The Linda Lindas Performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy” Live from the L.A. Public Library Goes Viral

The Linda Lindas aren’t staying quiet at the public library…

The all-girl Asian-American and Latinx punk rock band from Los Angeles have released the video of their epic performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy” live from the L.A. Public Library.

The Linda Lindas

The group, comprised of Bela Salazar (16, guitarist-singer), Eloise Wong (13, bassist-singer), Lucia de la Garza (14, guitarist-singer), and Mila de la Garza (10, drummer-singer), has turned the clip into a cause célèbre that has landed them more than 840,000 views and, reportedly, a deal with legendary punk label Epitaph Records.

In the video for their song “Racist, Sexist Boy” that blew up on YouTube recently, Mila and Eloise talk about how the song was inspired by an experience with racism at their school.

“A little while before we went into lockdown, a boy in my class came up to me and said that his dad told him to stay away from Chinese people,” Mila said in the video. “After I told him that I was Chinese, he backed away from me. Eloise and I wrote this song based on that experience.”

With their ebullient mix of Sleater-Kinney/Bikini Kill power and an obvious homage to punk gods the Ramones in their stage names, the mighty quartet have already made significant waves at a young age, opening for Best Coast and Bikini Kill since forming in 2018.

Their Bandcamp page describes them as “half Asian / half Latinx. Two sisters, a cousin, and their close friend. The Linda Lindas channel the spirit of original punk, power pop, and new wave through today’s ears, eyes, and minds.”

The two singles and EP for sale on the band’s page were produced and mixed by Grammy-winning producer Carlos de la Garza, who also happens to be Mila’s dad. Together for three years, in an interview during the library set, they cited Paramore, Blondie, That Dog, Sleater-Kinney, Jawbreaker, the Buzzcocks, Alice Bag, Phranc, Le Tigre, Best Coast, Snail Mail, Bleached and the Go-Gos, as well as tacos, as their biggest inspirations.

After the video of the performance — as part of the library’s AAPI Heritage Month celebration — blew up, the group earned co-signs from a number of prominent rockers, including Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, as well as the Silversun Pickups, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and former Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore.

 

Check out the full set here, which includes their original songs “Claudia Kishi” (for the 2020 Netflix short doc about the Japanese-American character from The Baby-Sitters Club), a track about missing their friends during the pandemic (“Missing“), as well as the poppy rave-up “Never Say Never,” a song about the guitarist Bela’s cat (“Monica“), the bouncy original “No Clue” and covers of Bikini Kill’s iconic Riot Grrrl anthem “Rebel Girl” and The Muffs‘ “Big Mouth.”

Armisen to Serve as Band Leader on the new “Late Night with Seth Meyers”

Fred Armisen is the leader of the band…

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star has been named the new bandleader on the new Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Fred Armisen

Meyers, Armisen’s SNL cast mate for several seasons, just tweeted the announcement.

Armisen, a talented drummer – as evidenced in the video clip below – currently stars on IFC’s sketch series Portlandia opposite fellow musician Carrie Brownstein, who fronted the rock band Sleater-Kinney.

Armisen “will curate and lead the band, and continue to run it even when he’s off shooting Portlandia,” announced Meyers on his Twitter page.

Meyers’ Late Night will make its big debut on February 24.

Armisen to Direct a Kings of Leon Concert for American Express Unstaged

Fred Armisen is preparing to work with music royalty

The 46-year-old half-Venezuelan actor/comedian and former Saturday Night Live star is set to direct a Kings of Leon show next month for the American Express Unstaged series, according to the Associated Press.

Fred Armisen

The Portlandia star, who recently ended his SNL run after 11 years, has previously directed music videos and is himself a drummer and musician.

Armisen wrapped up his SNL run as his memorable punk character Ian Rubbish along with former Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols and former Sleater-Kinney guitarist and vocalist (and his Portlandia co-star) Carrie Brownstein, among others.

The Kings of Leon concert will take place on August 9th at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, and will be streamed by YouTube and Vevo.

It will mark the 13th entry in the American Express Unstaged series; the series’ last show featured Steve Buscemi directing Vampire Weekend, which had Armisen open as Ian Rubbish.

Kings of Leon’s next album, Mechanical Bull, will be out September 24th.

Armisen Back in Portlandia!

If you can’t get enough of the oh-so-hilarious Fred Armisen, you’re in luck.

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan Saturday Night Live cast member will pull double-duty this season. Along with appearing on SNL, he’ll be starring once again on the sketch comedy show, Portlandia, which premieres on IFC this Friday, January 6.

Fred Armisen

Armisen sat down with Jimmy Fallon on Late Night on Thursday night totalk about Portlandia’s upcoming second season.

“I invited people from Sleater-Kinney to an SNL after party and I just met her and we just hit it off, and we became instant friends,” said Armisen when asked how he’d teamed up with his Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein, who was a member of the band Sleater-Kinney.

Armisen added that the show has been well received by Portland, where the filming takes place.

“I was going to the movies, and this girl came out and just handed me a huge loaf of bread, he said. “They couldn’t be nicer about it.”

But Armisen and Fallon, an SNL alumnus, couldn’t help but cut-up on the air.

Fallon even busted out his Morissey imitation, and Armisen joins in. They then broke out two guitars to do a version of Elvis Costello singing “Happy Birthday.”