Bibliographic Information:
Title: Growing Up
Creator: The Linda Lindas (Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza, and Mila de la Garza)
Label: Epitaph Records
Copyright Date: 2022
Genre: Punk
Format: CD/MP3/LP
Reading Level/Interest Level: 10+
Artists’ Background: The Linda Lindas rocketed to fame after a song they played at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral on YouTube, called “Racist, Sexist Boy” (Gottrich, 2021). But they’d been playing together for some time (they’re two sisters, their cousin, and a close friend) and were more than ready for their close-up. They performed in Amy Poehler’s Moxie and a documentary about the Babysitter’s Club character Claudia Kishi (they wrote a song about her), and were soon signed for a record deal.
Critical Evaluation: Growing Up is a mix of original songs and covers. It’s unabashedly loud and grungy, reveling in punk influences like Bikini Kill. While not all the performances are polished, they’re pretty darn good considering they’re still in their early to mid teens. The lyrics bring me to proud tears, hopeful for everything their generation will achieve, and the garbage they refuse to put up with. As they say in the song that made them famous, “we rebuild what you destroy” (Linda Lindas, n.d.).
Creative Use for a Library Program: Um, surely there’s a local girls’ band that would love to play at the library! Hopefully a local music teacher or school will have a suggestion. To complement the performance, have an activity station for making cut-out collage art inspired by the album cover.
Speed-Round Book Talk: You might have seen the Linda Lindas in their viral performance at the library. But their album is even better; it’s empowerment through both cute cats and political statements.
Reason for Inclusion: I absolutely love their confidence and take-no-prisoners attitude. It’s inspiring for teens to see other teens creating (the Linda Lindas range in age from 11 to 17), especially teens of color, so this album is a great addition to any collection. (Also, they love libraries!)
Want more? Here’s the video that made them famous:
And here’s one of the music videos from their album:
References
Gottrich, L. (May 21, 2021). What’s more punk than teens screaming in a public library? Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20210521193729/https://www.npr.org/2021/05/21/999058293/whats-more-punk-than-teens-screaming-in-a-public-library
The Linda Lindas (n.d.). Store. Retrieved from https://thelindalindas.store/
Moreland, Q. (April 27, 2022). Growing Up—The Linda Lindas [review]. Retrieved from https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-linda-lindas-growing-up/
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