By Jesse Beer-Dietz (jesse.beerdietz@hitsmagazine.com)

SPOTLIGHT
2CELLOS (www.2cellos.com/us/home) are Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, the two top cello players in Croatia, have been friends since they were 14. Late last year, the two virtuosos finally decided to link up and play together. With over 5 million hits on YouTube in less than their months, their stunning dueling-cellos version of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" (which you can see here) has taken the World Wide Web by storm. Their debut album (on Sony Masterworks), featuring unique versions of well-known rock and pop songs, is out now and available in physical and digital form through Amazon here. I had the pleasure of catching their set Wednesday night at Largo, and they absolutely blew my mind. The sound they create from just a pair of cellos is simply breathtaking. Don’t get these guys wrong—they can absolutely play classical pieces, but the fun is when they jam out to Guns N' Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” or the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication.” They’ll be on tour with Elton John from late September through the end of the year, including several weeks in Vegas. Be sure to check these guys out, and stay tuned for my interview with them next week.

SPOTLIGHT
Windsor Drive (http://windsordrivemusic.com) pops back up on our radar this week with a brand new video and a big N.Y. showcase to announce. Their massive grass-roots following, built through relentless touring, is propelling this indie-rock group to new heights. They’ve been on the road with Kris Allen, Frank and Derol and Mae, and have been collaborating with platinum producers John Fields and Matt Mahaffey to gain the interest of tastemakers across the country. Check out the video for “Sailing” here, and if you’re in N.Y. next week, go buy managers Scott Frazier, Manbir Sodhia and Rick Smith a drink at the Mercury Lounge. The band will take that stage on Wednesday (9/21) at 6:30 p.m. sharp . RSVP for the industry guest list at mgmt@windsordrivemusic.com.

BUZZIN’
South Jordan, a Wheels fave, will also be in N.Y. next week, taking label meetings with the usual suspects. The radio-friendly Nashville-based group formed at Indiana University in Bloomington, and has spent the past year writing demos with an impressive group of writers, including Claude Kelly, Toby Gad, Gregg Wattenberg, Zac Maloy, Josh Kear, Nathan Chapman, John Fields and Jamie Houston. South Jordan recently signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, and is managed by Alex Seif at Union Entertainment (alex@ueginc.com). For the latest material, head to http://southjordanmusic.com/demos/.