What Was the Inspiration for Blue Hearts Linda Linda
Last week, the video of a group of LA teenage girls playing a pop-punk anthem against a rising tide of anti-Asian violence went viral online as it captured the anger people had at the growing racist attacks. Even if The Linda Lindas may not be the no-names people first assumed them to be (few no-names have appeared in a Netflix movie and played at the Hollywood Palladium as an opening act for Bikini Kill within a year of starting up their band), their talent has justified their viral success.
Don't mess with The Linda Lindas.
Watch the full concert: https://t.co/Usv7HJ1lLR pic.twitter.com/pKZ5TKDdiA
— L.A. Public Library (@LAPublicLibrary) May 20, 2021
It's easy to understand why. 'Racist, Sexist Boy' has a riotous sound that harkens back to a time when the DIY sounds of a group performing their own music defined the music scene. One of The Linda Linda's inspirations, as suggested by their name, is The Blue Hearts, their hit song 'Linda Linda', and the 2005 movie Linda Linda Linda that embodies the pop-punk stylings of their viral performance.
Linda Linda and The Blue Hearts
But who were The Blue Hearts? Rising from the Japanese punk scene of the 1970s and 1980s, the group's jump into the mainstream following their 1985 debut resulted in 10 years of pop culture dominance. A lot of it was driven by their 1987 hit 'Linda Linda'.
HMV Japan described the group in their list of Japan's top 100 music artists as capturing the earnest, fleeting nature, the fiery soul, and the hopelessness against societal constraints that define youth and their hope for the future. While maybe not as openly rebellious as other punk groups, they successfully captured these ideas in their music, which is partially what drove The Blue Hearts to success when many record labels were reticent to sign other punk groups.
And this didn't mean that their music wasn't speaking truth to power or challenging authority. Their anti-nuclear song 'Chernobyl' caused a wave of controversy that eventually led to them being dropped by their record label after sponsors Mitsubishi complained.
Taking their most famous self-titled debut album that closes with 'Linda Linda', the straightforward sound of The Blue Hearts shines in how the music punches through the noise with a sense of urgency and excitement. The first song on the album, 'Mirai wa Bokura no Te no Naka' (The Future Is in Our Hands), is a cry willing the listener to grab hold of the future and beat society down before it wears them down, setting the tone for the album to come.
The closing song, 'Linda Linda', is all about letting go of inhibitions and concerns and embracing the 'emotions that can't be photographed'. It's a song about the desire to be authentic and to not hold back or hide who you are from the world, lest we avoid the regrets of adulthood. It's critical of how growing up expects a degree of giving up who you are within a restrictive society, all while begging listeners to keep that youthful spirit alive and reject this idea.
This single-minded sound and tone of their music propelled the group throughout their activities. They disbanded in 1995, with each record from the group selling more than the last to become million- and even multi-million sellers. It's this sound of 'Linda Linda' and The Blue Hearts that The Linda Lindas aim to replicate, but this isn't where the group's name originates from.
The Movie Named After a Song, Inspiring LA Teens
You see, 'Linda Linda' (the song) also became the basis for Linda Linda Linda (the movie), and it was Linda Linda Linda (the movie) which became the inspiration for the name of The Linda Lindas (the band). If you follow.
When watching the movie, it's clear that the musical ideas from The Blue Hearts are central to this movie, one of the best Japanese coming-of-age films.
The film centers on Kei, Kyoko, and Nozomi, a group of girls who are unsure if they'll be able to perform as a band at the upcoming school cultural festival. Determined to play, they settle on performing a series of The Blue Hearts covers and, on a whim, recruit a Korean exchange student named Son. In the run-up to the festival, the group practice night and day and deepen their bonds as they follow their joint dream of performing.
The film's exploration of authenticity, music and youth becomes clear from the very opening moments of the film, where the contrast is starkly shown between an impassioned speech about the little time remaining for the students to be their authentic, youthful selves that's being scrutinized and recorded. Despite the difficulties, the group has to turn around their dire situation to perform by the festival. They want to do whatever they can to not let this opportunity pass them by.
Each member is driven by the excitement that music can bring and the energy of their The Blue Hearts inspirations. Through that, they bridge the gap between each other and find happiness in their final years of school; that pushes the group to move forward into the future together. It's epitomized by Son's character, who through the band finds a way to connect with other students for the first time. She can firmly say her exchange is without regrets, and she is happy about that.
The movie is deeply concerned with the struggles and hopes of the kids involved in this band that matches the passion of the music. It lifts the film above other similar stories into a coming-of-age film not to be missed.
This all ties back to The Linda Lindas, the viral LA teenagers. Their name was inspired by this movie, and watching Linda Linda Linda and the music of the band helps you understand why so many were captivated by their performance.
As the quartet of girls stand in an LA Public Library playing their instruments and thrashing their feelings into their music, they capture the pop-punk stylings that helped The Blue Hearts before them. They're unashamed to drive their music through youthful rebellion and passion for the moment, making it easy to get wrapped into the performance.
Since that performance went viral, The Linda Lindas are now signed up to Epitaph Records before they're even adults. If they can repackage this energy into future performances, there's no reason The Linda Lindas can't continue to grow from strength to strength.
Source: https://www.otaquest.com/whats-in-a-name-the-linda-lindas-linda-linda-and-linda-linda-linda/
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