Tues. July 24

Neil Popkin and his sister Becca may just be a couple of kids - well, he's 23 and she 25 - out of Natick, but their band, War Tapes, recently completely three opening dates for Smashing Pumpkins and will tour this fall with the Bravery. Not at all bad for a band that has released zero music - save four songs on www.myspace.com/wartapes, and is but two years old. Neil sings and plays guitar; his Becca is on bass. Her husband, William John is the drummer and and Matt Bennett plays guitar. Neil says he and his sister have been playing together since childhood. They moved to Los Angeles a couple of years ago - not for rock stardom reason, Neil says. "I just wanted to explore. We started writing songs, making demos, met Matt. For me, it just kind of happened. We just wanted to make dark, powerful music that people can relate to." Dark, perhaps, but there's a real sense of uplift as well, not unlike the Boston band Aberdeen City or the godfather of it all U2? "Yeah," Neil concurs on the uplift query. "We wanted to create something reminiscent and nostalgic of bands we grew up with - '80s goth, new wave, the Manchester England sound - dark and melodoic at the same time." (In case you're wondering about the above image, the band hasn't released photos yet - just this logo.

The Pumpkins gigs game about, Neil says, "because they got our music somehow, got in touch with our manager, and invited us to play three shows." Remember, this is an unsigned band, with no real CD out yet. The response they got? "Great. Not too many hecklers." After just a few moments of nervousness, "It was a rush." And while trying to keep a level head about where they are, Neil says, " We're looking at everything, We're really stoked. War Tapes returns to Massachusetts to play T.T. the Bear's Tuesday July 24. They're on at 10. The Clicks take the stage at 11 and Cheater Pint opens at 9. Tickets: $8.

10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-492-0082 www.ttthebears.com