Carey’s recordings. The album’s opening track, “Hey, Man!,” carries the independence and bite of Alanis Morissette, while “I Will Make U Cry,” suggests some of the sensual bravado (as well as spelling preferences) of Prince. The colorful musical textures incorporate hip-hop, pop and her Portuguese heritage.

Jurassic 5. This hip-hop collective’s first full-length album, “Quality Control,” is the most convincing evidence yet that there is more than simply good karma to the L.A. “positive rap” movement. “Lausd,” the album’s key track, is a hit waiting to happen--a wary look at the underside of stardom and hip-hop glitter. Jurassic 5’s music has a self-assurance and sophistication that separates the group from the hip-hop herd.

Grandaddy. On one level, Jason Lytle writes in “The Sophtware Slump,” the Modesto rock quintet’s major-label debut, about the way technology has only compounded man’s misadventures by speeding everything up. But the heart of the album is a touching look at how society is losing its civility and grace. “Jed the Humanoid” is the story of a friendly robot who is discarded after the arrival of a new and improved model. But the song also restates the classic rock theme of the lonely outsider. Grandaddy’s music is beautifully layered with gentle, dreamlike textures.

Marah. “Kids in Philly,” released by Steve Earle’s E-Squared label, isn’t as artful as “The Sophtware Slump” or as in-step with the musical times as “Relationship of Command,” but the album’s earnestness and desire keep drawing you back to it. Marah is intense, though with more of a Bruce Springsteen zeal than the bare-knuckled Rage Against the Machine approach favored by At the Drive-In. Dave and Serge Bielanko offer an innocence and heart that is too rare in the coolness of contemporary rock.

Brad Paisley. This 28-year-old country hit-maker doesn’t have the rugged vocal individualism of a Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard, but his music moves in unexpected areas on his debut album, “Who Needs Pictures.” He can be playful (“Me Neither” is a good-natured tale of romantic infatuation), and he can be poignant (“He Didn’t Have to Be” is a rare salute to a stepfather’s love). At his best, he reflects the winning sincerity of the early Garth Brooks.

Jill Scott. A former Philadelphia high school teacher and poet who first gained pop attention for her work with the rap group the Roots, Scott can be as coolly confident as Badu and as sexually frank as Gray. The food-market checkout stand encounter in “Exclusively,” a track from the “Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds Vol. 1” album, offers a classic twist on the cheatin’ song theme. Scott’s modern soul sound is a winning blend of earthy and sophisticated edges.

Sisqo. The singer has been a star for years with Dru Hill, but his solo move this year was still an eye-opener. The music on his “Unleash the Dragon” album is little more than serviceable in a catchy, mainstream sense, but he brings a commanding sense of energy and showmanship to his live shows. And you know he’s got some clever folks in his corner when he recycles a piece of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” into “Thong Song,” a tune that might outlive the original. *

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The Alumni Club

Past freshman classes:

1999: Afro Celt Sound System, Dot Allison, Basement Jaxx, Death in Vegas, Eminem, Ibrahim Ferrer, Macy Gray, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Rahzel, Hank Williams III.

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.

1993: American Music Club, Counting Crows, the Cranberries, Digable Planets, Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, Moby, MeShell Ndegeocello, Liz Phair, Rage Against the Machine, Uncle Tupelo.

1992: Arrested Development, Babes in Toyland, Basehead, Mary J. Blige, Cracker, Iris DeMent, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, PJ Harvey, Helmet, TLC.

1991: Oleta Adams, Dinosaur Jr., EMF, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, P.M. Dawn, Primus, Seal, Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Whitley.

1990: Bell Biv Devoe, the Black Crowes, Digital Underground, 808 State, the Gear Daddies, John Wesley Harding, Ice Cube, Jesus Jones, Mazzy Star, Urban Dance Squad.

1989: Neneh Cherry, De La Soul, Lenny Kravitz, Mary’s Danish, N.W.A, Soul II Soul, Stone Roses, Soundgarden, Texas, Tone Loc.

1988: Big Pig, Tracy Chapman, Cowboy Junkies, the Godfathers, Hothouse Flowers, House of Freaks, Jane’s Addiction, the Primitives, Michelle Shocked, Shinehead, Sugarcubes.

*

Robert Hilburn, the Times pop music critic, can be reached at robert.hilburn@latimes.com.