WHEEL 2.0: THE TOP 5 OF Q1

By Jesse Beer Dietz

Some amazing talent has been submitted to us at Wheels during the first three months of 2011. Here are the five acts we believe have the best shot to break.

Allen Stone
Label: Unsigned
Looks can be deceiving, and there’s more to this talented newcomer than meets the eye...or the ear. Close your eyes and listen to Allen’s seamless blend of Marvin Gaye and Raphael Saadiq. His self-titled debut album will be out this summer, but don’t wait on it—this one should heat up quickly. Management: BJ Olin.

Egypt Central
Label: Fat Lady Music/ILG
Rockers from Memphis whose current single “White Rabbit” is #26 on the Active Rock chart. The Skidd Mills-produced album is due out May 17. The band is currently on tour with Cold and Kopek and will be playing Rock on the Range, along with a bunch of other festivals.

Ultraviolet Sound
Label: Odds on Records
Pop-electronica duo whose single “Suck My Kiss” is currently Top 40 on the Billboard chart. Their album, which dropped digitally on April 12, is already at #27 on the iTunes Dance chart. The group will be on an extensive summer tour. Be sure to check out their video on MTV.

Tatiana Owens
Label: Unsigned
Debut single “Pendulum,” was featured in the hit VH1 show Love & Hip Hop and has generated 170k views on Tatiana’s YouTube channel, resulting in a marked increase in sales. Second single “Hazy” featured in the VH1 show What Chilli Wants. Working with such co-writers/producers as Bill Grainer (Jennifer Hudson), Scott Krippayne (Jordin Sparks), Blastoff Productions (Drake), Bryan Todd (Miley Cyrus), Jamelle Jones (Swizz Beatz) and O'Shea (50 Cent). Featured artist on VH1.com. Management: TC Music/Tom Bradley.

Of Verona

Label: Unsigned

This buzzing band is spearheaded by Mandi Perkins, whom Cosmo Girl hailed as “the next Alanis.” The lineup also includes Dillon Pace, who is signed as a producer/songwriter to Toby Gad's production company; Jeff Sojka, who also works as Mikal Blue’s recording engineer; and Jacob Fatoorechi, formerly Ashley Tisdale’s MD. Their as yet unreleased debut EP, Fall Like Roses, was self-produced by the band and mixed by John O'Mahony (Coldplay, Metric, Oh Land). Featured as a Band to Know in 2011 on MTV’s daily live show The Seven. Management: Ari Ingel.