New Wave-tinged Blane Fonda born from Sapiens split

Getting noticed in the crowded Chicago music scene is difficult to do once. The members of Blane Fonda are about to try for a second time.

Four of the five members of Blane Fonda used to play together in a band called the Sapiens, whose punk-tinged dance rock generated quite a bit of buzz in the Chicago area last year. The band sold out well-established rock venues like Schuba's and seemed poised for a breakthrough.

Today, the four musicians are back, but in a new band with a new singer and a new sound. They hope they can grab listeners' attention once again.

"It's tough, because there are so many bands and indie rock doesn't seem to be the big thing in Chicago right now," said guitarist Charlie Nadler, 27, a St. Charles native. "We're doing what we can to get the word out, to get the music out. But it isn't easy."

Creative differences led Nadler and his bandmates to part ways with the Sapiens' lead singer. Earlier this year, Mark Wetzel signed on as the new frontman, and Blane Fonda was born.

Blane's music retains the propulsive energy of the Sapiens, but with a stronger emphasis on melody and hooks. Two early tracks -- "Robots in Africa" and "Stop Making Stains," both of which are available on Blane Fonda's MySpace page -- recall the more adventurous pop sounds of the 1980s.

"The synth is a big part of our sound, and of course the synthesizer was the big thing for those 1980s New Wave bands," Nadler said. "We're children of the '80s, so it probably just rubbed off on us."

Wetzel, a 26-year-old Pennsylvania native who used to sing in a band called Technicolor Stallion, adds that his vocal range helps evoke the '80s as well.

"My singing style lends itself to that," he said. "You can sometimes hear Robert Smith of The Cure or the singers from Tears for Fears."

Blane Fonda is gearing up for its first show in the suburbs, which will happen tonight at the Clearwater Theater in West Dundee. Nadler said playing in front of a suburban crowd is important because he, bassist Dave Veller (a Naperville native) and keyboardist Matt Witt (a Wheeling resident) have suburban ties (drummer Dave Fine completes the group's lineup).

The group has another show booked for late June at Chicago's darkroom. Band members hope to have a seven-song record pressed and ready to distribute by then.

"The recording sessions have been awesome," Wetzel said. "We've only been playing together for about three months, but I feel like we're at a very high level right now. I can't wait for the CD to be out."

Nadler agreed.

"We just did some guitar parts, and it was a fantastic day," he said. "Everyone's excited about the songs we're doing."

In the meantime, the band is working on all the little things that bands have to do to get noticed: contacting music bloggers on the Internet, trying to book shows, hounding local radio stations. putting up fliers.

"We all have nine-to-fives right now, and it works out OK because we can practice at night," Nadler said. "But we're in this thing for the long haul. We want to see how far we can take this band."

Blane Fonda (with the Gecko Club and The Reverends)

When: Doors open at 7 p.m., Friday, May 22

Where: Clearwater Theater, 96 W. Main St., West Dundee

Cost: $8 cover

Info: (847) 836-8820

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.myspace.com/blanefonda">Blane Fonda's MySpace page</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>