There’s a new punk band in town, and Labia Minora is quickly making its presence known throughout the valley. After only a handful of shows, the band has already established a garage-punk sound—and a following. Karla Anderson plays guitar and is on vocal duty, packing more than enough screams and yells for a night of moshing. You can catch the band’s next show Saturday, July 23, at The Hood Bar and Pizza in Palm Desert. For more, visit www.facebook.com/labiaminoraofficial. Anderson is the latest to take The Lucky 13; here are her answers.
What was the first concert you attended?
My dad took our family to see Sons of the Pioneers in 1979. Even though I was only 3 years old at the time, I have some freakishly accurate memories of that night.
What was the first album you owned?
Not counting The Chipmunks and Mickey Mouse Disco records I played on my Fisher-Price record player as a young child, my first album was The Hurting by Tears for Fears. I used to lie on the living room floor with those big, brown, squishy-soft ’70s style headphones and listen to it over and over and over again on my dad’s record player.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Right now, thanks to Stranger Things, I’ve been revisiting Kate Bush. My Chemical Romance, VV, and Darren Hayes have all released new music. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t listen to Gin Blossoms, Juliana Hatfield, Babes in Toyland, or Katastrophy Wife.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
What’s not to get? If it makes you feel something, then I totally get it.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I spend a lot of time regretting never seeing Tom Petty or Nirvana live. Before the pandemic, I had tickets to see both Justin Townes Earle and John Prine. Unfortunately, they both died in 2020, so I never got to see them. I would give just about anything to see Babes in Toyland one more time.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Darren Hayes (Savage Garden) and Ville Valo (VV/HIM). Even though I feel zero guilt, I sometimes feel like getting caught listening is sort of like getting caught masturbating. Like, excuse me, I’m having a moment here. I’m usually not one for overstated love songs, but when they’re paired with Darren’s breathy falsetto and anima energy, or Ville’s deep mysterious voice and audible gasps that somehow work … I can’t help myself. I melt.
What’s your favorite music venue?
I love going to local shows. The Alibi, Coachella Valley Brewing Company, and Pappy and Harriet’s are the venues I tend to frequent the most.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“I dove down into the seaweed / Scared once before, but not anymore / As it twists and turns me away from the surface / Here’s my chance of letting it go,” “Seaweed,” The Gits.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Babes in Toyland. In the early ’90s, I was in college and dealing with some very intense personal stuff. It was around that time I first heard Kat Bjelland’s shrill scream. It was an exorcizing of all those demons inside of me. Something about the music gave me permission to let go. Songwriting became my cathartic ritual. I allowed myself the freedom to write and play anything I wanted. It could totally suck, and I didn’t care. That kind of freedom is something everyone should feel.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
“Wanna hang out?” I’ve wanted to ask Darren Hayes that since the first time I met him back in 2004. He has the most lovable personality and smile, and I think he’s an amazing songwriter and artist.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Kiss Me Deadly” by Lita Ford. I’ve made this request well-known to my loved ones since 1989. I’m pretty sure it’ll happen.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Oh, man. I honestly have so many favorites for so many reasons. But since there’s a (figurative) gun to my head … New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms. Of all my favorites, it is the one album that, in 30 years, I doubt a single day has gone by without a listen. I still go to their shows every chance I get, and I still sing along to “Hey Jealousy” like a giddy 19-year-old fangirl.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Oasis” by Amanda Palmer. Especially now. I absolutely love the confessional yet trivial delivery of the lyrics and performance. I feel it’s a double metaphor for how a young brain copes with experiencing sexual and reproductive trauma, and how our society trivializes these highly personal, traumatic events for political gain.
