Girl in a Coma

Phanie D and Jenn Alva tried starting a band back in 1993, when they were still in junior high school. That didn't work out. The pair had to wait until Phanie's little sister, Nina Diaz, got out of elementary school in 2001 to try again. By then, Nina had had a couple of years of guitar lessons from Phanie and a head full of rock music. Phanie moved over to drums, leaving Nina alone on guitar and vocals, and Girl in a Coma was born. The group is a mix between Björk and Patsy Cline, only with less feather and fewer sequins. They took their name -- and much of their sound -- from the Smiths, but their spunk is all their own. The San Antonio trio has toured the country several times and even managed to cross the pond for a couple of European stops. They ran into Joan Jett along the way and are in talks to release a CD through Jett's Blackheart label. Rainman Suite and the Randies are also on the bill.