Slashing it up with Sleater Kinney.
Photo via Damon Green
That’s right, guys. We’re going indie this week. Carrie Brownstein was already underground royalty for her role as guitarist and singer in the girl rock groups Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag, but she’s now making her way into mainstream pop culture as the hilarious co-creator, writer, and star of IFC’s hit Portlandia.
The show is a half hour sketch comedy compilation driven by Brownstein and SNL’s Fred Armisen. As the title suggests, Portlandia is a simultaneous parody and celebration of the hipster Northwestern culture. From adventures in a feminist bookstore, to the struggles of vintage clothes shopping, and the necessity of reusable grocery bags, Brownstein and Armisen encapsulate everything that is great—and hilariously mockable—about Portland living.
While there is no doubt that Fred Armisen is hilarious (just see SNL), it is Brownstein that truly grants the show its voice and completely unique vibe of comedy. As the quirky woman who softly chimes in at the perfect time with some of the oddest, funniest comments ever recorded on film, Brownstein is a comic superstar, who deserves to be among the ranks of the TV comedy greats.
Now entering it’s third season, critics, media, and audiences are all catching onto Portlandia’s free-range train. But even with a powerful group of devoted viewers and old and new Carrie fans, Brownstein realizes her brand of humor may not be for everyone.
In the true indie spirit, Brownstein aims to make true art, not popular art. “Even if the show is divisive, that to me is a more interesting kind of art to make than something that people never talk about or think about,” Brownstein said.
Thus as Brownstein and her fans know, Portlandia may get a little weird sometimes and Wild Flag certainly won’t be on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show anytime soon, but that’s kind of the point. As a true indie artist who can conquer any field she wants, Browstein represents the ultimate in all things cool. So put on some of her riff-filled tracks, turn on a little Portlandia, and above all, Put a Bird on It in the true celebration of Carrie Brownstein.
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