Carrie Brownstein is probably best known for starring in the
IFC series Portlandia with Fred
Armisen, but prior to her TV career she played in several bands, most notably
the Olympia, Washington based trio Sleater-Kinney. In Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl Brownstein tells the story of
Sleater-Kinney’s initial ten year run and recent reunion and also covers her
unusual childhood.
Brownstein grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Her mother
suffered from anorexia and eventually left Carrie, her father, and her sister
to fend for themselves. Her father eventually started renting out rooms in
their house to young man, claiming the house was too big for just the three of
them. She would eventually find out that her father was gay and that he
possibly had relationships with some of the young men who boarded there.
This fractured childhood led her to look for something to
belong to and she eventually found it with the raw and often political music
scenes that were forming in various parts of the state of Washington. After forming a short-lived band called Excuse
17, Brownstein formed Sleater-Kinney with Corinne Tucker from the Riot Grrrl band
Heavens to Betsy. After their third album, Dig
Me Out, the band started to have success with indie music fans and music
critics. This success, which was hardly on the level of the Spice Girls and
other hugely successful acts at that time, led them to have some tension with
the Olympia music scene. In Olympia, too much success was frowned upon. Acts
were supposed to be quirky and not too serious about turning their bands into
careers. Brownstein talks a lot about the politics of that scene and the indie music
scene in general. She also talks about her love/hate relationship with touring,
including many health problems she was stricken with while on the road.
I listened to the audiobook version of Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, which was read by the author. She
does a wonderful job reading it and avoids getting too dramatic or monotone,
the way many authors do when reading their own work. This book was truly
enjoyable. I couldn’t wait to get into my car to listen to more of it.
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