Tag: Molly Mary O’Brien

AUDIOFEMME PRESENTS: Backstage Pass with Lola Pistola

On International Women’s Day this year, Audiofemme curated a showcase of talented musicians to play the opening of For The Record, a portrait series showcasing women in the music industry shot by Ebru Yildiz, at Ridgewood venue TV Eye. Our videographer Molly Mary O’Brien shot a candid interview with Lola Pistola (aka Arvelisse Ruby Bonilla-Ramos) before her solo acoustic performance, as well as these rare renditions of “Doomed” and “Wild, Rich & Loose” from 2017 debut Curfew.

Lola Pistola started out in San Juan’s punk scene, singing back-up for longtime friend AJ Dávila. After moving to New York she began writing solo material in earnest; though informed by her punk roots, Curfew is moodier and more atmospheric, like Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval singing grunge-folk after smoking a pack of cigarettes. She quickly adapted to the touring life, with Robert Preston backing her on drums, but this TV Eye performance sees her flying solo, offering these songs in their rawest form. Punctuating her set with the rousing onstage banter she’s become known for – sometimes political, sometimes tender, often hilarious – Lola Pistola’s rock ‘n’ roll aura permeated the room regardless of her stripped-down delivery.

Now that live performance is momentarily side-lined (the impact of which Lola Pistola recently wrote about for Alt Citizen), we hope you’ll enjoy this captivating moment from our IWD showcase. You can follow Lola Pistola on Facebook for ongoing updates.

AUDIOFEMME PRESENTS: Backstage Pass with Parlor Walls

On International Women’s Day this year, Audiofemme curated a showcase of talented musicians to play the opening of For The Record, a portrait series showcasing women in the music industry shot by Ebru Yildiz, at Ridgewood venue TV Eye. Our videographer Molly Mary O’Brien shot a candid interview with Alyse Lamb and Chris Mulligan of Parlor Walls before their performance, as well as the live version of “Lunchbox” from their latest LP Heavy Tongue, released earlier this year.

Parlor Walls are veteran performers, having been active in Brooklyn’s music scene for nearly a decade. Lamb’s solo project EULA naturally evolved to fit the improvisational approach Parlor Walls takes to writing music, something you can hear on their 2017 debut Opposites, as well as the band’s two EPs, Cut (2015), and EXO (2018). Though Heavy Tongue feels like the band’s most deliberate collection yet, it’s still informed by the raw, collaborative exchange between Mulligan and Lamb, who are constantly finding new ways to transition between the songs in their live sets. Careening between explosive catharsis and slow, melodic builds, Parlor Walls keep audiences on their toes, and Lamb’s confident delivery is enthralling to watch.

Now that live performance is momentarily side-lined, we hope you’ll enjoy this clip from our IWD showcase. You can follow Parlor Walls on Facebook for ongoing updates.

AUDIOFEMME PRESENTS: Backstage Pass with Ziemba

On International Women’s Day this year, Audiofemme curated a showcase of talented musicians to play the opening of For The Record, a portrait series showcasing women in the music industry shot by Ebru Yildiz, at Ridgewood venue TV Eye. Our videographer Molly Mary O’Brien shot a candid interview with Ziemba’s René Kladzyk before her performance, as well as the intimate sing-along version of “All Doors Have Keys,” from Part 3 of last year’s concept LP Ardis.

In a previous interview with Audiofemme, Kladzyk told me that she often incorporates co-operative harmonizing into her shows. “Creating spontaneous choirs reminds people of how joyous it is to sing with other people,” she explained. “I think there’s a lot of people who really long to sing but don’t, because maybe they fear judgement that their voice isn’t good enough or they can’t sing perfectly. But if you’re singing in a group of people, something happens. I don’t even know exactly how to name it. It forces you to be openhearted. You have to be vulnerable and you have to listen and respond and communicate in this way that’s not necessarily linguistic. Non-linguistic forms of communication are very helpful for enhancing empathy and being better humans.” This is reflected not only in Ziemba’s live appearances, but in the work Kladzyk does with Colin Self’s XOIR.

Now that live performance is momentarily side-lined, we hope you’ll enjoy this powerful moment from our IWD showcase. Tomorrow, Ziemba launches her Ampled page – Ampled is a new artist-owned cooperative music platform, where people can support artists directly (similar to Patreon, but specifically for musicians; the revenue goes to the musicians, not venture capitalists). Be sure to check that out as a means of keeping in touch with and supporting artists like Ziemba – you can also follow Ziemba on Facebook for ongoing updates.