BACK TO SCHOOLDAYS

One of L.A.’s most intriguing new acts has been put on hold, at least temporarily, while the two front members head East to attend college. Speakeasy, in which Ry Cooder and his percussionist son Joachim back singing sisters Juliette and Carla Commagere, made a strong demo tape of dreamy pop songs (including a rippling Afro-Anglo version of the folk song “She Moved Through the Fair”) with producer Alan Elliot.

But with school registration beckoning and DreamWorks Records, which financed the demo sessions, still deciding whether to offer a full record deal, the Commageres (who had attended Crossroads High School in Santa Monica with the young Cooder) chose the academic path. However, this isn’t like the sports world where starting college prohibits pro contract negotiations, and the group will likely reconvene if DreamWorks either moves forward or officially passes and another company offers a deal.