QSAT: Sleater-Kinney

With six years of rocking out under their belt, Sleater-Kinney are hands-down the biggest success story of the indie girl rock/riot-grrls music scene. Last year Time Magazine (somewhat surprisingly) rated them "America's best rock band." But their music doesn't seem to be suffering from all the attention, and their new album, "One Beat," doesn't limit itself to familiar territory. The track "Prisstina" even features a duet with "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" composer Stephen Trask.

Always there to smooth out Corin Tucker's banshee-like wailing is
guitarist/vocalist Carrie Brownstein's somewhat sweeter, more melodic voice. Their back-and-forth harmonizing and duets lend themselves to
S-K's distinctive and completely addictive style.

Recently, Brownstein took some time away from her busy touring schedule and burgeoning acting career (her new film "Group" is currently in limited release) to take our QSAT.

What excites you about your latest project?
It's a step forward for the band. The album captures a certain kind of synthesis and alchemy. Also, the emotional and sonic landscape of the album is quite vast -- one can hear something different with each listen.

When did you first become aware of gay issues?
When I was in college

If you were to star in a same-sex love story, who would you visualize as your romantic co-star?
Isabelle Huppert

If you were to star in a straight love story, who would you visualize as your romantic co-star?
Jake Gyllenhaal


If you were going to be straight for just one weekend, who would you want to go out on a date with?
Luke Wilson

What did you eat for dinner last night (and where)?
A cheeseburger at Huber's, Portland's oldest restaurant

Vogue or Cosmo?
Vogue

If you could take over anyone's body for an hour, a la "Being John Malkovich," who would you pick?
My cat

How often do fans stop you on the street?
About once a week

What's the most unusual place you ever had sex?
In a dressing room in Saks 5th Avenue

Tell us a dream you had recently.
I dreamt that the cable broke in an elevator and I fell 26 floors. I was crouching down in total darkness waiting for it to reach the bottom. I broke my leg, but instead of going to the hospital I went to an animal shelter.

Name three people (living or dead) you would invite to a dinner party.
Dorothy Parker, James Baldwin, Spinoza

Where would we be most likely to find you on a day off?
At a bookstore, at a film, on a bike ride

If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?
Have a different haircut and better posture

Coffee or tea?
Tea

Tell us something embarrassing that's happened to you recently.
I met a musician whom I really admire and tried to speak to her with an Australian accent.

What's your idea of the perfect vacation?
Staying home. Or going to a cabin by the sea and reading books on the sand.

What's your current favorite CD, book, writer, movie?
CD: "Roxy Music -- The Early Years"
Book: "History of Western Philosophy," by Bertrand Russell
Writer: Joan Didion
Movie: "They Shoot Horses, Don't They"

How many degrees of separation are there between you and Kevin Bacon? Explain.
Three. My friend Lance Bangs was the documentary filmmaker for the behind-the-scenes footage of "Adaptation" (Spike Jonze's next film), starring Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep was in "The River Wild" with Kevin Bacon.

Fill in the blank: I am the _____ of my generation.
Crease

Who inspires you the most?
My friends

Describe your ideal mate.
Brilliant, honest, funny, intellectual, beautiful

Who was your first (celebrity) crush?
Ricky Schroder

Squelch or confirm (or start) a rumor about yourself.
There was a rumor that I snorted coke off the stomach of Tom Cruise. This is not true. I would never put my nose upon the belly of a Scientologist. Nor do I snort coke. I have eaten cookie crumbs off the stomach of Nicole Kidman. This was years ago in Melbourne; she had just completed an Australian film called "Flirting." There was a party afterwards and much debauchery ensued. They were oatmeal raisin cookies, my favorite.

Would you appear nude in a movie?
Not likely

What is your favorite/least favorite feature of your body?
My toes

Fill in the blank: In high school, I was ______.
Obsequious

While climbing up the ladder of success, did you step on any toes?
Not that I'm aware of. It's more likely that I stubbed my own toes on the way up.

Two words:

quotidian/vernissage