Visqueen is back with a brand new album - a sparkling fresh, D.I.Y. love letter to the big E.L.O. melody and Cheap Trick crunch that earned them a spot next to any Buzzcock in the bar.Singer/songwriter/guitarist Rachel Flo... more »tard has been busy the last several years appearing with Neko Case, lending her voice to Neko's most recent albums. She's appeared on Leno and Letterman, and toured with Neko throughout the U.S.A., Europe and the U.K. Ms. Case returns the favor multiple times on Visqueen's Message To Garcia, and joins a spectacular cast of collaborators - from The Fastbacks to pedal steel/banjo genius Jon Rauhouse to The Long Winters. The result is a killer, super fun sing-a-long record with gigantic guitars, gangs of handclaps, unexpected flugelhorns, and the exalted blessing of cello. Assembled and produced by Rachel Flotard with her King Me cohort, Barrett Jones (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) on her new independent record label, Local 638 Records, inspired by her beloved and recently departed dad's New York City Steamfitters union.Message To Garcia (11 tracks mixed by Young Fresh Fellow and Fastback, Kurt Bloch) is the distinguished elder sister to two previous Northwest album favorites: King Me (2003) and Sunset On Dateland (2004).« less
Visqueen is back with a brand new album - a sparkling fresh, D.I.Y. love letter to the big E.L.O. melody and Cheap Trick crunch that earned them a spot next to any Buzzcock in the bar.Singer/songwriter/guitarist Rachel Flotard has been busy the last several years appearing with Neko Case, lending her voice to Neko's most recent albums. She's appeared on Leno and Letterman, and toured with Neko throughout the U.S.A., Europe and the U.K. Ms. Case returns the favor multiple times on Visqueen's Message To Garcia, and joins a spectacular cast of collaborators - from The Fastbacks to pedal steel/banjo genius Jon Rauhouse to The Long Winters. The result is a killer, super fun sing-a-long record with gigantic guitars, gangs of handclaps, unexpected flugelhorns, and the exalted blessing of cello. Assembled and produced by Rachel Flotard with her King Me cohort, Barrett Jones (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) on her new independent record label, Local 638 Records, inspired by her beloved and recently departed dad's New York City Steamfitters union.Message To Garcia (11 tracks mixed by Young Fresh Fellow and Fastback, Kurt Bloch) is the distinguished elder sister to two previous Northwest album favorites: King Me (2003) and Sunset On Dateland (2004).
"Visqueen is a wildly fun rock 'n' roll band that simultaneously shakes your hips and tugs at your heart. To my ears, a potent mix of The Replacements and Buzzcocks. But fronted by the disarmingly cool Rachel Flotard, who is inimitable. No other band is THIS ridiculously infectious; these songs just burrow into bones and animate the body. If you love, love, love great rock music, this band is for you. Intelligent, unpretentious, and fun as eff you see kay.
Oh, and this is their richest album to date! Rocket blast tunes dressed up with new textures, wrinkles, etc."
Must-have Rock Record
D. Logan | New York City | 09/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"See that big cat on the cover? That's the sleek, sexy predator of rock coming out of the jungle to chew you right out of your cummerbund. This new Visqueen record has all the catchy hooks and melodies that you would expect from a Visqueen joint, but with even more claws. And pounce."
Rockin' 'rrific
Jennifer H. Rothschild | Closter, New Jersey | 11/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had never heard Visqueen before, and I was so smitten by the music that I played the CD over and over. Now I have several of the tunes running through my head at all times. I only wish that the lyrics were included, because this isn't "standard issue" stuff - some of it is very deep! A must-have CD for any fan of rock and roll. Rachel Flotard is very talented and has a great voice. Neko Case is on back-up vocals."
Real Singer - Real Rock
Orval | Seattle | 10/09/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Having lived in Seattle for years I've seen Visqueen a few times and they never really struck me as being that interesting. Usually it was at a show opening for another band. Once I saw Rachael come out and sing Glad Girls with the grandfather of indie rock himeself - Mr. Bob Pollard. Fast forward a few years and it took an article in the local weekly Seattle goto paper, The Stranger, for me to re think about this band I never think about. In this stupid age of folky wannabee backporch campfire hipsters that inhabit the wasteland of Pitchforked foolishness it was great to read an article about such a genuine person. Seattle can be a strange town musically but also diverse. The Fleet Foxes make Harry Potter music for children, Visqueen makes real music for anyone.
With such an incredible voice, it's not surprising that Racheal sings back up on the last Nico Case album and Nico returned the favor here. There are a lot of similarities in both voices as well but the music of Visqueen is on the other end of the spectrum musically. Visqueen is pretty much a power pop band fronted by a great singer. The band is good no doubt but some of the songs start to blend together which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lot's of baere chords here. It's upbeat for the most part. The striking song on the album is So Long. Sad slide guitars and pretty instrumentation mixed with Racheal Flotards beautiful voice are hopefully a harbinger of musical output in her future. It's a good album and although not the type of music I generally listen to, I dig this record. It's easy to listen to over and over again. It was obvious at the show the band has fun and that comes through the sound as well. The music resonates with honesty also. There is nothing kitsch or ironic about this music like so much crap out there. Nice to have something like this come out at the begninning of a long dark Seattle Winter."