The Neutral Zone, Ann Arbor’s teen center, has nurtured many teen bands in the past. From hard-rocking punk bands like the Echoes to nerdy funk-rock bands like Sole Transit, The Neutral Zone’s B-side has seen it all. Well, almost. Isaac Scobey-Thal and Oren Levin, two sophomores at Community High, are bringing what it has been missing all these years: Mellow, acoustic tunes that just make listeners want to close their eyes and enjoy the goosebumps.

Scobey-Thal and Levin first met at Burns Park Elementary, but it was not until middle school that they truly bonded and formed a band. After playing a few times together, they realized that they had not only personal chemistry, but musical chemistry as well. It’s that moment when you’re jamming with someone and you just know that this person is the one…that you want to be in a band with.

When they finally decided to become a group, they set up a show at the Commstock Fundraiser at the B-side. After delivering a ”whoop” in the middle of the song performance, they knew that this was an opportunity that they did not want to go to waste. They have played at several B-side shows since.

They started off like most groups do—by playing covers. They played songs like “This Boy” by The Beatles and “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry before writing songs of their own. At their first show, they debuted some of their original songs to an eager audience. It was clear that they have a unique sound that is greatly attributed to their diverse musical backgrounds.

Levin’s current biggest influences are John Mayer and Theo Katzman, a local musician who taught Oren before he moved to New York.

Isaac’s influences are Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and oddly enough, the Strokes. Scobey-Thal and Levin’s backgrounds are obviously different, but they have definite chemistry, stemming from mutual love for the Beatles.

As of now, Isaac and Oren remains Scobey-Thal and Levin: an acoustic duo. But there is talk of big plans in the future that could take this city by storm. They are thinking about forming a full band: bass, drums, and maybe even horns to really make an impression on their audience. Even though this is only in the brainstorming stages, they continue to wow student audiences and make those student’s parents go “Those kids are really talented!”

This group is a supergroup. Well, as much of a supergroup as two high school sophomores in Community can be. A supergroup is defined as a group of musicians who have already had a claim to fame in another band or individually. Of course, these are just high schoolers we are talking about, but hear me out.

Oren has been playing music almost all of his life, and when he sits down at a piano, you can tell. Blues licks ooze out of his fingers on the keyboard and it makes me go limp. Isaac has been singing “ma’ whole life” and when he belts it into the microphone, it makes listeners need to sit down. It is the natural talent of these two whippersnappers that leads me to believe that Isaac and Oren is in fact, a supergroup.

Local teen bands come and go but it isn’t too often that a band really makes a splash. Ever since the graduation of the class of 2011, the local music scene hasn’t been nearly as hype. The Bside attendance dropped as well as the number of bands performing there. Ann Arbor has been waiting for an underclassmen teen band to come and sweep everyone off of their feet and I think if anyone is to do it, it’s Isaac and Oren. They are two peach-faced underclassmen who are hard not to love. They play good, accessible music and they do it right. Be on the lookout for any of their upcoming shows so they can be given the attention that they rightfully deserve.