LOS ANGELES — If they rock it, the kids will come. And come they do, in droves and dressed to the nines, giving the L.A. music scene the kind of boost it hasn’t seen in years. Three of this town’s most talked-about bands — The Tints, Black Black and Orange — are seen here in some of the season’s best gear for the stage.
Black Black
If starting a band with a boyfriend isn’t risky enough, how about also adding a younger sister? Diva Dompé, 17, who has been following a string of groups since elementary school, decided to postpone her first year of college and start a band, Black Black, with her boyfriend, Clark Schadelkopf, and her 14-year-old sister, Lola.
“It’s pretty hard for bands to work out,” observes Diva Dompé, who’s the lead vocalist and plays bass. “Musicians express their emotions so they’re really sensitive. And some aren’t as serious. I thought it would be nice to be in a band with people who are close to me. I especially like spending more time with my sister.”
In their seven-song set, the trio inserts the occasional cover, the more obscure the better, such as the Sixties-era Brazilian song, “Panis et Circenses,” which Diva — who has a voice reminiscent of Nico — sings in Portuguese and English.
Orange
Orange is among the most promising of L.A.’s young bands. Within three months, the group went from creating a self-recorded demo CD to a coveted spot on the latest Hellcat Records/Epitaph compilation, “Give ’Em the Boot IV.”
Not bad for a smart-alecky bunch of boys still in their sophomore and junior years in high school. They are vocalist-bassist Joe Denman, 16; guitarist-vocalist Mike Valentine, 16; guitarist Jack Berglund, 15, and drummer Zak Glosserman, 15.
“It doesn’t matter how young they are — Joe’s an amazing songwriter, and they’re all great performers,” boasts Hellcat co-founder Tim Armstrong, who just signed Orange to a three-record deal. “They remind me a lot of the cool stuff I grew up on: Richard Hell, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.”
Related Articles
You May Also Like
Indeed, Orange’s infectious, pogo-inducing punk-pop songs are delivered with a measure of showmanship and cheekiness down to the Spinal Tap moves. These future heartthrobs, for example, prefer plaid bondage suits to Lycra leggings. Says Denman: “You have to look like a rock star to be a rock star.”
The Tints
Even though they were born after their rock heroes The Slits and The Go-Go’s made their marks, the three behind The Tints — Alex Wisner, Clara Balzary and Harley Viera-Newton, all 16 — can’t believe they still hear the macho bonehead comments.
“We get, ‘Oh, you’re an all-girl band. That’s cute. That’s fun for you,’” huffs guitarist-vocalist Viera-Newton. “It takes a minute for them to take us seriously.”
But serious these three are, from the three-song demo they’re hawking on their Web site, thetints.com, to a slot at the All Tomorrow’s Parties fest in England in the spring. They may lack a bassist in their lineup, and this omission has drawn a few comments, but it’s clear they don’t care. “When you have a band, you can play whatever you want,” says Viera-Newton. “Yeah,” adds Balzary, who, incidentally, is daughter of Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Who doesn’t want to be in a band?”