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Virgin Islands: Healthcare Gets An Anthem

Virgin Islands' "No Doctor" turns political frustration into a rugged jam that speaks equally to the brain and the body.
Courtesy of the artist
Virgin Islands' "No Doctor" turns political frustration into a rugged jam that speaks equally to the brain and the body.

The state of healthcare in America isn't often fodder for protest songs, but it's not as if it isn't a top-of-mind concern these days. So the members of the Seattle band Virgin Islands have come through with a healthcare anthem of their very own: "No Doctor" is a scathing post-punk screed against the system's failures that matches lyrical bite with musical intensity.

More than a mere political statement, "No Doctor" — like the rest of the band's recent album Ernie Chambers v. God — is hyper-melodic, compelling and intelligent. A bracing, guitar-driven romp, "No Doctor" turns frustration into a rugged jam that speaks equally to the brain and the body. It slices to the heart of the issues at hand while never sacrificing its own heart and soul. And isn't that what punk rock is all about?

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Barbara Mitchell