L'Assassins was a surf/

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

band from

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, that formed in 2010 and has released three 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 musi ...

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

and outlaw country, she is also influenced by old

B movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second 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 ...

and Vixen!. The band is influenced by artists such as

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. 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 Thee Headcoatees were an all-female garage band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1991. They were part of the Medway scene. The members were Holly Golightly, Kyra LaRubia, Ludella Black and "Bongo" Debbie Green. Formation Thee Headcoatees ...

and

The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspir ...

. 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 Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

) *"Taking cues from Suzi Quatro, Dum Dum Girls and Joan Jett, L'Assassins have created a series of propulsive songs that exude confidence." (Jon Schober, Andrea Swensson,

89.3 The Current KCMP (89.3 FM, ''89.3 the Current'') is a radio station owned by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) music format including a significant rotation of songs by local artists. Licensed to Northfield, Minne ...

) *"The four women from Minneapolis featured a throwback vibe in sound and dress. Chugging, rockabilly rhythms, colorful tattoos, sharp guitar, and flowers in hair proved a perfect match for the club. Singer Tee Ann Simpson connected with the crowd with her irrepressible energy." (Dave Miller, Chicago Concert Goers) *"this foursome brings an edgy style and even edgier sound to our music scene." (DeDe Ruger, MN Ups Magazine>

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 2010 establishments in Minnesota Musical groups established in 2010 Musical groups from Minneapolis Musical quartets from Minnesota Rock music groups from Minnesota