Bush and Britpop - back for some vengeance

Crunk, Silent Alarm, Bright Eyes and of course, Kate Bush. The first is an Atlanta-based onomatopoeic musical movement, due here soon, that has been variously described as "black punk rock", "hi-energy rap" and "somebody screaming over a record". The second is the name of the Bloc Party album; the third is "rock's new musical genius" and the last one is a woman, thought to be missing in action, due back in the record shops any month now.

The first big new breakthrough album, though, should come from Athlete (later this month). Underachieving for quite a while now, the Mercury-nominated quirky pop quartet are tipped to do a Snow Patrol with the lead-off single, Wires, from their Tourist album.

Later this month, it will all be about Bright Eyes. The multi-talented individual who is Conor Oberst reached number one and number two in the Billboard singles chart a while back with singles off his two new albums.

Both are released on the same day: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is an indie-folky affair - and really quite brilliant. The other, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, is a fizzing, electro-pop affair - a companion mood work. Comparisons to Beck are redundant, Oberst sounds like Bruce Springsteen fronting Mazzy Star.

Funked-up punk should propel Bloc Party into orbit with their Silent Alarm album (Feb), while The Futureheads (who do a neat cover of Hounds Of Love) look like they won't be far behind them.

Several big-hitters are gearing up for high-profile releases: Coldplay have just finished their new album - "more experimental", according to Chris Martin. Either way, they are a definite maybe for Slane Castle. Elsewhere, there'll be something of a Britpop Wars revisited when Oasis and Gorillaz (Damon Albarn's lot) almost go head-to-head with new releases later in the year. The only thing known about the Oasis album is that Zak Starkey bangs the drums and Noel Gallagher says the songs sound like "The La's, The Kinks and The Beatles". No change there then. De La Soul feature on the Gorillaz album.

There's a big Britpop revival pencilled in for this year; leading the charge are the very hotly tipped Kaiser Chiefs. Nu-Britpop? Doesn't sound right. More importantly, perhaps the greatest songwriting partnership of the era, Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, are back, recording as The Tears.

The new Moby album, Hotel (March), is a sample-free affair and there's a bit of worry in the fact that he sings lead vocals on 10 of the tracks.

New Order's Waiting For The Siren's Call (March) sounds promising in that both Stephen Street and John Leckie have been twiddling the knobs, while Daft Punk return with a "darker, more underground sound" on Human After All, also in March.

Although released last year, an album called The Milk-Eyed Mender by a truly idiosyncratic talent, Joanna Newsom, should and could be this year's grower. John Peel raved about her, Donal Dineen plays her - what else do you need to know? Expect a lot of money to be poured into Charlie Simpson's (he's from Busted, apparently) "serious rock album". What is wrong with these people? It'll be McFly covering Gang of Four next.

Tears For Fears have put aside deep personal enmity to get back together for their Everybody Loves A Happy Ending album (April), while Stevie Wonder will be all over the gaff with a new studio album, a gospel album, a musical and a "jazz album with harmonica".

There's a lot riding on Ms Dynamite's new album; Idlewild could well come in from the margins with their Warnings/Promises album, while Flanders and Swann crop up on the new Lemon Jelly album (about time too).

Rejoice, The Darkness are back. Their Mutt Lange-produced album goes under the working title: Short Fat Cock. Uniquely, it was solely financed by merchandise sales of their black g-strings. "It's a new business model," they tell us. The new work will feature "medieval and voodoo themes" they say, while musically it's been heavily influenced by "Abba - and bits of Fleetwood Mac". Place your advance order now.