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Visqueen just announced their breakup, with a farewell show to be played in Seattle on November 26, 2011.  It’s such a shame, as their third album, Message to Garcia, represents not only a musical high point in the band’s decade of making music, but also a breakthrough of sorts in terms of national attention.  A punk-pop farewell to frontwoman Rachel Flotard’s father, Garcia is both thrilling and heartbreaking, encapsulating everything that made Visqueen such an exciting band.  From the guitar crunch and harmonies that propel “Your Love” to the ache that runs through the cello-driven standout “So Long”, Message to Garcia is both a celebration and a eulogy.  Informed by death, Message to Garcia brims with life, joy, and the anthemic release offered by rock and roll.

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Andrew Gilstrap is a freelance writer living in South Carolina, where he's able to endure the few weeks each year that it's actually freezing (swearing a vow that if he ever moves, it'll be even further south). Aging into a fine curmudgeon whose idea of heaven is 40 tree-covered acres away from the world, he increasingly wishes he were part of a pair of twins, just so he could try being the kinda evil one on for size. Musically, he's always scouring records for that one moment that makes him feel like he's never heard music before, but he long ago realized he needs to keep his copies of John Prine, Crowded House, the Replacements, Kate Bush, and Tom Waits within easy reach.


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Visqueen-- So Long (Rabid in the Kennel Session)
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