Please welcome the Freshman Class of 2002

The lure of new pop acts isn’t based solely on what they have already given us, but the prospect that they can continue enchanting us for years. Calendar’s annual Freshman Class is a salute to 2002’s new arrivals who best reflect the individuality, passion and craft that make them seem promising for the long run. The list is alphabetical.

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. This explosive Texas art-punk outfit punctuates its dark, apocalyptic tales with a whiplash force that is gloriously therapeutic. Album: “Source Tags & Code” (Interscope).

Cee-Lo. Singer-rapper Thomas Callaway (a.k.a. Cee-Lo) incorporates elements of soul, gospel and funk in his music so convincingly that you almost expect to see the logo of Stax Records, the ‘60s home of Otis Redding, on his new CD. Album: “Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections” (Arista).

Dashboard Confessional. “So this is odd, the painful realization that all has gone wrong,” is Chris Carrabba’s opening line in “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most,” and his outlook stays anxious and bleak through the end of the album. This could be cloying, but Carrabba brings an absorbing sense of universal struggle to it. Album: “The Place ...” (Vagrant).

The Distillers. It sounds like Courtney Love sitting in with this L.A. punk-inspired band, but the raspy vocals belong to Brody Armstrong, whose songs have a promising touch of X’s penetrating observation. Album: “Sing Sing Death House” (Hellcat/Epitaph).

The Hives. This joyful Swedish quintet attacks the notion that rock has to be humorless to be real. The music salutes ‘60s and ‘70s punk and garage-rock with near-irresistible energy. Album: “Your New Favourite Band” (Poptones import).

Norah Jones. Don’t be surprised if this supremely seductive young Texas singer matches Alicia Keys’ six nominations in this year’s Grammy balloting. Taste and boldness to spare. Album: “Come Away With Me” (Blue Note).

N.E.R.D. The Neptunes, the blazing production team that has sculptured hits for Britney Spears, Mystikal and more, offer a rock-funk merger that stretches hip-hop boundaries like early Run-DMC or De La Soul. Album: “In Search of ... “ (Virgin).

Conor Oberst. Oberst is a precocious 22-year-old with the audacity to release two splendid albums this year, one of which (“Lifted ... or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground”) has enough freewheeling literary edge to invite Dylan comparisons. Albums: Desaparecidos’ “Read Music/Speak Spanish” and Bright Eyes’ “Lifted

The Streets. Mike Skinner is a white rapper from England, and his looks into the youth subculture in his country suggest a sharp storytelling ability. Album: “Original Pirate Material” (Vice).

The Vines. Craig Nicholls, the Aussie rock band’s manic frontman, gets the attention, but the music has a gritty shotgun force. Thing to watch: How Nicholls responds next time to the pressures and tensions of the spotlight. Album: “Highly Evolved” (Capitol).

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Robert Hilburn, The Times’ pop music critic,

can be reached by e-mail at robert.hilburn@latimes.com