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Yes, French Cassettes is a young band. Three of its members are still in high school.

And yes, the group comes from a small town: Ripon, pop. 14,000.

But none of that is important, despite what hipsters and the media may say. They’ll pigeonhole the band as a novelty if they decide it’s too young or from too small a city.

All that should matter is the music — and French Cassettes has an intense indie rock sound that’s worth hearing.

You can check out the band during its EP release show at 8 p.m. Feb. 22 at Cafe Deva, 1202 J St., Modesto. Rademacher and Jupiter is Useless also are on the bill. Cover is $5.

The band’s music is complex and demands the listener’s full attention. “O Sophia (part 2)” is twisting, dark and firmly set in the rhythms of bassist Daniel Carrico, 17, and drummer Ben Isganitis, 20. The song reaches a crashing crescendo, then calms as lead singer and guitarist Scott Huerta, 17, passionately pleads “Hallelujah/we scream louder/hallelujah/hour by hour.”

On “Horror Films,” Huerta and guitarist and keyboardist Mackenzie Bunch, 18, combine to create a freaky circus anthem. Bunch said French Cassettes brings a variety of influences to its music, ranging from salsa to jazz to rock.

“It’s just listening to all different kinds of music,” he said, before Carrico finished, “and trying to make something original out of it.”

That focus on originality caught the attention of the judges and the crowd of more than 1,000 Feb. 9 at the 45th Annual Battle of the Bands at Chabot College in Hayward. It was French Cassette’s biggest show by far, and the group ended up winning over 11 other acts.

“I was nervous until they said our name and the curtain went up,” Huerta said. “It was the best show we played.”

Before the battle, the band’s largest show had been performing before about 500 students in the Ripon High School cafeteria. The group has strong ties to the school, where Carrico, Bunch and Huerta are seniors this year.

French Cassettes can trace its history back five years, when Heurta and his older brother began playing as a duo. When Huerta’s brother left for college, he was replaced by Bunch. Carrico eventually joined and Isganitis came aboard after hearing the group perform.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is awesome. I haven’t heard anything like this,’” he said. “It really drew me in. I wanted to be a part of it.”

French Cassettes played its first show outside of Ripon High last fall; today will mark the first time it headlines a bill. The band is now looking to book shows outside the Central Valley.

email: ihill@209Vibe.com