Hear us now: 10 rising music stars for 2006

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R&B/Hip-hop: Ne-Yo
Nicknamed Ne-Yo after the movie character Neo in “The Matrix,” the 22-year-old R&B singer has already made people sit up and take notice of his skills.

With producer Scott Storch and Kam Houf, he co-wrote Mario’s long-running R&B/pop hit “Let Me Love You,” which recently copped two Billboard Music Awards. In addition to writing credits for Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans and Musiq, Ne-Yo (born Shaffer C. Smith) is ready to add another milestone to his resume. On Feb. 28, his Def Jam album will debut, under the fitting title “In My Own Words.”

Meanwhile, the Arkansas-to-Las Vegas transplant already has two successful singles under his belt. “Stay” featuring Peedi Crack peaked at No. 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while ’So Sick” is currently No. 22.

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His brand of melodic R&B has been featured on BET Style, MSNBC and MTV, where he was profiled on “You Hear It First.” After wooing fans last summer on a Teen People-sponsored listening-lounge tour with labelmates Rihanna and Teairra Mari, which was hosted by Def Jam honcho Jay-Z, Ne-Yo went on to open for John Legend.

Hard rock: The Sword
There will be no shortage of hard rock bands primed for stellar success in 2006, with big things expected from Hawthorne Heights, Bleeding Through, My Chemical Romance, and Italy’s Lacuna Coil, among others. But old-fashioned metal will not be left out, and new act the Sword is expected to wave the flag for the genre.

The Austin-based quartet owns a monstrous sound, one that echoes the riffs of Black Sabbath and the psychedelic sludge of stoner rock heroes Kyuss. Thanks to nine guitar anthems that slash and hack their way through the band’s self-titled debut, which is due Feb. 14, the set is already turning heads with songs like “Winter’s Wolves” and garnering rave reviews both locally and nationally.

The band first won over fans and critics alike at last year’s South by Southwest music conference and earned a touring slot with . . . And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Signed to the hipster-friendly Kemado Records, the Sword should find itself embraced by the same fan base that follows such acts as Sub Pop’s Comets on Fire and Matador’s Early Man.

Jazz: Christian Scott
While dozens of technically proficient artists get churned out of jazz programs each year, a rare few express themselves with creativity and vision. Enter Christian Scott.

The 22-year-old trumpeter tops the class of upstarts with his exhilarating March 28 debut, “Rewind That,” on Concord Jazz.

With a maturity engendered by his mentoring uncle -- jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison -- Scott boasts a singular breathy tone. He sounds intent on breaking straight-ahead jazz codes with his funk- and rock-infused style, marked by odd meters, urgent grooves and passionate romancing.

Scott is getting the royal treatment at Concord. The label’s marketing plan calls for club showcases and inclusion on free sampler discs at retail outlets. In addition, his debut CD will be sold at the developing-artist price of $12.98.

“We’re pricing Christian’s album aggressively to encourage the cost-conscious consumer to discover a young artist who plays with conviction,” Concord Music Group GM Gene Rumsey says. “We feel Christian can capture the imaginations of jazz fans and music lovers.”

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