Artist description Inspiration: Wall Street conquistadors, madchen in uniform cubicles. Legions of anorexic, rainy day Holly Golightlys sing along; eyes wet with glycerine tears. They gush and slump over cell phones, desperately seeking agents. Meanwhile, in some forgotten corner of Silicone Alley, poor Cat is nothing but a stiff -- drowned and forgotten, all matted fur and tiny bone. His implant titties explode just as Rigor Mortis arrives in a hearse drawn carriage. My song gently weeps, yet defies aging! I flip the lid on Pandora's box. "Hurrah!" a thousand voices cry. Women of power and intrigue emerge, dazed, like so many nubile Playmates. They spreadsheet across my mouse pad, velvet eyes blinking. We swap stories. Then, strange noises from the shelves above. I look up. Dusty old leather bound books move precariously, tip over and fall open at my feet. A sudden rustle of taffeta as ever so many "Great Literary Heroines" climb out from their pages. Pale and impatient, they nervously pace up and down in narrow muddy boots -- require of us a song. How can I sing Queen Alice's song in a strange Wonderland? Estella, "bred and educated to be loved," schoolgirls through an abridged version of "Great Expectations." The Marquise of O-- wants to know: "If Balthus painted me when I was sleeping, would you all forgive me for that?" Sadly, Emma Bovary is all to "happy to wear a winding sheet" in exchange for a novel life. Just in the nick of time, the Blue Fairy arrives and delicately performs rhinoplasty on Pinocchio. Suddenly. . .smoke, mirrors and magic! I sing of thee too, Jeannie with the Lurex hair. All present cross arms, nod, smile and exclaim, "Stair Master!" Eschewing the lamp, we coltishly toss our ponytail extensions and kick off the traces.

Music Style Post Rock

Musical Influences Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Laura Nyro, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Beatles, The Kinks, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Queen, XTC, Mose Allison, Kurt Weill, Charles Ives, Stravinsky, Bartok

Similar Artists Kate Bush, David Bowie, Jane Siberry, Bjork, Laurie Anderson

Artist History Songstress, keyboard/accordion player, dancer, actress, writer, director -- Lisa Parkins grew up in small town outside Pittsburgh, Pa. listening to Motown, R & B, British Invasion, show tunes, folk and classical music. In her teens, Parkins studied dance at North Carolina School of the Arts. Relocated to NYC, Parkins continued honing her craft, working with an "all-star cast" of dancers, teachers and choreographers. Parkins also developed a parallel career as a singer/songwriter. Her musical interests led to fronting art-rock bands in downtown clubs (CBGB's, Knitting Factory). Acting experience and theater studies (MFA, Theatre, Sarah Lawrence/ABD, Performance Studies, Northwestern) inspired Parkins to create, perform and direct multimedia theatre pieces that have been presented in the U.S. and Europe. As a singer/songwriter, Lisa Parkins reflects her emotional world in bitter-sweet urban tales. In theatre pieces, Parkins re-visions mythical, literary and historical sources -- looking for transcendence through the lens of culture. Music/theatre pieces for children created and directed by Lisa Parkins include "Ali:The Champ" (Martin Luther King Cultural Center), "Root For Lucy" and "9/11: The Musical" (Brooklyn Arts Exchange). Parkins also adapted and composed music and lyrics for "Roxana," based on a novel by Daniel Defoe. In development: "Chapter and Skirt" a juicy collection of "classic" female literary characters musically re-imagined by the artist. A solo music/theatre piece, "The Marquise of O--" directed by Eelka Lampe, will premiere at the German Consulate (NYC) in April, 2003, featuring life-size puppets, adapted text and original music performed by Parkins. Currently in the studio, Lisa Parkins is at work (with producer Tony Jarvis) on an album entitled, "Standing On The Edge of The World."

Instruments Vocals, Keyboards, Accordion, Guitar

Additional Info BOOKINGS: Lisa Parkins is available for concerts, songwriting seminars and performance workshops.

Location New York, New York - USA

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