Hard Sounds for hard times

Guitars, grunge and passion. It looks like a hard-edged year for rock'n'roll. Jim Carroll picks some industry brains to find out who we'll be listening to in 2009

GARY LIGHTBODY (SNOW PATROL) 

The scene in Belfast at the moment is one of the most exciting in the world. I put The Lowly Knights at the top of a very long, excellent list of bands. They are a dozen-strong folk/pop/choral/ God-knows troupe who make spiritual and life-affirming music. You Can Tell A Man By How He Lifts His Hands is one of my songs of the year.

Cashier No. 9 make dark country-hewed rock music that is smart, direct and unsettling in the best possible way. Others from Norn Iron to check out: Lafaro, And So I Watch You From Afar, Panama Kings and Kowalski . White Lies are terrifying, cinematic and make gigantic rock music.

From London via Sweden, Fanfarlo have a whiff of Scandinavia's regal pop lineage. Clumsy enough to be very charming and shimmering enough to be massive.

I'm a sucker for good pop music and Stuck On Repeat from Little Boots has done just that on my iPod and wound itself around my mind grapes and won't let go.

STEVIE G (RED FM/THE PAVILION, CORK) 

In Cork, I'm hoping local soulboy Brian Deady reaches more ears as his sound develops. The same can be said for young funk act The Impressionists , who are residents at my Jam night at The Pavilion, and reggae stalwarts Wiggle , who have a great new album about to drop. Elaine Dowling is a terrific singer who is doing interesting work with Corkman and New York resident Freezerroom .

For a hip-hop fan, it's interesting that so many of my choices touch on that style without specifically being hip-hop and I think this is a reflection of the ubiquity of the genre as a whole. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are just one of the many acts with a hip-hop sensibility bringing this attitude to a different field, and their new material is incredible. This is music that makes acid jazz seem like it belonged to the last century. Oh, wait . . .

ALISON CURTIS (TODAY FM) 

Florence and the Machine already created a bit of a wave this year, appearing at Electric Picnic and releasing one of my favourite songs of 2008, Kiss with a Fist . Florence Welch's next single Dog Days are Gone is equally exciting. With such a distinct voice from a girl discovered singing in a pub toilet, I predict her debut album will make more than just a big splash in 2009.

Passion Pit hail from Massachusetts and were one of the buzz bands at CMJ in New York. They have been compared to Flaming Lips, The Go! Team and Sleepy Jackson, and you can already sample their delights on the Chunk of Change EP.

The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra are a seven-member band from all corners of Ireland, none of them named Brad. They cleverly released a beautiful festive song called December in time for Christmas, which I compared to Arcade Fire. I predict good things for them in 2009.

KARL GERAGHTY (AIKEN PROMOTIONS) 

In Ireland, two acts worth keeping an eye on are Villagers and The Lost Brothers . The former is the latest venture from Conor O'Brien, formerly of The Immediate. When he hasn't been playing guitar with Cathy Davey, he has been quietly demoing songs and playing a select few gigs. He has the full package; story-telling lyrics, unique production ideas and timeless melodies.

The Lost Brothers are from Omagh and have been creating quite a buzz in the UK with praise from NME and Steve Lamacq and an invitation to play the Electric Proms with The Last Shadow Puppets. Think the homely acoustic folk-pop of Simon Garfunkel or the hair-raising harmonies of the Everly Brothers.

Fionn Regan and Bell X1 played new tracks to rave reviews at recent gigs and I think both may surprise listeners with how their respective sounds have evolved.

Internationally, the names worth keeping an eye on include Passion Pit, Vivian Girls, School of Seven Bells and Dinosaur Pile-up .

JAMES FOLEY (RECORD OF THE DAY) 

If Santogold and MGMT were of the more interesting exports from the US in 2008, next year should see more satisfying American genre-crossing with Boston's Passion Pit and New York bands Boy Crisis and Amazing Baby on their way. Other US acts set to make an impact are Portland's Hockey , whose danceable literate new wave is exciting lots of people, and Brooklyn's Chairlift , who have already had the obligatory iPod ad feature to strengthen their profile.

From the UK, expect to see and hear a lot of Dan Black , whose cover of Notorious B.I.G's HYPNTZ set blogs alight. La Roux, Little Boots, Filthy Dukes and the XL-signed Magistrates should all land hot debut albums in 2009.

JENNY HUSTON (2FM) 

After a great year for pop - be it electro, Eighties-influenced or guitar/dance cross-overs - I think 2009 is going to go back to guitar rock.

We are ready to hear some dirty sexy, sleazy, fuzzy guitar bands again.

First up is Dinosaur Pile-Up from Leeds, who have just released their first single, My Rock'n'Roll. Their grungy sound is bound to be huge in 2009.

White Lies from London have a really big vocals-forward sound with hints of Echo and the Bunnymen and are likely to be massive - check out the Death and Lose My Life singles.

In Ireland, I think The Hot Sprockets will have a great year. I can't wait to hear debut albums from Concerto For Constantine, Villagers and Dark Room Notes and see Boss Volenti get the attention they deserve. There are also many others on their way such as Noise Control, R.S.A.G., One Day International, Cowboy X and Halves. 

STUART BAILIE (BBC RADIO ULSTER) 

2009 will be Nordie by nature. The top end of the island is experiencing a creative bloom and a surge of community feeling that goes entirely against the last 40 years of conditioning. It's quite phenomenal.

Expect hurtling instrumentals on the debut album by And So I Watch You From Afar - like Mogwai on self-assertiveness pills. Based in Belfast, the Panama Kings are indie gallants who have commissioned electro wideboy Alex Metric to produce the upcoming Golden Recruit single.

General Fiasco have the tunes, Cashier No. 9 have a Beck-like finesse and Robyn G Shiels will whisper a few murder ballads into the new year. The Lowly Knights can muster 12 members on a good night and play it folksy, motivational and harmonious. The shores of Belfast Lough are alive with shaggy-haired kids who have copped the charm of Gary Lightbody. It is time for Kowalski and the winsome Two Door Cinema Club .

BARRY O'DONOGHUE (SONY MUSIC IRELAND AR) 

Passion Pit are making all the right noises and any songs I've heard have been strong. I enjoyed Belfast three-piece General Fiasco whenever I saw them last year: lovable, energetic pop. Villagers - built around Conor, ex-The Immediate - are very promising. As is Katie Kim , whose recent album deserves the attention it's getting. Kormac and his barbershop quartet live show is great fun. New albums from Mumblin' Deaf Ro and Adrian Crowley would be welcome, too.

Scottish producer Rustie is making increasingly interesting electronic excursions, near the point where hip-hop, day-glo dubstep and electronica collide. Irish label All City released a fairly remarkable run of seven-inch singles in 2008, so hopefully there are more underground goodies to come from them. And there's a pile of good techno music around too.

GUGAI (ROISIN DUBH, GALWAY) 

I'm hoping that some of the Irish acts that released monster albums this year, such as Messiah J The Expert and R.S.A.G., will get some well deserved time in the sun in 2009. There are many more, obviously - you know who you are. I love the Chunk Of Change EP by Passion Pit and Mind Chaos by Hockey , and if this dancefloor is anything to go by, they will be ones to watch out this year (also Dinosaur Pile Up ).

Crystal Antlers will be over here in February so that makes me happy. Cursive have a new album due out and, you never know, Windings might actually release their new album in 2009. I'm sure there are loads of things I'm going to regret not mentioning next week.

JIM CARROLL (THE TICKET) 

Like my fellow tipsters, I'm putting a few euro on Passion Pit, Hockey, Dinosaur Pile-Up (the return of grunge), Chairlift, Villagers and Little Boots to make a splash in 2009. Wavves , AKA San Diego kid Nathan Williams, will provide plenty of No Age, buzzy, noisepop highs, and also keep an eye and ear on London's Three Trapped Tigers , Manchester's Everything Everything , Australia's Temper Trap and, from the Liberties in Dublin, Imelda May. 

I'm also keen to hear more from the excellent Langhorne Slim , French band The Do and Swedish producer Kleerup , who has already proven he knows his way around whip-smart pop via his work for Lykke Li and Robyn.