REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO WHEELS

The Wheels team is finally back together—and we expect to stay hooked up until Jesse’s Hawaiian tan is but a distant memory. This week, we’ve put our heads together to bring you two strong female newcomers trying to make it on different ends of the musical spectrum. One is an 18-year old Colombian-born, Miami-based model who is just now coming into her own musically, and the other is a country/blues singer from New York City whose early exploits we’ve been following for the last few months.

As 2008 grinds to a close, we’ll be recapping some of our faves for the year, updating their progress and giving them one more push into your hearts and minds. Look for the first of these recaps next week—same bat-time, same bat-channel.

In the meantime, please keep reassuring us that you’re tuned in to what we’re spewing, and drop us a line (or two) at [email protected].

Caro: The 18-year-old, bilingual cover girl (literally), Carolina Fernandez is following her dreams, while going to school, developing her guitar chops and working with some of Miami’s hottest producers. She was recently picked up for a Covergirl campaign that feature her in all major Latina publications. Paired with pop-rock acoustic sounds, Caro’s angelic voice is infectious, while her subject matter speaks clearly and directly to today’s youth, giving voice to the beliefs and emotions of the post-9/11 generation. Multifaceted and idealistic, this girl has rocked out on stage in her hometown, at the Vatican and at one of baller Alonzo Mourning’s charity fundraisers. Look for more updates on Caro as she develops into the star she is poised to be. Her music is currently being updated online, and we’ll link you up in the coming weeks, but we wanted to get her name out there ASAP.

Nell Bryden: You may recall that we hipped you to Nell a few months ago. We are back with updates from one of our favorite soul-stresses on the East Coast. Her roots are planted in N.Y., but her special blend of blues, country, folk and jazz is finding followers across the country and abroad. She got a relatively late start on the songwriting front, laying down her first tracks at age 18, but she’s showing herself to be an extremely quick study. Artistic expression is in Nell’s blood—her mother was a classical singer, and her father an impressionist painter. She just got back from the Middle East, where she appeared on the Iraq/Kuwait Armed Forces Entertainment Tour, blogging about her eye-opening experience at www.myspace.com/nellbryden. She’s played over 400 gigs to date, and is garnering a major buzz on the heels of her recent tour of the U.K. and Ireland with Counting Crows, including coverage in Q magazine and on the BBC. She’s set for a return appearance Nov. 21 at the London Jazz Festival. Stay tuned for further updates on what appears to be a rapidly accelerating career arc.