Fred Armisen

Before Portlandia’s fourth season premieres Thursday night, Soundcheck talks with creators and co-stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein about what to expect. Plus, we ask Armisen a...

Comedian and actor Fred Armisen is best known for his roles on Saturday Night Live. But audiences have been less familiar with his work as a musician. Today, he’ll tell us about his musical lives: playing drums in the punk rock band Trenchmouth, touring as Jeff Tweedy’s opening act, and collaborating with Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein on the new IFC comedy show, Portlandia.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein talk about creating, writing, and starring in “Portlandia,” an original short-based comedy series on IFC. It’s a dreamy and absurd portrayal of Portland, Oregon. “Portlandia” premieres January 21, at 10:30 pm on IFC.

Read more to find out what Fred Armisen has been reading and listening to lately!

All summer long we'll be asking thinkers, artists and musicians about what makes the quintessential summer song. This week, SNL's Fred Armisen gives us his idea of the ultimate summer playlist. (You've probably seen Armisen play President Obama in SNL sketches, though you might not know he is also the former drummer for the punk band 'Trenchmouth.')