Wild Flag

A group made up of musicians from other bands, most notably Sleater-Kinney and Helium, Wild Flag released their self-titled debut in 2011. I've been listening to it off and on for a few months, and several times this past week. It's a fine example of contemporary garage rock, with a bit of '60s psychedelia and proto-punk.

The most famous member of the group is guitarist and vocalist Carrie Brownstein, formerly of Sleater-Kinney (and a member of the sketch comedy series Portlandia). Also in the band is Mary Timony, formerly of Helium, and keyboardist Rebecca Cole and drummer Janet Weiss.

The songs are mostly straightforward three-chord rock, with the instruments played only by the band members--thus no strings or brass. The lead vocals, which I assume are by Brownstein, but I can't be sure, since all the band members are credited as vocalists, are of a guttural, punk style, frequently sounding like Patti Smith.

The most interesting song is the one that most doesn't sound like the others, "Glass Tambourine," which has a psychedelic sound and ends with the band chanting, choir-like, the title of the song. "Racehorse" is the most minimal, with the vocals very antagonistic and ending in with a long jam.

Lyrically, Wild Flag is minimalistic and enigmatic. If there's a common theme, it's music itself. "Romance," the opening track, does not seem to be about between two people and as between people and music: "We love the sound, the sound is what found us/Sound is the love between you and me." The next track, "Something Came Over Me," includes the line, "I want you here now, 'cause you're coming through in stereo sound."

In "Electric Band," the lyric is: "All we are is dust and air/Play the part of the dragon slayer/Dance all night or turn to sand/Come on and join our electric band." And the last song, "Black Tiles," ends with: "For all we know we're just here/For the length of the song/I never when it's done/When it's gone."