FACES ’93 : Some Names to Be Reckoned With in the New Year : POP

Ahhh, a new year and so many unknowns: Will Jay, Dave and Johnny be genetically spliced to produce the Ultimate Talk Show Host? Will the Yuppie-in-Chief name Stevie Nicks to run the NEA? Who will Sinead pick as her tag team partner against Madonna and the Pope? Will the activist group AWOE (Actresses With One Eyebrow) demand that one of them be chosen to play Frida Kahlo? Oh well, frivolity aside, one thing is certain: You’ll be hearing these names and seeing these faces in the next 365.

PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey is the singer-songwriter’s name, but the abbreviation is used for the captivating British trio that she fronts. The group was stirring in its Los Angeles club debut last summer at the Whisky and its “Dry” was one of the year’s most compelling albums. The trio plays a tough, but melodic brand of blues-flavored rock that marvelously punctuates the 23-year-old Harvey’s stark, tension-riddled reflections on the battles of the sexes--tales that combine some of the intensity of Patti Smith and the confessional edge of Sinead O’Connor, without falling into the shadow of either artist.