DESPITE selling out Cardiff University union this year, the NMW Carling Awards tour will miss Wales next year. 2001 showcases helped spring board the careers of Starsailor and Amen. Next year it might be the turn of Pontypridd-based rockers, lostprophets, who are second on the bill... Bristol University, Saturday February 9.

Andrew WK

Another indie star from New York. Andrew WK made his UK live debut earlier this year and had to move the venue from Cargo to the Garage after high demand for tickets. He released a single, Party Hard, on Monday 22 October, and his debut album, I Get Wet, on Monday November 5, both through Mercury Records. His only other UK release to date is last year's, Girl's Own Juice EP.

Party Hard (til You Puke) is a euphoric, cheap trash anthem with pomp rock leanings. WK screams the title as if trying to summon up some chunks while the symphonic punk grinds on beneath him.

The NME is hailing Andrew as the next big thing, and he does look the part, skinny, white, long-haired, good-looking and leather-jacketed. He claims to mix brutality and passion like, perhaps, the Fonze and Captain Caveman, but what about the initials.

A spokesman for the band said: "The letter 'W' was, is, and always will be the world of strength and unity - the shape of two arms locked in unyielding power. "The letter 'K' was, is, and always will be the consumption of the universe." lostprophets

A sextet from Pontypridd. Mixing pop, rock, rap and metal, lostprophets are inches away from putting Wales back on the musical map.

The Fake Sound of Progress, their debut single, made number 41 in the charts this year, but single number two, due out late February, early March, is expected to be a hit. The band has enjoyed near hysterical fan worship in South Wales, with at least one fan tattooing their name onto his neck!

They formed in 1997 after childhood's on nu metal and other American cultural traits, which they ate, digested and moulded into their own highly accessible sound. In the early days the band straddled an uncomfortable gap between Fugazi and Limp Bizkit but have since chosen Limp Bizkit's as the career to follow.

America is their big goal and many marketing and Press officers are busy working to make this happen.

The band has already been over the pond for recording and live dates. This year lostprophets were dubbed Best Newcomers at the inaugural Welsh Music Awards.

As a warm up to the NME Carling Tour, lostprophets play two warm up dates in South Wales.

On January 23 they play Patti Pavilion, Swansea, and on January 24 they play Coal Exchange, Cardiff. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, apart from having the coolest name since Peter Fonda's role in Easy Rider, are a decent new rock band. The much-fancied band has confirmed details of a new single and a self-titled debut album to appear through Virgin Records at the beginning of next year. The single, 'Love Burns,' will appear on Monday, January 21, backed by Rifles and Screaming Gun. The album will follow on Monday 28 January.

The Coral

Everyone's raving about The Strokes but here is one band from new Liverpool label Deltasonic that might be about to equal them.

The Coral are potential contenders, six boys under 20 who are just as good as the Strokes by turning in a wistful sea shanty that makes you want to drink rum, run up the jolly roger and loot gold and whatever else your hook can snare.

It's cheeringly odd and anyone on nodding acquaintance with Gorky's, The Strands or The Doors won't be left totally at sea, but still, a curious sound for such young men to be making.