Pitchfork

With Janet Weiss off hanging with the Jicks, and Carrie Brownstein making a Believer out of us all, what's the third pillar of indefinitely hiatus'd indie rock legends Sleater-Kinney-- guitarist/vocalist Corin Tucker-- to do? Scratch that new-material-writing itch, it seems.

Tucker, who popped up solo-style at a Future of Music Coalition event this past November, returned to the stage at Portland's Buckman Arts Magnet Elementary School on March 17. She appeared solo and performed as part of a benefit for local artists. According to S-K fansite Sleater-Kinney.net, Tucker showcased three brand new songs: "Mary Gets Paid By the Hour", "Summer in Oly", and "It Was in the Summer When She Left Her House". We're not entirely sure if those are official titles or presumed ones, but we're tres excited either way.

Corin also busted out some ace covers, including Prince's "When U Were Mine", Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man", and the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait". All of this-- new songs, covers, live shows-- of course has speculative types crying solo record. Our fingers are crossed, certainly.

When she's not preparing new material or rocking elementary schoolers, it seems Tucker's cultivated a certain fondness for documentary filmmaking. She appears in the recent riot grrrl flick Don't Need You, and she also recorded an interview for the forthcoming documentary Rock'n Roll Mamas, which, as you may have inferred from its title, explores the fascinating topic of lady rockers with children.