WHEELS 2.0 UPGRADES TO 2.01

Hello kids, and welcome to another edition of Wheels 2.0. This week we’re featuring two talented artists, a rock band from Vegas and a singer/songwriter from right here in L.A. Keep sendin’ us tunes, and keep your eyes peeled for a big announcement coming next week. Hit us up at [email protected]. (Side note: You'll notice that we've shifted from Yahoo to Gmail due to complications; please update your address books, and keep hittin’ us with submissions.) Enjoy!

Adelitas Way: These Vegas rockers are creating a buzz through their MySpace page. The band currently has a running total of over 2 million plays and 34k+ friends. Drawing inspiration from bands like Foo Fighters and Nickelback, Adelitas Way boasts a rock sensibility with a softer edge. The word in the industry is that their sound is just too generic to break through, but we feel good songs are good songs. They’ll be rockin’ the House of Blues in Vegas next month; look out for a review of their performance in the coming weeks. We’d love to know what you think: too generic or on the money? (www.myspace.com/adelitasway)

William Tell: We scored a seat near the stage Tuesday night at Hotel Café for a set from Something Corporate’s breakaway guitarist. William ran through some of his latest songs, going from guitar to piano—the kid is clearly quite musical. He immediately engaged the audience—which included a bunch of his fans—with his wit, charm and storytelling. An extension of his life story, William’s songs touch on the simple things in life, like how to talk to girls. He even mentioned his family and their unconditional support. (Thanks to his mom and dad for keeping him fed.) We’d like to send a big shout-out to his management team, led by Jared Rosenberg at Wright Crear. Tell us what you think. (www.myspace.com/williamtell)

Crystal Castles: The first band we’re spotlighting from Last Gang, this electronica band from St. Helena in the U.K. is building a following organically with their cutting-edge sound. They’ve already accumulated 100k+ plus friends and more than 8 millions plays on their MySpace page, and the numbers keep growing from one day to the next. Their debut album is out now. They are also featured on mtvU’s Freshmen 5. Peep out their music here www.myspace.com/crystalcastles. We promised you the video that mtvU has been spinning; you can watch it right here.

ANDREW HARPER'S MILLENNIAL SOAPBOX
HITS congratulates Andrew on his merger with Worlds End Management. We’re allowing him to shamelessly hype his new company because Sandy is a longtime friend—besides, we need the filler.

The godfather of producer management, Sandy Roberton, is making major moves in the expanding music business landscape. Worlds End already boasts a stellar producer roster that includes Dave Sardy, The Matrix and Nick Launay. Roberton's label Beverly Martel released an album from buzz band Black Box Revelation earlier this year and will follow up this fall with Austin rock & roll juggernauts Young Heart Attack. Also making waves is label imprint IAMSOUND, run by Niki Roberton and Paul Tao. This month they’re releasing albums from Sunny Day Sets Fire, who have a song in the movie American Teen, and The Black Ghosts, who are climbing the college radio charts. Colin Chambers spearheads the film and TV licensing department, which is turning up some key placements. The company’s artist management division and talent agency, both launching soon will feature an impressive crop of talent. (www.worldsend.com)

Also, keep an eye on Electric Touch, previously mentioned in this column as a band to keep an eye on, who continue to build momentum as their song "Love in Our Hearts" gets heavily spun on Sirius Alt Nation. Christopher "The Minister" Goines has been an early believer since seeing these guys at Coachella back in April. The debut album is a month away from hitting the streets. Check out Electric Touch this fall as they support The Fratellis and The Airborne Toxic Event on a full U.S. tour.