Molly Neuman

Molly Neuman
Neuman in 1994
Background information
Born (1972-06-18) June 18, 1972
OriginWashington, D.C. area
OccupationsIndependent musician, zinester, band manager, indie label-organizer
InstrumentDrums
Years active1990-present
Labels
Member ofBratmobile
Formerly of

Molly Neuman (born June 18, 1972) is an American drummer, writer and publisher, originally from the Washington, D.C. area[1] who has performed in such influential bands as Bratmobile, the Frumpies, and the PeeChees. She was a pioneer of the early-to-mid '90s riot grrrl movement, penning the zine which coined the phrase in its title. She also co-wrote Girl Germs with Bratmobile singer Allison Wolfe while the two were students at the University of Oregon; that title later became the name of a Bratmobile song.[2]

Early life and education

Neuman grew up in Washington, D.C. where her father worked for the Democratic National Committee. During high school, she worked for Arizona Representative Mo Udall. She moved across the country in 1989 to attend the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. In the dorms there she met Allison Wolfe.[3]

Together, Neuman and Wolfe took classes in women's studies and music, traveled to Olympia on the weekends, and started collaborating on influential feminist fanzine Girl Germs in 1990.[3][4]

Career

Bratmobile

Neuman's and Wolfe's friend Calvin Johnson, an indie musician in the Olympia scene in The Go Team and Beat Happening who also co-owned K Records, asked them to play a show in Olympia on Valentine's Day in 1991 with Bikini Kill and Some Velvet Sidewalk.[3][5] The band, Bratmobile, played its first show as a two-woman act at Olympia's North Shore Surf Club on February 14, 1991, with Neuman and Wolfe sharing duties on guitar, drums, and vocals.[3]

Neuman was introduced to Erin Smith by Johnson at a Nation of Ulysses concert in Washington D.C. on December 26, 1990. When Neuman, along with Wolfe, visited the city again for spring break in 1991 they asked Smith if she wanted to play music with them, initially joined also by Jen Smith and Christina Billotte. Wolfe, Neuman, and Erin Smith continued on as Bratmobile, playing their first show as a trio at Fort Reno Park in July.[6] The band was active until 1994, when they went on hiatus. They reformed in 1999, but split again in 2003 after two more albums.[3]

Other bands

In 1992 she started The Frumpies, a lo-fi punk band, with members of Bikini Kill. They released a handful of 7" singles between 1994 and 2000.[7]

From 1996 to 1998 she was a member of The PeeChees, who released two albums on Kill Rock Stars.[8]

Zines

Whilst students at University of Oregon, Neuman and Wolfe started the feminist zine Girl Germs.[9]

In the summer of 1991 Neuman and Wolfe created the first issue of riot grrrl zine.[10]

Music industry career and other roles

Neuman co-owned the now-defunct Berkeley-based Lookout! Records[11] with her ex-husband and former PeeChees singer Chris Appelgren[12] and Cathy Bauer.[13]

In 2006 she started her own independent record label called Simple Social Graces Discos and has released records by Les Aus, Campamento Ñec Ñec, Grabba Grabba Tape, Two Tears, Delorean and Love or Perish. She also founded Indivision Management, and has worked as a manager for such artists as the Locust, Ted Leo and the Donnas.[14]

In 2006 she started working for eMusic, before moving to Rhapsody in 2013. In 2014 she was appointed Vice President of the American Association of Independent Music. After having been a founding board member of A2IM when it was first started in 2005.[15]

In 2009, after graduating from the Chef's Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, Neuman founded a personal chef, catering and health consulting company focusing on natural and whole foods in Brooklyn called Simple Social Kitchen.[16]

In 2016 Neuman was appointed Head of Music for Kickstarter,[11], in 2017 she was made president of the global publishing administration service Songtrust, and in 2022 as the Chief Marketing Officer for Downtown Music Holdings.[17] In June 2024 she became president of CD Baby.[18]

Bratmobile reunion

In 2023, Wolfe and Neuman reformed Bratmobile again to perform at the Mosswood Meltdown festival in Oakland, California.[19][20] Further concerts followed in 2024 and 2025.[21][22]

Discography

With Bratmobile

Studio albums
Year Title Label Formats
1993 Pottymouth Kill Rock Stars LP/CD/CS
2000 Ladies, Women and Girls Lookout! Records CD/LP
2002 Girls Get Busy Lookout! Records CD/LP
EPs
Live albums
Singles
Split 7-inch
Compilation albums
  • Kill Rock Stars compilation, CD/LP, (Kill Rock Stars)
  • A Wonderful Treat compilation cassette
  • The Embassy Tapes cassette
  • Throw compilation CD (Yoyo Recordings)
  • International Pop Underground live LP/CD/CS (K Records)
  • Neapolitan Metropolitan boxed 7-inch set (Simple Machines)
  • Teen Beat 100 compilation 7-inch (Teen Beat)
  • Julep compilation LP/CD (Yo Yo)
  • Wakefield Vol. 2 V/A CD boxed set (Teen Beat)
  • Plea For Peace Take Action compilation CD (Sub City)
  • Boys Lie compilation CD (Lookout! Records)
  • Yoyo A Go Go 1999 compilation CD (Yoyo Recordings)
  • Lookout! Freakout Episode 2 compilation CD (Lookout! Records)
  • Songs For Cassavetes compilation CD (Better Looking Records)
  • Lookout! Freakout Episode 3 CD (Lookout! Records)
  • Turn-On Tune-In Lookout! DVD (Lookout! Records)

With the Frumpies

On Kill Rock Stars:[23]

  • Babies & Bunnies (7-inch EP) KRS213, released 1993-08.
  • Eunuch Nights (7-inch EP) KRS322, released: 1998-09-23.
  • Frumpie One-Piece (CD) KRS335, released: 1998-10-23.
  • Frumpies Forever (7-inch EP) KRS366, released: 2000-08-01.

With the PeeChees

Albums
Year Title Label Other information
1996 Do The Math Kill Rock Stars First album.
1997 Games People Play Kill Rock Stars Final studio album.
1998 Life Kill Rock Stars Compilation of singles and compilation tracks. Released post-breakup.
Singles and EPs
Year Title Label Other information
1994 Cup of Glory Kill Rock Stars "Cheap Fun", "Grease" b/w "Fine Watch".
1995 Scented Gum Lookout! Records "Genuine Article", "Tea Biscuit to Show" b/w "Olive Oil", "Tom Foolery". Recorded by John Reis and Gar Wood.
1996 Love Moods Rugger Bugger "New Moscow Woman" b/w "Quadruple Bypass"
1996 "Antarticists" Roxy b/w "Love Is the Law" cover, originally by the Suburbs.
1997 "Sing Like Me (Elliott Smith)" Damaged Goods b/w "Other Ice Age". Picture disc
1998 "Dallas" Sub Pop b/w "If You Don't Know (Now You Know)". Released as part of the label's limited edition "Single of the Month" series
Non-album tracks
Year Album/Source Label Song(s) Other information
1994 Rock Stars Kill Kill Rock Stars "Patty Coahuila" First band release. Compilation of Kill Rock Stars bands that included Rancid, Kathleen Hanna, and Team Dresch.
1995 Slice Of Lemon Lookout! Records/Kill Rock Stars "Maintenance Free" Compilation of Lookout! and Kill Rock Stars bands that included Elliott Smith and the Mr. T Experience.
1998 Taking A Chance On Chances Troubleman Unlimited Records "Second Grade" Compilation of bands that included Monorchid.

References

  1. ^ "FMC | Policy Summit 2006". Futureofmusic.org. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  2. ^ "Interviews > Molly Neuman". punkrockacademy.com. 2008-03-26. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e Marcus, Sara (2010). Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution. Harper. pp. 55–71. ISBN 9780061806360.
  4. ^ Barton, Laura (March 3, 2009). "Grrrl power". The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  5. ^ Monem, Nadine, ed. (2007). Riot Grrrl: Revolution Girl Style Now!. Black Dog Publishing. p. 168. ISBN 978-1906155018.
  6. ^ Davis, John R. (2025). Keep Your Ear to the Ground – A History of Punk Fanzines in Washington, DC. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 9781647126360.
  7. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn; Vincentelli, Elisabeth (6 May 2019). "Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here's an Essential Listening Guide". New York Times. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  8. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "The Peechees Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  9. ^ Mitchell, Claudia A. (2008). Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline (ed.). Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-313-33908-0.
  10. ^ Klein, Melissa (1997). "Duality and Redefinition: Young Feminism and the Alternative Music Community". In Heywood, Leslie; Drake, Jennifer (eds.). Third Wave Agenda. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-3005-9.
  11. ^ a b "Molly Neuman, Kickstarter's First Head of Music, Explains the Company's Approach to the Industry". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  12. ^ Inoue, Todd S. (August 7–13, 1997). "Beat Street". Metro.
  13. ^ "Pinhead Gunpowder Play Gilman, Recap". 2008-03-13. Archived from the original on 2008-03-13.
  14. ^ "Molly Neuman on Ted Leo's new album". brooklynvegan. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  15. ^ Ulloa, Nina (November 12, 2014). "Molly Neuman: From Riot Grrrl Founder to Indie Label Advocate". Digital Music News. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  16. ^ Valentino, Bianca (July 7, 2011). "Molly Neuman — The Collapse Board Interview". Collapse Board. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  17. ^ "Downtown Music Names Molly Neuman Chief Marketing Officer". Variety. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  18. ^ Bliss, Karen (October 24, 2024). "Women In Music Awards 2024: International Woman Of The Year Molly Neuman". Music Week. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  19. ^ Geraghty, Hollie (2023-07-09). "Watch Bratmobile reunite for first gig in 21 years". NME. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  20. ^ Blistein, Jon (2023-07-03). "Bratmobile Set Off a 'Cherry Bomb' With Linda Lindas at First Show in 20 Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  21. ^ Hatfield, Amanda (January 23, 2024). "Bratmobile announce first NYC show in over 20 years w/ Downtown Boys & cumgirl8". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  22. ^ DeJoui, Leila (13 June 2025). "Bratmobile Announces Summer 2025 Tour Dates". mxdwn. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  23. ^ "Frumpies". Killrockstars.com. Kill Rock Stars. 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
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