Who would have thought ten years ago that Carrie Brownstein would be better known as a comedic actress rather than a punk rock guitarist? But here we are. This January marks the 6th season premiere of Portlandia, Brownstein’s sketch comedy show with Fred Armisen. And might I add that this show of a million great guest stars has won 3 Emmys and a Peabody Award. Find seasons one, two, three, four, and five in our library catalog and get prepared to laugh.
In book news, Brownstein’s 2015 memoir Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl has received many literary accolades including starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus. It was also named an Amazon Best Book of November 2015. Well this book may not include much history on Portlandia, it does cover Brownstein’s childhood and her musical history. It gives a behind the scenes look at the evolution of Sleater-Kinney: the best band ever! That’s not just my humble opinion: dubbed “America’s best rock band” by Greil Marcus in Time Magazine and as “America’s best punk band ever. EVER” by Rob Sheffield in Rolling Stone.
But don’t take these three individuals words for it. Listen to the music! No Cities to Love is the latest release by Sleater-Kinney. However one should really start from the beginning. I would even suggest reading Brownstein’s memoir and listening to the CDs in chronological order in tandem. Or just listen to my favorites: Call the Doctor (1996) and The Woods (2005).
