Music chain HMV today released its top 10 compilation list of "unknowns" tipped to break through this year.

In the past, the store has predicted the success of Franz Ferdinand, The Arctic Monkeys and Duffy.

HMV music buyer Rob Watson said: "There's perhaps not one stand out name that's on everyone's lips, as we saw with Duffy last year, but that's more than made up for by the sheer number and quality of the new acts in the frame.

"There's a bumper crop of fresh faces out there, and 2009 promises to be a vintage year for new music."

The acts to watch out for, in alphabetical order:

1. The Answer (Albert Productions)
The blues/rock band from County Down have been supporting AC/DC in North America and also on the UK leg of their tour.

2. Filthy Dukes (Fiction/ Polydor)
Filthy Dukes started life as DJ/promoter duo Tim Lawton and Olly Dixon who spun their DJ sets for Mylo, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem and played stages at Glastonbury and Bestival.

3. Florence and the Machine (Island Records)
Twenty-two year old quirky singer-songwriter from Camberwell, south London, Florence and the Machine, aka Florence Welch and her backing-singer collaborators, has been championed by the NME and BBC.

4. Gary Go (Polydor)
He has already done shows in London, with summer festival appearances at Brighton's Great Escape, V Festival, Latitude and T In The Park.

5. Keri Hilson (Polydor)
American R&B solo artist who features on Chris Brown's latest single Superhuman.
Hilson has been writing music for other artists since 2001, including Britney Spears and Usher.

6. Laura Izibor (Warner Music)
Similar in style to Corinne Bailey-Rae, and offering a mixture of smooth, soulful tracks and Stevie Wonder-inspired music, Izibor is predicted to make it big in Ireland as well as Britain.

7. Lady Ga Ga (Polydor)
American artist with chart-topping records already across the United States and Europe.

8. Little Boots (679/Atlantic)
Originally from Blackpool, Lancashire, and a graduate of Leeds University, Victoria Hesketh has adopted her nickname of Little Boots as her stage name.

9. Red Light Company (Lavolta Records/SonyBMG)
Five-piece alternative rock band based in London, who have received comparisons with Arcade Fire, U2 and Editors. The band toured with Editors in early 2008.

10. White Lies (Polydor)
Three-piece White Lies, who hail from Chiswick, west London, have been likened to Echo & The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes and Interpol.