WHEELS 2.0 HAS A CAPITAL IDEA

This week’s edition of Wheels features an upwardly mobile L.A. group, a major label band signing and an update on an act we told you about last year that we’re really high on. Keep feedin the inbox: [email protected]

SPOTLIGHT
Capital Cities (http://capitalcitiesmusic.com), an electronic pop/rock dance group from Los Angeles spotlighted in Wheels last year, continue their climb in the music world. The band was January’s Artist in Residence for 98.7, which is spinning their single "Safe and Sound.” They’ve also licensed two songs to 90210 and have been dominating Hype Machine for the last month. The group is slated to perform SXSW next month and is looking for some additional showcases. Even the blog world loves them, as Perez Hilton and ArjanWrites both raved about them in January. For more info, contact manager Dan Weisman: [email protected]

BAND UPDATE
Najee The 1 (www.najeethe1.com), who was featured here in 2011, got together a few months ago with DB2, a graduating senior at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Their natural chemistry inspired them to team up on a one artist/one producer, completely sample-free album they’ve titled Settle for Greatness. Jay-Z's blog Life + Times sent a video crew to document the duo’s creative process and capture a four-piece string session while recording at the Institute. They also interviewed both the artist and producer on what it means to record music as opposed to just rapping over a beat in hip-hop. In the doc, the crew follows Najee up to Washington Heights, where he tells his tory of growing up in foster care and finding salvation in the art of rhyme, storytelling and rap. Najee The 1 and DB2 will be debuting their collaboration live at the BET Music Matters Showcase at Santos in N.Y. on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. Contact manager Marat Berenstein:
[email protected]

BAND SIGNING
Stellar Revival have signed with Capitol Records, which will release their debut album, Love, Lust and Bad Company, on May 8. The Florida rockers’ first single, “The Crazy Ones,” impacts radio on March 20, and they’ve been confirmed as the opening act on the Theory of a Deadman tour, which starts on April 9.