The Linda Lindas first played together as members of a pickup new wave cover band of kids assembled by Kristin Kontrol (Dum Dum Girls) for Girlschool LA in 2018 and then formed their own garage punk group just for fun. Sisters Mila de la Garza (drummer, now 11) and Lucia de la Garza (guitar, 14), cousin Eloise Wong (bass, 13), and family friend Bela Salazar (guitar, 17) developed their chops as regulars at all-ages matinees in Chinatown, where they played with original L.A. punks like The Dils, Phranc, and Alley Cats; went on to open for riot grrrl legends Bikini Kill and architect Alice Bag as well as DIY heavyweights Best Coast and Bleached; and were eventually featured in Amy Poehler’s movie Moxie.
What would a Halloween mixtape be without a sequel? Breakout Epitaph Records genre-benders Magnolia Park have heard your cries, and they are prepared to deliver. The hard-charging, prolific five-piece act from Orlando—vocalist Joshua Roberts, guitarists Tristan Torres and Freddie Criales, drummer Joe Horsham, and keyboardist Vincent Ernst—are set to follow up their 2022 debut LP Baku's Revenge with a brand-new project, Halloween Mixtape II, out on October 27, and their kaleidoscopic fusion of sound is more innovative than ever. The spiritual sequel to their 2021 Halloween Mixtape, Halloween Mixtape II expands on the narrative around Magnolia Park’s fictional universe and its characters Baku, Heart Eater, SoulEater, Dream Eater, MoonEater, Pumpkin Eater, and the Reaper. "We just want to create soundtracks for our characters," says guitarist/songwriter Tristan Torres. “That's why we have the Eater EP series — they're all introducing individual characters. Then they come together for this Halloween mixtape moment."