WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CELEBRATE BROOKLYN ARTISTS: WILD FLAG AND MISSION OF BURMA

Wild Flag (via smilepolitely.com)

Everyone, put on your rock sunglasses -- or whatever clothing item you wear for the rockness (punk underwear? devil beanie?). Celebrate Brooklyn brings the power chords and downbeats to Prospect Park this Friday with the alt-rock supergroupdom of Wild Flag, and the sweet post-punk of Mission of Burma. NYC punk veteran Ted Leo opens.

But seriously, the dream of the '90's is alive and well here. Wild Flag is a supergroup that actually works, formed from the alt-indie milieu of bands that hit post-Cobain. Carrie Brownstein, who's also pretty great at putting birds on things, fronts the band. Those of you who wore flannel when it was first cool, though, will remember her from Sleater-Kinney, a riot grrrl group out of Olympia, WA formed in '94. Drummer Janet Weiss also hit skins for Sleater-Kinney, and later for indie-idol Conor Oberst and Pavement front-man Stephen Malkmus. The other members, all friends before starting the band, also hail from indie and post-punk groups. Here they are rocking "Future Crimes" in their natural setting (Portland):



Mission of Burma will throw sound right into your face. The Boston-born post-punk band tore things up in the '80's, then hit a hiatus when singer Roger Miller suffered tinnitus. Yeah, they played so loud and with such vicious distortion that they ACTUALLY HURT THEMSELVES. Luckily, earplugs exist, and they are back, rocking hard but not injuriously (probably). Check out the crash of sound on "Semi Pseudo Sort of Plan":



While you're at the park, pick up a split 7" with singles from both bands. Yeah, that's some old-school, record-store cool.

Wild Flag and Mission to Burma play at the Bandshell in Prospect Park this Friday, 8/3. Doors are at 6PM, and a $3 donation is suggested.