BOOK 195: HUNGER MAKES ME A MODERN GIRL: CARRIE BROWNSTEIN
From a leader of feminist punk music at the dawn of the riot-grrrl era, a candid and deeply personal look at life in rock and roll.
Before Carrie Brownstein codeveloped and starred in the wildly popular TV comedy Portlandia, she was already an icon to young women for her role as a musician in the feminist punk band Sleater-Kinney. The band was a key part of the early riot- grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest, known for their prodigious guitar shredding and their leftist lyrics against war, traditionalism, and gender roles.
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is the deeply personal and revealing narrative of Brownstein's life in music, from ardent fan to pioneering female guitarist to comedic performer and luminary in the independent rock world. Though Brownstein struggled against the music industry's sexist double standards, by 2006 she was the only woman to earn a spot on Rolling Stonereaders' list of the "25 Most Underrated Guitarists of All-Time." This book intimately captures what it feels like to be a young woman in a rock-and-roll band, from her days at the dawn of the underground feminist punk-rock movement that would define music and pop culture in the 1990s through today.
Before Carrie Brownstein codeveloped and starred in the wildly popular TV comedy Portlandia, she was already an icon to young women for her role as a musician in the feminist punk band Sleater-Kinney. The band was a key part of the early riot- grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest, known for their prodigious guitar shredding and their leftist lyrics against war, traditionalism, and gender roles.
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is the deeply personal and revealing narrative of Brownstein's life in music, from ardent fan to pioneering female guitarist to comedic performer and luminary in the independent rock world. Though Brownstein struggled against the music industry's sexist double standards, by 2006 she was the only woman to earn a spot on Rolling Stonereaders' list of the "25 Most Underrated Guitarists of All-Time." This book intimately captures what it feels like to be a young woman in a rock-and-roll band, from her days at the dawn of the underground feminist punk-rock movement that would define music and pop culture in the 1990s through today.
MY VERDICT: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This genre (the autobiography of women in bands or other creative careers) is one of my favourites. It’s reassuring to know that no matter what someone appears to be from the outside they’re often very much like me in a lot of ways. It’s fascinating to think that someone who confidently plays instruments and sings on stage in front of thousands of people might actually be as shy as I am.
This book was recommended to me by a friend and it didn’t disappoint. I actually came into it unfamiliar with Carrie Brownstein’s band Sleater-Kinney and only knew her from Portlandia so to see this side of her life and where she came from was interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who is the fan of the genre (that I may or may not have made up) whether you know the music or not. (I’m off to listen to the band now that I have all the context to link to the music I think I’ll appreciate it more.)
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