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Credit: OPB

Wild Flag: Raw Rock With A Powerful Pedigree

November 3, 2011The raucous band of rock veterans visits OPB's studios with a set of songs that go for the gut.

by Jeremy Petersen

Wild Flag's recent self-titled album is no ordinary debut. From the moment the band announced its formation, anticipation ramped up in a way most new acts wouldn't experience. But when the band in question consists of Carrie Brownstein, Rebecca Cole, Mary Timony and Janet Weiss, that's bound to happen.

The group boasts a musical pedigree that includes names like Sleater-Kinney, Helium, The Minders, Quasi, The Jicks, The Spells and The Shadow Mortons, among others. But Wild Flag's members say they've tried their best to avoid giving into expectations about their sound. As Brownstein told us, "We just wanted to like it and have faith in it. ... The chatter about any piece of art or public exercise is so loud, you just have to tune it out." The result is a refreshing and vibrant collection of songs that go for the gut.

Wild Flag plays six new songs for this opbmusic session, and in the process shows off a live persona that's both polished and rambunctious — the same qualities that have made the group's performances some of the year's best and most bracing.

Credits

OPB/Jarratt Taylor; still image by Inger Klekacz

 

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