The punk rock band The Linda Lindas was recently trending across Twitter because of a viral tweet praising them. This band was featured in the 2021 Netflix drama Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler and based on a book by Jennifer Mathieu.
In the feminist coming-of-age movie, the real-life band covers two iconic punk songs during a party scene where the movie’s characters were celebrating the uprising of their peer, Kiera, who is competing against the school’s resident “meat-head” for an athlete’s award.
What did The Linda Lindas sing in Moxie?
This band of young girls (ranging from ages 10 to 16, according to the band’s website) performed the song Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill, a 90s rock band. In 2019, The Linda Lindas had previously been booked as the opening act for Bikini Kill at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Reportedly, director and comedian Poehler had been at the show.
In the movie, The Linda Lindas also covered Big Mouth by The Muffs.
Who are The Linda Lindas?
Surprisingly enough, despite their young age, Moxie wasn’t the first time Netflix recognized The Linda Lindas. The band was featured in the short documentary The Claudia Kishi Club where they performed an original song named after the movie.
The Los Angeles-based garage punk band is very well-acclaimed, performing at sold-out concerts, reunion tours, and benefit shows. In addition to the three singles they have released in their two Netflix projects, the band has also released another single in 2020 encouraging people to “put up a fight” and vote. They also have a self-titled EP.
The Linda Lindas is comprised of “two sisters, a cousin, and their close friend,” named Mila, Eloise, Lucia, and Bela. They are “half Asian and half Latinx,” listed on both their website and their social media. In their music, they sing songs that align with their progressive beliefs and advocate on behalf of marginalized communities.
Their current viral moment involved the circulation of a song they wrote called Racist, Sexist Boy.
Before the song begins to play, in the circulating video, the band’s drummer says, “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.”
Continuing on, she shares, “After I told him that I was Chinese, he backed away from me. So, this is a song based on that experience.”
What are fans saying?
One of the top tweets about the band is from the account Lana Del Tarot (@lanadeltarot). They shared a video of the band, along with a link to their website. The caption reads, “This band is called “The Linda Lindas” and I’m a fan now. They got the vibes right. They’re gonna go far.”
In less than 24 hours, the tweet has accumulated over 5,000 retweets and 23K likes. Comments underneath the post express that the band’s music and transparency remind them of punk bands from the 90s. Others are drawing comparisons between The Linda Lindas and the Sex Bob-oms from the movie Scott Pilgrim.
Another tweet reads, “I saw the Linda Lindas supporting Bikini Kill in 2019 and they were great. Very delighted to see them trending today. In a library, no less! Get it, girls!”
Activist Jim Stewartson retweeted the video and highlighted some of the lyrics from the song. They wrote, “The drummer has a Bikini Kill shirt on. “You are a racist, sexist boy. We rebuild what you destroy.” The kids are alright.”
The Linda Lindas’ music can be streamed on major music platforms.