IFC's darling indie cult hit Portlandia returns this Friday at 8 p.m., and we can't get enough of it. (We like to imagine that all the extras wandering in the back are displaced Phoenicians. Come back, guys -- it's cooler here.)
Of course, young retirement does sound awesome.
Fred Armisen: Remember when people were content to be un-ambitious? They'd sleep 'til 11 and just hang out with their friends? I mean, they had no occupations, whatsoever . . . maybe working a couple hours a week at a coffee shop? Carrie Brownstein: Right. I thought that died out a long time ago. Fred Armisen: Not in Portland. Portland is a city where young people go to retire.
Phoenix may not be a place where all the hot girls wear glasses (yet), but if you've resisted the allure of Portland's "dream of the '90s," I applaud you. After all, we're still cooler than the East Coast.
Without further adieu, here are Portlandia's top six music moments.
6. Live Relaxing Music
There's nothing more relaxing than listening to live music while getting acupuncture.
5. Blunderbuss
Poor Sparkle Pony's search for a music venue lands her in Alaska. At least Jennifer the cat was able to make it to the festival.
4. The Theme Song
Washed Out's "Feel It All Around" doesn't really tie into the mood of the show, but this chillwave jam is a great soundtrack for making out -- even if Washed Out is from Atlanta.
3. Carrie Brownstein
If you're a riot grrl fan, you probably identified Carrie as a member of Sleater-Kinney right away. Nowadays, she spends her time working on Portlandia and touring with Wild Flag.
2. Aimee Mann
You know the music industry is bad when Aimee Mann and Sarah McLachlan take day jobs as house cleaners. It's cool, though. Fred and Carrie get to express their distaste for a bunch of other female singer/songwriters.
CB: So, from what I can surmise from what you're positing, it's like Portland's almost an alternative universe. It's like Gore won. The Bush administration never happened. FA: Exactly. CB: In Portland, it's almost like cars don't exist, right? FA: Yes. CB: They'll ride bikes, or double-decker bikes. They ride unicycles. FA: Yes! CB: They ride the tram, they ride skateboards. FA: Yes!
Everyone rides bikes, folks go to clown school, hot girls wear glasses, and people get tattoos and piercings, so long as their appearance isn't "too San Francisco."
If you wear flannel and put birds on all of your accessories, you've got the Portland look down.
If that wasn't enough, IFC is streaming a new Battlestar Galactica-themed episode of Portlandia online:
