by FTA Staff | Apr 21, 2023
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last two weeks (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. Chantal [CW], Kate B [KB], Kate H [KH], Kevin [KM] and Mike [MB] weighed in on some killer songs and have the scoop on plenty of new tunes, give ’em a listen!
Angel Olsen– Forever Means. The title track from Angel Olsen’s brand new EP is a delicate song, featuring her classic lovely voice over a strummed, echoing, electric guitar. Olsen calls the song a “nod to George Harrison” and says the EP comes from questions like “What does forever really mean? What are the things Iʼm seeking in friendship or love, and how can forever be attainable if weʼre always changing?” Forever Means is out now via Jagjaguwar; Olsen will be appearing with The Strokes at Forest Hills Stadium on August 19th. [CW]
Bar Italia– Punkt. This is a seductive and slightly creepy track from the London-based indie rock trio of Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, and Sam Fenton. The song features vocals from all three of them, and it’s almost as if we’re hearing three perspectives on a love triangle (or that’s my interpretation at least). The music itself here is infectiously simple and slinky: repeated chiming guitar hook, an undulating bass line, steady mid-tempo drums. “Punkt” is the second single off Bar Italia’s forthcoming LP, Tracey Denim, out on Matador on May 19. The trio will be playing their first US shows in May as well. You can catch them in NYC at TV Eye on May 13, or at Mercury Lounge on May 15. [KB]
Bully– Hard to Love. The third single from Alicia Bognanno’s Bully is out now and sees the artist getting vulnerable. Built around a big dirty bassline, it pushes the song as the rest of the instruments settle in on top, rocketing things to a soaring alt rock banger. Lyrically, it explores some deeply personal subject matter and Bognanno, who also directed the video, shares:
Growing up never fitting into society’s constructed gender stereotypes and expectations, I often felt as though different equals bad or wrong. I was confused about my place in the world, not fully identifying with any one particular gender or sexuality. I was ashamed, and I blamed myself. Though I’m still in the process of understanding and accepting my identity, I’m glad to be surrounded by people who love and accept me for who I am regardless of the clothes I wear and the labels others use to define me.
Lucky For You releases in full on 6/2 via SubPop. Bully will be in NYC at Racket on 6/6. [KH]
C.O.F.F.I.N– Cut You Off. The long running, hard rocking punk n rollers from Down Under have a brand new single—their first release for Goner Records—as well as a new album on the way (release date tba). The song finds them in the brash and brawny sonic territory they are known for with singer/drummer Ben Portnoy’s signature growl trading off the spotlight with red hot lead guitar licks. Portnoy also directed the video. The band will appear at Goner Fest 20 in Memphis this September; I may or may not be currently saving up for a plane ticket. [KH]
Cosmic Kitten– Songbird. The latest single from Laugh of A Lifetime (their fourth LP, not counting cover albums) is a mid-tempo, thoughtful track, which according to the band is about the struggle of expressing emotions and using art as a medium to communicate. Cosmic Kitten are well known for their harder grunge tunes, but this song shows they are adept at taking it a bit easy as well and ends in a gorgeous melodic guitar solo. Laugh of A Lifetime will be self-released on May 5th. [CW]
cumgirl8– cicciolina. The NYC based post punk quartet has been making waves both on the music scene and in the fashion world over the last few years, along with hosting their own talk show, and have now signed to 4AD, releasing their first single for the venerable indie label this week. Paying tribute to Italian porn star turned politician, Ilona Staller aka Cicciolina, the band shares:
Cicciolina is an Italian icon, porn star and former politician that was elected to parliament in the 90s. She advocated for human rights and the eradication of nuclear weapons. Cicciolina said “make sex not war” and used her divine power of femininity to troll the status quo while disrupting it from the inside. We feel her ideals are foundational to the cumgirl8 philosophy of subversive change, peace, and strength in vulnerability. We hope she loves our song, we love her very much. Cicciolina is cumgirl1.
The song itself is a hazy post punk romp, a style the band has perfected well over the last few years in dingy DIY spots and dive bars around Brooklyn. The video sees the various band members dancing in some scenes, portraying Cicciolina herself as a “video game version” of the iconic figure in others, wreaking havoc on parliamentary proceedings. The band will soon embark on a tour of the UK and Europe before joining Le Tigre for a few dates on their summer tour in the US. [KH]
Elisapie– Taimangalimaaq (Time After Time cover). The Inuk artist, Elisapie, recently released a stunning version of the Blondie classic “Heart of Glass,” taking it from its original disco roots to a contemplative folk song, singing the lyrics entirely in the Indigenous language, Inuktitut. A full covers album, Inuktitut, has now been revealed with the artist sharing on Bandcamp:
Inuktitut is Elisapie’s fourth solo effort. It’s a covers album that sprouted in the artist’s mind in the winter of 2021, when songs by artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica, Queen, and Cyndi Lauper, whose music once took over the community radio airwaves throughout Nunavik, Northern Quebec, triggered a flood of tears. Many of these songs were an escape as the community and cultural references were being challenged by colonization. Elisapie began a mental archaeological process: finding songs associated with emotional memories and people from her past. She followed that with a second, more prosaic quest. She sought the permission of the original artists to translate and adapt the songs that are now on this album.
Elisapie reinvigorates the poetry of these 10 songs thanks to the raw sounds of the thousand-year-old Inuit language and gives each track a unique and deeply personal quality. The tracks range from rock & roll and pop classics from the 1960’s to the 90’s. Every song is linked to a loved one or an intimate story that has shaped the person Elisapie is today. Through this act of cultural reappropriation, she tells her story, offers these songs as a gift to her community, and makes her language and culture resonate beyond the Inuit territory.
Like the previous single, this version of the Cyndi Lauper classic transforms the era defining new wave song into Elisapie’s own, both musically and lyrically, and has again revealed an entirely new way of listening to a song I thought I knew so well. The album releases in full on 9/15 and she will tour extensively in Canada throughout 2023 into 2024. Pre-orders are available now via Bonsound. [KH]
Josie Cotton– Painting In Blood. Inspired by iconic film composer Ennio Morricone – particularly his work in Giallo movies – “Painting In Blood” evokes those films with a go-go club beat, organs, and surfy guitar, not to mention lyrics like “the naked truth is she’s in stranger danger / he’s a murderer / she’s overacting / the room is spinning / the knife is glinting.” Cotton’s new album Day Of The Gun will be out May 2nd on Kitten Robot Records. [CW]
Joudy– Tail End. NYC heavy psych-grunge outfit, Joudy (pronounced “Howdy”) just dropped the lead single off their forthcoming release and US debut Destroy all Monsters (out via Trash Casual June 2023). Hailing originally from the mountains of Los Andes, Venezuela, cousins Diego Ramirez (Vocals/Guitar), Gabriel Gavidia (Bass) and Hulrich Navas (Drums) are known for their wildly volatile live-stage performances. Though much of that storm often exists tamped down to simmer just below the surface. Reminiscent at times of early Highly Suspect, “Tail End” shows that expertly controlled restraint as its beat ambles and lumbers at a slow chop beneath wonderfully ugly guitar lines that build around a densely focused and soaring lyrical delivery.
The band, displaced by political unrest in their home country, tells Wonderland Magazine that the new record “marries their history with the impossible challenges they’ve overcome both personally and professionally.” If the new single is any indicator, we will be clenching our fists and grinding our teeth in seething anticipation of this summer release. [MB]
Junior Bill– Teeth. Earlier this year, the UK based project of Welsh songwriter Robert Nichols released the insanely catchy “Boys From Jungle” (read our thoughts) and now are back with a more laid back offering, a groovy dub soaked track that tells the tale of a “lonely, isolated society where sugar passes for joy and life stays stagnant around a tiny cul-de-sac in post-Brexit Britain.” The song comes paired with a video that compliments the song nicely, hitting the mood and feel of the track, giant lips and teeth framing various scenes of vintage every day life footage, stop motion animation and more to weave the narrative of the song into a visual reality. This is the third single from the upcoming debut album, Youth Club! due out later this year. [KH]
The Linda Lindas– Too Many Things. The teenage powerhouses strike again with yet another incredibly catchy power pop song with a punk aesthetic. You’ll want to jump around to the chugging guitar riffs as the girls lament about the many overwhelming emotions that are a part of coming of age (perhaps especially when you’re going through adolescence as a rock star). The lyrics reflect the longing to stay a kid while all the shifts of growing up are happening so fast: “What would happen if we all stayed the same / now I’ve changed but everything’s still out of place.” This is the first single released by The Linda Lindas since their much-lauded full-length debut record in 2022, Growing Up (Epitaph Records) and they celebrated by rocking Coachella. They plan to tour extensively through the summer, you know, after school’s out. [KB]
Mandy, Indiana– Peach Fuzz. The singles from Mandy, Indiana’s i’ve seen a way continue to surprise and befuddle me in the best way. You can dance to this music, but you could also contemplate it alone in the dark in your bedroom. Even the visualizer video for “Peach Fuzz” is hypnotic—what is that strange little tentacle thing that keeps appearing at the bottom of the screen? “We are told yes, we are told no / They take us for idiots / We go around in circles.” Valentine Caulfield sings (albeit in French.) Layers, man. The new album will be out on Fire Talk Records May 19th. [CW]
Miranda and The Beat– Concrete. The video (featuring an intro from the 1959 version of House On Haunted Hill) may be more suited to Halloween, but this upbeat dance-punk offering from Cali-turned-Brooklyn rockers is primed and ready for summer, and serves as counterpoint to the more soulful first single “Sweat.” Their s/t debut (produced by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s) is out on King Khan’s Khannibalism and Ernest Jenning Record Co. on May 26th. [CW]
Monarch– No Vacancy. Leave it to a band of punks from the Hudson Valley to bring sultry lounge cool back to NYC. They just dropped new live track single “No Vacancy,” and it’s got all the chops of a jazz ensemble sidled by an indie-pop smoothness that you’re probably not quite ready to handle. Donning dapper colors and immersed in a velvet elegance, the quartet led by Sarah Hartstein’s powerful pipes, plays straight to Nick Pappalardo’s masterful guitar work settled against the rhythmic foundation laid by Alex Alfaro (drums) and Oswalt Jenters (bass). Think Fiona Apple meets Amy Winehouse, and you’d be getting warm. They’ve been packing dark clubs more and more all over the city so make sure you’re keeping up and don’t sleep on getting to a show. [MB]
The Murlocs– Undone and Unashamed. The tireless Aussie group return this week with the latest single from their upcoming album Calm Ya Farm (out 5/19 ATO Records). Hot on the heels of the first album single “Initiative,” “Undone” finds Ambrose Kenny-Smith and the gang rockin’ out to an upbeat honky-tonk jammer. The track, written by keyboardist Tim Karmouche, not only sports some great guitar work but also a sax solo from Kenny-Smith. And check out the gravity defying video with a down on his luck couch potato who’s clearly undone and unashamed. [KM]
Panchiko– Portraits. “Portraits” is a math rock song turned on its head, becoming a soft, glitchy, fuzzy tune that glides along while also throwing angles into the mix. The band says the track is “based around the thought that each of us is the culmination of the generations that precedes us. Every experience and encounter shapes us and adds to our story,” and the accompanying video from animator Shunsaku Hayashi completes the picture. Panchiko will be in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on May 30th (sold out) and May 31st; Failed At Maths will be out May 5th. [CW]
Snõõper– Pod. Snõõper blend garage rock and art punk into a fast paced mix on this lead single from their upcoming debut LP, Super Snõõper. Singer Blair Tramel notes the track stems from the anxieties of forming “‘pods” during the pandemic, and it certainly is a nervous feeling song, with high energy guitar and frenetic vocals, proving in a bit less than two minutes their claim they are a band who “in a 33 ⅓ RPM world, make 45 RPM music they play at 78 RPM.” Super Snõõper will be out via Third Man Records on July 14th and has already earned advance praise from none other than Henry Rollins who said “Speaking selfishly, I want Snõõper to hurry up and make another album. Super Snõõper is a really cool record.” [CW]
Squid– Undergrowth. This week, Squid released their latest single “Undergrowth” from their upcoming sophomore album, Monolith (Warp). The follow up to “Swing (In A Dream)”, “Undergrowth” finds the guys in Squid contemplating reincarnation but as an inanimate object such as a bedside table and what a colossal disappointment that would be. The track, which was accompanied by a video game release, is a heady mix of dub bass over mid-tempo beats, Ollie Judge’s sing-speak delivery, plucky guitars, blasts of brass and synths, all of which culminate in a bell ringing, orchestral ending. [KM]
The Dog Indiana– LOAF. The Vancouver based band recently released a new album, Burnt Ends, which I loved and included on my April Bandcamp Friday picks. A video has now been released for the lead single, “LOAF,” and it’s got a really trippy, psychedelic feel (and maybe some UFOs along the way). Read our review of the album and watch the vid below. [KH]
Tinariwen– Kek Alghalm. This latest single and opening track from the upcoming Amatssou is both meditative and upbeat, buoyed by a simple yet bouncy bassline. But it’s not all smiles here: the song is a plea for unity among the Tuareg tribes: “Why so much silence, all over the world / Only spilt blood / Only brave men killed.” A live favorite, the recorded version here features Wes Corbett on banjo. Catch Tinariwen yourself at Webster Hall on June 5th. [CW]
Ugli– Crybabi. As if we needed yet another reason to love Philadelphia’s Ugli, they just released the first single from their forthcoming EP girldick. It’s the first new music from the band in what seems like forever so we couldn’t be more excited for it to drop just in time for this warm weather weekend. The Philly alt-grunge quartet, fronted by Dylyn Durante and grown out of the DIY punk ethos of the Philadelphia house scene, delivers the “type of song that made you fall in love with bands like Weezer and The Pixies. It’s hook after hook and it never lets up.” Durante’s powerful voice lands somewhere between Kim Shattuck and Justin Hawkins, and the band’s perfect execution of loud-quiet-loud harkens backs to the type of authentic quirky dissonance and controlled chaos guitar-pop that hasn’t been heard since the days of The Muffs and Presidents of the United States of America. In less than three short minutes, “Crybabi” will swaddle you up in it’s ragged edges, blow out your speakers, and leave you screaming it’s always Ugli in Philadelphia.
by FTA Staff | Nov 18, 2022
Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last week(ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week Kate and Mike weighed in on some killer songs— give ’em a listen!
And though we can’t possibly cover all the music that is released each week (we wish!), we do get to as many songs as we can. As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so and check back every Friday for more:
Black Belt Eagle Scout– My Blood Runs Through This Land. Black Belt Eagle Scout is the project of Swinomish, Indian Tribal Community-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul and follows the recent single, “Don’t Give Up.” This stunning track builds upon that first song and leads us further on Paul’s journey, the gauzy vocals the perfect counter point to the grit of the guitars. Both songs are part of the just announced The Land, The Water, The Sky (2/10/23 Saddle Creek) which she calls a “love letter to Indigenous strength and healing, and a story of hope,” adding that she created the album “to record and reflect upon my journey back to my homelands and the challenges and the happiness it brought.” [KH]
Chat Pile– Tenkiller. The heavy Oklahoma band and noted cinephiles have released the soundtrack to a new film Tenkiller which also features the band’s very own Raygun Busch. This follows their own album God’s Country and will see the band enter some experimental territory for them on which they note: “The music we made for Tenkiller is quite a bit different than what you may come to expect from us. We were given the freedom to really experiment and explore territories that we’ve never done before.” Adding “It’s not going to be for everyone, but we hope some of you connect with what we set out to do.” [KH]
Death Valley Girls– What Are The Odds. The groovy LA garage foursome have announced a brand new album Islands in the Sky (2/24/23 Suicide Squeeze) and released the infectious first single “What Are The Odds.” Singer/guitarist Bonnie Bloomgarden elaborated on the track saying: “When we wrote ‘I’m A Man Too’ we were trying to revisit No Doubt’s ‘I’m Just A Girl’ but through a new lens. ‘What Are The Odds’ is in the same way an investigation /revisitation of Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ but with a DVG spin. We love to think about consciousness, and existence, and we very much believe in some type of reincarnation, but also that this experience isn’t linear, there isn’t a past and future, there’s something else going on! What is it? Is it a simulation, are we simulated girls??!” We are definitely intrigued to hear what else lies in store on the new album. Check out our coverage of their recent TV Eye show. [KH]
Fake Names– Delete Myself. Fake Names is the super group of supergroups with the members coming together after stints in legendary groups like The Refused, Bad Religion, Minor Threat, International Noise Conspiracy, Embrace, Girls Against Boys, and Fugazi (and that’s not even all of them) which is one hell of a pedigree! Their newest release “Delete Myself,” is a speedy little post-punk tune that shows off the band’s great power pop sensibilities, with guitarist Brian Baker saying “In general, Dennis [Lyxzén] writes about revolution, and Michael [Hampton] and I write pop songs. I’m amazed at how it works, but somehow it strikes the right balance of salty and sweet.”
This song is the first single from their just announced second album, Expendables, due out 3/3/23 (Epitaph). The band will embark on a short tour in April to support the album, making a stop at TV Eye on 4/14. [MB]
Fucked Up– Found. The second single from One Day, the upcoming album by the epic hardcore greats, this one confronts the negative legacy of colonization and the poison of modern day gentrification head on. Read more about it here. [KH]
Guts Club– The Gun Collector. Bring on the fuckin doom! That’s exactly what the doom gaze trio has done yet again, with another 10 minute opus full of the relentlessness that makes this band so great. This second single from their upcoming album Cliffs/Walls builds directly from the previously released title track and leads us through another winding maze of anguish and emotion with walls of swelling feedback pummeling you from all sides. Indeed, the work feels like a cohesive statement and not just a group of songs lumped together. The band elaborated on their Bandcamp saying the album was “recorded live in (mostly) one take. The music is very intuitive and we hoped a live recording would better reflect that primitive intensity rather than multi-tracked studio magic.”
Via a press release the band additionally said the song is “a reflection on grief and how we navigate a world overflowing with extreme loss and devastation. Intensely crushing, yet strangely mediative, the track is a refreshing take on the doom genre” and I’m inclined to agree. There’s a nuance and grace here that is not always present in many doom songs, but Guts Club effortlessly pulls it off while remaining true to the heavy, dirge-like roots of the genre. [KH]
H. Hawkline– Milk For Flowers. The project of Welsh song writer Huw Evans (and frequent Aldous Harding/Cate LeBon collaborator) has announced a new album, Milk For Flowers, and released the bouncy piano driven title track. The album will see full release on 3/10/23 via Heavenly and Hawkline will tour in 2023 to support of the album but only in the UK and Europe for now. Having caught his Webster Hall show with Aldous Harding a few months back, I’m definitely keen to see him play in the States again. (He is also a graphic designer and gifted me a beautiful hand printed linocut at the show, see more of his visual art on his website and albums.) [KH]
The Linda Lindas– Groovy Xmas. The LA teen punks released a new track just in time for the holidays. It’s a feel-good sugarplum soaked in harmony and spiked with sleigh bells (and cowbell). The teens deliver a power chord punch of classic Christmas references that will warm your belly like the cinnamon hot toddy they aren’t even old enough yet to drink. [MB]
Maraschino– Hi Desire. Catchy as hell dance pop that owes a debt to the Material Girl (who I unabashedly love), the airy vocals and infectious beat recall the new wave bops of the 1980s. This one will make you want to groove no matter where you are—the club or your morning commute—and before you know it, your head will be bobbing and your feet moving. [KH]
Megadose– Hey 911. The song begins and we are immediately greeted with the line “This country’s lost its mind, what do you say to that?” and sadly, I say you can’t argue with that. In this sweet power pop number the song and the band “offers a winking retrospective on the ironies born of experiencing global trauma, a stunted political uprising, and too much time by yourself. The song paints a picture of the spasmodic confusion, triumph, and disarray spanning not only Seattle’s Summer 2020, but the fragility and absurdity of life itself.” Their press release says “for fans of Jonathan Richman and K Records” and I’d say that feels pretty damn spot on. This is the second single from the groups upcoming album, Heating Up, which is due out 1/23/23. [KH]
R. Ring– Still Life. This is the first single from War Poems/We Rested, the new album just announced by the group—which features Kelley Deal (The Breeders) and Mike Montgomery (Ampline)—and if there is a Deal twin involved with a project, you can pretty much sign me right up for being already on board. But even without one of the members playing in one of my all time favorite bands, this song is still something I’d love, a poppy alt rock commentary on addiction with a cool collage stop motion video reflecting the theme also making pointed commentary not just on how we abuse/use substances to cope with discontent, but social media too.
It’s nice to see Kelley Deal take the lead vocal role here as she mostly does backing vocals in The Breeders (and other projects she contributes to) and she elaborated on the song saying “It’s possible, sometimes, through substance abuse or self delusion, to exist in a realm of altered reality, where you imagine your life to be a delicious bowl of fresh fruit. When you finally wipe the haze off the mirror, you see through more sobered eyes that the fruit is rotting and the bowl is full of worms.” War Poems/We Rested will release in full on 1/27/23 via Don Giovanni. [KH]
Ron Gallo– Foreground Music. With this fuzzed out garage pop song Gallo begs the question “How can you be alive in 2022 and not be anxious?” I really wish I knew the answer to that, but at least I can have a good sound track to my existential dread from this very astute and clever songwriter. Though sugar coated, Gallo doesn’t mince words as he questions many of the poisons that haunt us (and make us so damn anxiety ridden) on a daily basis including overconsumption.
This is the first single and title track from his just announced new album, which promises to take us on a journey as Gallo “screams at the developers turning neighborhoods into unremarkable AirBnB advertisements, corporate overlords deciding how much music costs, and extremists hellbent on bringing forth an apocalypse of racial and civil destruction.” The album will released in full on 3/3/23 via Kill Rock Stars and a tour in support of the album will follow, hitting Brooklyn on 4/6 at Baby’s All Right. I am predicting the future here, but I’m confident in saying just based on this first track alone that this album will find its way onto many best of lists for 2023, including mine. [KH]
Sarchasm– Good News. Open your eyes and it’s Y2K all over again. The long running Bay Area band makes music that harkens back to those halcyon days and certainly stirs up plenty of memories. Think where Weston would intersect Pinhead Gunpowder, the just-serious-enough-but-too-serious pop punk song, “Good News,” is catchy tune to make you think about the scary state of the world while you catch a few waves at the beach. This is the second single from their upcoming final album, Conditional Love (12/2 Asian Man). They have a few more shows left and then this band will be but a fond memory, much like our salad days of the early aughts. [MB]
shame– Fingers of Steel. The latest track by the UK based post punk quintet has a loose groove that is tied tightly together by some really cool melody-work. At times overtly rhapsodic, other times vaguely Dalrympian in its delivery. The angular guitar work serves to subdue the song’s percussive intensity. It’s obvious shame makes music for them, and everyone else just happens to be on board.
This is the first single from their just announced album, Food for Worms, out 2/24/23 (Dead Oceans). The band will embark on a lengthy tour to support the album, first crisscrossing the UK and Europe before coming to the States in May, hitting Brooklyn on 5/14/23 at Warsaw. [MB]
TVOD– Goldfish. The third in a trio of new singles from TVOD, we love everything the rowdy BK collective has to offer. Read more about the new song here [MB]
Weird Nightmare– So Far Gone. I’m a huge fan of Alex Edkins’ main project, Metz, and love every ounce of noise they make. Weird Nightmare is pretty far removed from that sonically and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the other side of his songwriting via this new project because wow does he have some power pop chops too. This one is catchy gem of a song with a fuzzy bass line high up in the mix (which I personally really love), sweet harmonies and infectious, layered guitar work for an all around slice of power pop perfection. This one is a stand alone single which follows his excellent self titled debut album released earlier this year. [KH]
by Ray Rusinak | Jul 27, 2022
The Linda Lindas at Bowery Ballroom (photo by Ray Rusinak)
I have seen the future of rock and roll, and it’s called The Linda Lindas!
Of course the basis of that quote was written almost 50 years ago about a 25 year old “kid” from New Jersey. That “kid” is now selling tickets to his upcoming tour for multiple 4 figures. The Linda Lindas on the other hand, played Bowery Ballroom on Monday night with a ticket price of $20. Oh, and The Linda Lindas are legitimate KIDS too. Ranging in age from 11 through 17, the young girls from LA put on a show which, if nothing else, reminded us elders as to what rock and roll is supposed to be all about, something that skinny dude from the Jersey Shore did back in ’74. I left Bowery on Monday night absolutely speechless and completely bowled over as to what I’d just witnessed. Which was, on the surface, four girls from Los Angeles spending their summer vacation in front of packed concert halls and clubs, on stage playing their hearts out and having an absolute blast in doing so. But it was so much more than that.
I first learned of The Linda Lindas last year when their video of “Racist, Sexist Boy” which was shot at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral. Upon seeing it, I knew immediately that this band had “it” and I would need to see them if and whenever A) Covid ever ended and B) they were old enough to tour. Well imagine how stoked I was when I discovered they were added as an opener to play at Jawbreakers‘s Irving Plaza shows in earlier this year (see our coverage of night one). I already had tickets for one of these shows so the punk rock gods were surely looking down on me. Well suffice it to say, those very same gods must have gone on vacation because the week of those shows at Irving Plaza I came down with Covid and had to miss them. The band also scheduled their own headlining show at Mercury Lounge on an off day during that run which I obviously couldn’t make either (see our coverage). DAMN YOU COVID!
The Linda Lindas “Racist, Sexist Boy”
The band was next scheduled to play a handful of festivals during their summer break from school during which they were able to fit in a club show here and there. One night at Music Hall of Williamsburg and one at Bowery Ballroom, two perfect rooms. As fate would have it, due to a scheduling conflict I couldn’t make the MHOW show. Then Covid reared its ugly head once again and the Bowery show was postponed and the MHOW show ultimately moved to October due to someone in the touring party testing positive. Fortunately the Bowery Ballroom show was able to proceed a little less than a week after the original date.
Which brings us to Monday evening. Knowing Bowery doesn’t have a designated photo pit, I decided to arrive early to stake out a spot at the stage. I immediately felt guilty when I saw that I was surrounded by a significant amount of pre teen girls pining for The Lindas. I would ultimately stay up front for only the first three songs, abdicating my spot to more deserving kids. I, of course, was well aware that this was an all ages show, but I was truly surprised to see the multitude of kids (with parents in tow) in the crowd. It was quite awesome to see.
The band hit the stage right on cue at 8:30 with the perfect opener: “Growing Up,” the title track to their debut album. The tune absolutely set the tone for the entire evening with the band jumping, dancing, laughing, smiling and camping it up all while singing the apropos lyrics:
We’ll dance like nobody’s there
We’ll dance without any cares
We’ll talk bout problems we share
We’ll talk bout things that ain’t fair
We’ll sing bout things we don’t know
We’ll sing to people and show
What it means to be young
And growing up.
The Linda Lindas
And of course each and every kid in the audience sang every word right along with the band, all the while capturing the video on a multitude of smartphones. It’s kind of funny, normally the abundance of cell phones capturing each and every moment of a show will annoy me. But for this band, this night and this audience, it seemed right. This after all was the Tik Tok generation and to this boomer, it all seemed spot on.
I was completely mesmerized by the proficiency each of the band members had with their perspective instruments. These teens have CHOPS! and talent beyond their years, not to mention socially mature as well. For a bunch of young teens to stand on stage in front of a packed club and not only perform masterfully, but to also be able to communicate intelligently and coherently to the crowd between songs is something that any parent would be incredibly proud of. Sure there was the teenage giggling and “teens being teens” moments, but that just added to the charm of The Linda Lindas stage persona.
I honestly can’t say it enough: between Bela (guitar), Mila (drums), Eloise (bass), and Lucia (guitar), each and every one of these girls was having a blast on stage. They were living their dream and sharing it with countless young girls in the audience who were likewise having the times of their lives watching their peers onstage. They so wonderfully prove that there is a place where young kids can be themselves, can do what they want, have fantastic time doing it and most importantly, succeed in doing so. Getting to see this in real time was so refreshing.
The Linda Lindas
All that being said, I can’t help but think that this was much more than just a concert. The 16 song set included everything from both the Linda Lindas EP as well as Growing Up in addition to their cover of The Go Go’s hit “Tonight” which after playing it in their live sets for quite some time now, the band finally released a studio version of it this week. The Go Go’s are obviously a big influence on The Linda Lindas; they’ve borrowed heavily from that Go Go sound and honestly built on it quite effectively. I’d like to add that I was lucky enough to have seen The Go Go’s at their first NYC show at the Mudd Club back in 1980. And while The Go Go’s were already in their early to mid 20’s at that time, The Linda Lindas are already light years ahead of where their predecessors were in terms of chops and musicianship.
The Linda Lindas “Tonite” (Go Go’s Cover)
The closing tune of the evening was another cover, this time Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl” during which the band was joined on stage by the members of opening band, Bacchae. This is another tune which has been a staple of the Lindas’ live set for some time now but despite having seen YouTube videos of it, I was not even remotely prepared for how powerful it would prove to be as the closing number in person. With the stage packed with all of these strong, confident, and talented young women screaming the iconic lines “Rebel girl! Rebel girl! Rebel girl you are the queen of my world!” one couldn’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, this next generation might be equipped to fix this mess of a world to which we are leaving them. Which brings to mind another lyric of The Linda Lindas from their aforementioned hit song “Racist, Sexist Boy” which reads “we rebuild what you destroy.”
Leaving Bowery Ballroom on Monday night, this aging boomer couldn’t help but feel a tinge of optimism that the state of rock and roll and maybe/hopefully society in general is in much better shape than I’d previously thought.
The Linda Lindas “Rebel Girl” (Bikini Kill cover)
The Linda Lindas setlist: Growing Up, Missing You, Monica, Talking to Myself, Nino, Why, Oh!, Remember, Cuántas Veces, Fine, Tonite (Go Go’s Cover), Racist Sexist Boy, Rebel Girl (Bikini Kill cover)
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Ray Rusinak)
THE LINDA LINDAS
