| Some of the hottest new music talent has been highlighted in the BBC's Sound of 2008 poll, compiled using tips from critics and broadcasters. Find out about the Sound of 2008's top 10 artists and listen to full streamed tracks below.
1. ADELE She is: A 19-year-old acoustic singer-songwriter who delivers youthful love songs with a poignant and soulful voice. Like Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash, she went to the Brit performing arts school. The pundits say: "Adele's voice melted our hearts when we first heard her and we had to have her on the show." Alison Howe, Later with Jools Holland producer She says: "I don't think I have to be all glamorous and lose weight and stop smoking to be a good artist."
2. DUFFY She is: A Welsh soul singer who has been dubbed the new Dusty Springfield. With her classic style and rousing vocals, she could have stepped straight out of a grainy 1960s music TV show. The pundits say: "You can't help but be amazed that such a powerful voice can come from such a little person." Rachel Seagrave, Capital Radio music team She says: "I'm just learning about my voice at the moment, what I can and can't do so it's a discovery about me."
3. THE TING TINGS They are: Boy-girl duo Katie White and Jules De Martino, who play jagged, luminous and infectious tunes. Their mix of pop sensibility and indie credibility has generated much buzz. The pundits say: "They have huge tunes, untouchable Manc street cred and a sassy charm that puts others to shame." Mike Walsh, Xfm head of music They say: "We write a track, we record it and within the first hour if we're not feeling it we erase it, it's gone."
4. GLASVEGAS They are: A Glaswegian four-piece who play vintage rock and pop with brooding guitars, like the Jesus and Mary Chain covering the Grease soundtrack. NME magazine said they had put out the best debut single since the Arctic Monkeys. The pundits say: "Glasvegas already sound like a classic band." Jonas Woost, Last.FM head of music They say: "There's something really authentic about a lot of doo-wop and '50s rock 'n' roll."
5. FOALS They are: A punk-funk five-piece from Oxford who build intelligent indie with layers of pulsating guitars and beats. They say their influences lie far outside the mainstream and they defy the conventional approach at every turn. The pundits say: "There's enough depth to suggest they could be around for some time." Paul MacInnes, Guardian They say: "We make music that tries to be progressive in some small way - in whatever way you can still do now."
6. VAMPIRE WEEKEND They are: New Yorkers who make simple, sunny, quirky pop by drawing on African beats and their city's post-punk scene. They've been described as The Strokes covering Graceland-era Paul Simon. The pundits say: "They inhabit a different world to other bands, both lyrically and musically." George Ergatoudis, BBC Radio 1 head of music They say: "People would be less interested in us if we were doing something they had heard before."
7. JOE LEAN AND THE JING JANG JONG They are: A British band with jangling guitars and indie anthems who have supported Babyshambles and Kaiser Chiefs. Frontman Joe Van Moyland was drummer with The Pipettes and is also an actor who appeared in TV drama The Tudors. The pundits say: "Great tunes, great presence and great style." Conor McNicholas, NME editor They say: "The goal is to have a nine-year-old girl and an 80-year-old man in a different country dancing at the same time."
8. BLACK KIDS They are: A Florida fivesome who create a collision of cool indie and 1980s pop - half Arcade Fire, half Human League. Still unsigned, they have ridden a huge wave of internet buzz. The pundits say: "They have a heady mix which sets them apart from the army of bands we all come across every day." Neil McCallum, Channel 4 head of music They say: "We definitely take something away from every era. I realised a while back that pop music's all about theft."
9. MGMT They are: A Brooklyn electro-pop duo whose name is said "the management". They offer their own colourful, euphoric and tongue-in-cheek take on the psychedelic rock epic. The pundits say: "Their album mixes gnarled jams with uplifting pop hooks." John Earls, Teletext They say: "The album does address many similar themes dealing mostly with current apocalyptic confusion and post-apocalyptic survivalism."
10. SANTOGOLD She is: Another Brooklyn native, this former punk fuses hip-hop, dub, pop and electronica into fiery, fizzing tunes. She is a slightly less crazy answer to her friend MIA and sang on Mark Ronson's album Version. The pundits say: "As influenced by bhangra as snot-nosed punk, Santogold is culture-clashing pop for the 2010s." Nadine McBay, Metro She says: "Nina Simone and Bad Brains are my two biggest vocal influences." THE BEST OF THE REST 11. Ida Maria 12. One Night Only 13. Alphabeat 14. Laura Marling 15. Cajun Dance Party 16. The Courteeners 17. Gabriella Cilmi 18. Late of the Pier 19. Black Mountain 20. Lil' Wayne
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