Rock Cousteau · CC BY-SA 2.0

Carrie Brownstein co-founded the influential punk trio Sleater-Kinney, then during a hiatus began writing and performing sketches with Fred Armisen that grew into Portlandia, the satirical IFC series that won an Emmy and a Peabody. Sleater-Kinney eventually reunited, and as of 2026 she is still touring with the band — a side project that became nearly as significant as the group itself.