WHEELS 2.0 HAS SAVED UP SOME FIREWORKS FROM THE 4TH

We’ve returned from our 4th of July spectacular and are coming at you with a ton of great new music you must have—trust us on that. Keep the second half of 2009 rockin’ with your recommendations: [email protected].

ONES TO WATCH
Fool’s Gold (www.myspace.com/foolsgoldla): Plying a style that blends Western pop with African rhythm and melodies, this L.A.-based musical collective has received a coveted rave reviews from Pitchfork, as well as write-ups in Stereogum, the Music for Robots blog, Fader and the L.A. Times. They formed as a side project of L.A. musicians Luke Top and Lewis Pesacov, but before long morphed into a fulltime band boasting an expanded lineup of multicultural members, many of whom met on stage for the first time. The music, which was written over a three-year period, weaves lyrics in both English and in Hebrew into songs that “are made for hot nights in a sweltering desert” but go beyond that with deep-rooted lyrical sensibilities. Be sure to check out the single “Surprise Hotel” and get ready for the album when it drops on IAMSOUND in September.

Nathan Gaunt (www.myspace.com/nathangaunt): This Aussie born singer/songwriter who rips on piano and guitar (he’s self-taught on both, by the way) is touting a new release, Fade Away, My Sweet Horizon, and widely acclaimed shows across the U.S. in support of the release. This album, available July 14, marks the Aussie expat’s first official stateside. Nathan will spend the next several months on the road, bringing his flavor to clubs from N.Y.’s Highline Ballroom to L.A’s Hotel Café. He says he can’t sing something that he doesn’t believe in, and you can count us as believers.

ON DECK
The Tender Box (www.myspace.com/tenderbox): What we have here is British pop/rock coming out of South Gate—yup, you heard it right. This four-piece rock band formed by four childhood friends from the predominantly Mexican-American community has caught the eyes and ears of many in the biz. They recently inked a publishing deal with Kobalt and went into the studio at Swing House to record their debut album. Managed by Phil Jaurigui and Melanie Barker at Swing House, The Tender Box continues to make serious moves, including writing the theme song to the cartoon series Spectacular Spider-man. Look for them on tour this summer in the U.S. and U.K.

Michelle Mangione (www.michellemangione.com) is an acclaimed drummer and songwriter, who got her start playing for saxophonist Buddy Collette and guitarist Robben Ford. Already established by the age of 16, Michelle taught herself to play guitar, bass and piano. She recently released her second album, What Is a Saint?, with two tracks co-written with rock icon Grace Slick. Her music is available at iTunes, CD Baby and her website.

BAND/ARTIST UPDATES
Sugar Red Drive (www.myspace.com/sugarreddrive): Things are heating up for the boys from Poughkeepsie. "One More Time" impacted solidly at radio, picking up a half dozen first-week adds: WIIL, WXQR, WRXW, KFRQ, KEYJ and WJSE. The group visited WYBB Charleston and did an on-air at WJRR Orlando. The tour kicked off a couple weeks ago with a gig opening for Live, and this week they hit Raleigh, Charleston, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa.

Man on Earth (www.myspace.com/manonearth) will play the Mohegan Sun in upstate NY with, get this, Stone Temple Pilots. Way to go, dudes!