L'Assassins was a
Surf/
Garage rock
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
band from
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
that formed in 2010 and has released 3 EPs, toured in Europe
and played several festivals, including the "Girls Got Rhythm" festival and the "Memory Lanes Block Party".
The band members have previously played with artists such as XOXO Judy, the Shortcuts, and
Brittani Senser and have a "common love of bad ass rock'n'roll, big hair, and sassitude!"
History
The band formed in late 2010 and played their first show in April 2011. They originally performed without a name before eventually settling on the name L'Assassins, a name which they describe as being not grammatically correct in any language.
Lead singer Tea Simpson is a fan of
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
,
punk rock and
outlaw country, she is also influenced by old
B movies
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
such as
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is a 1965 American exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran. It follows three go-go dancers who embark on a spree of kidnapping and murder in the California desert.
The fil ...
and
Vixen!
''Vixen!'' is a 1968 American drama film and satiric softcore sexploitation film directed by Russ Meyer and starring Erica Gavin. It was the first film to be given an X rating for its sex scenes, and was a breakthrough success for Meyer. The ...
.
The band is influenced by artists such as
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
,
Thee Headcoatees and
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma, Washington (state), Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worl ...
.
The band was last active in 2015. In 2016, Ariel Dornbush and Monet Wong started a new band, with Madalyn Mae on drums, called The Toxenes.
[
]
Reception
*"a quartet of buxom women with a mean look about them and an even meaner, vintage rockabilly sound." (Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
)89.3 The Current
KCMP (89.3 FM, 89.3 The Current) is a radio station owned by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) that broadcasts a AAA music format including a significant rotation of songs by local artists. Licensed to Northfield, Minnesota and covering the Minneapo ...
)
Members
*Tea Ann Simpson — Vocals
*Monet Wong — Guitar/Vocals
*Ariel Dornbush — Bass/Vocals
*Angela Clark — Drums/Vocals
Discography
Singles
* "7pm", "Go" b/w "Backseat Bomp" 2012[
* "Fire of Love" b/w "Liar" 2015][
]
EPs
* ''L'Assassins'' 2012[
* ''Lovin' On The Run'' 2013][
* ''Kill Kill Kill! Bang Bang Bang!'' 2014][
]
Videos
* "Backseat Bomp" 2012[
* "Gonna Git That Man" 2012][
* L'Assassins in "Dressed To Kill: Tonight The devil dances in hell!" 2012][
* "Lovin' On The Run" 2013][
* "Psycho Beach" 2014][
* "Fire of Love" 2015][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assassins
Musical groups from the Twin Cities
Musical groups established in 2010
Musical quartets from Minnesota
2010 establishments in Minnesota