Let's Talk About
Port Rock
9 years ago by
I had no idea that Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia has been in a feminist punk rock band since the 90s, but it makes PERFECT sense.
What’s more Portland than that? She’s normally so well put-together and stylish in public appearances, so I love that at night she puts on a ripped t-shirt and screams into a microphone.
After a long hiatus, the band has recently reunited for their new album titled “No Cities to Love.” It’s cool to see this resurgence of the riot grrrl movement, which celebrates female empowerment and general activism. It’s also just great to see girl bands in general getting good press, like HAIM.
You may also like
I’ve never said this, ever, on a comment thread but… HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT????
I feel old.
Sigh.
I know, I know — I’m living under a rock!
My favorite band on my favorite website! <3
I have to echo Emilia’s statement (*brain explodes). Sleater-Kinney was one of the greatest bands of the 90s and has been getting press for much longer than HAIM. They were also formed in Olympia, Washington, not Portland.
I feel old and shocked too! I grew up one block over from Sleater Kinney road, from which the band took their name. <3 Olympia
I’m never been one to bother with posting negative comments but COME ON, this post reads like a fourth grade book report. The Garance Dore that I know is usually way better than that! Summing up the riot grrrl movement as a movement “which celebrates female empowerment and general activism,” is insulting to your readership.
If you want to celebrate Carrie Brownstein and/or the riot grrrl movement, please get your facts right and tell us something that anyone NOT living under a rock might not know.
First time commenter here, but I had to chime in to agree with Katherine, but go one further. As this is a fashion blog, I take particular umbrage with this: “She’s normally so well put-together and stylish in public appearances, so I love that at night she puts on a ripped t-shirt and screams into a microphone.”
Actually, Carrie very rarely (never say never, but… google image search!) wears ripped T’s or “traditional” punk pieces when performing. More often than not, she’s shredding in a skirt, heels, and button down with a peter pan collar. Part of what’s so inspiring about Carrie is that she busts stereotypes — feminist, punk, sartorial — wide open, on all levels.
Why can’t Sleater-Kinney just be called a super bad-ass band? Why are they called a girl band? Do we call Nirvana or The Rolling Stones a boy band? And to see the latest sartorial choices of Carrie & Co. on stage these days, check out their recent performance on Letterman (no ripped t-shirts or jeans in sight): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLwD1to3dZU
I must check her songs asap! Thanks for sharing Emilia!
???
Jeanne
http://www.fashionmusingsdiary.com
This was really funny, she has been in the band for so long! This was a real fashion-y girl post, haha, get it together, and I say this with lots of amusement! Love No Cities to love!
Simona
Lake&Moon
To be honest, I didn’t know this till a few months ago either. I had heard Sleater-Kinney’s music on friends’ ipods before, but never seen, or paid enough attention to, a picture to connect the two! It makes total sense though.
Oh young young Emilia. God bless you. :o)
The new record is great but check out Courtney Barnett! She had an EP out last year and her new single ROCKS!!!!!
It’s OK, Emilia, we only have so much time to absorb so many things in a day/week/year/life.
BUT, if you do want to do some back-listening to fill in this particular thread of cultural history, maybe us commenters can recommend some music for you?
In my short list of Kick Ass Women To Know (in rock):
From then:
Kim Gordon/Sonic Youth
Bikini Kill/Le Tigre
Liz Phair (skip the late stuff and just go right to Exile in Guyville)
Kim Deal in any of her bands
From now:
Warpaint
Courtney Barnett
Angel Olsen
Sharon Van Etten
Dum Dum Girls
Additions, anyone?
You know – to keep it productive and all.
Oh dear….as a Pacific Northwesterner, I was a little irritated reading this post too.
Sleater-Kinney!
I get it. You were born in France and some of us grew up here in the Pacific Northwest. All good. She is an extremely talented woman with beautiful taste in clothes – and can keep it real, riot grrrl style! Apparently, all of us have beenfans of hers for an one time!
The comments here remind me of a few weeks ago when I was taking a workshop. The teacher and another woman were talking about AbFab, and the 25yr old in the room didn’t know the show. She asked nicely about it, but then got a barrage of moans and comments like she should have known, and they couldn’t believe how “young” she was. It just made me wonder why that was necessary. People need to lighten up. I don’t see Garance’s blog as a place where you should just come on and “shred” the author if they “don’t get it right.” And yes, this is the internet, blah, blah, blah, entitled to your own opinion, but why can’t we support this community (including enlightening them) in a more positive way?
Be productive like Jessica commented.
Well, to be fair, I’m also the one who made the first-totally aghast and maybe a little judgemental-comment.
Comments are short, and often read harsher than meant.
(Also, abfab was fun and all- but what?why?no.)
shows a lot of us are 90’s girrrrrls
Hear ye, hear ye! To the fullest :)