Like Dillinger Four before them, the Soviettes made the job of producing raw yet loveable punk rock look too easy. They also made it look insanely fun, which is why it came as such a surprise to hear that they broke up during the summer of '06. After forming in 2001, the quartet—guitarists Annie and Sturgeon, bassist Suzy, and drummer Danny—hit the national circuit almost immediately with LP I coming out on Billy Joe Armstrong's Adeline imprint. Their next two LPs, LP II and LP III, came out on the even-bigger Fat Wreck Chords, portending further success for the Twin Cities' favorite punks. Then, with all the fanfare of a crippling economic collapse, the Soviettes dissolved—not with a bang, but a MySpace bulletin. Actually, it was hardly that official: Rumors swirled, and members joined other bands (most notably the Awesome Snakes, in which Annie and Danny continue the Soviettes' legacy of taking nothing—especially punk rock—very seriously). But no one confirmed the band's end. Hate to break it to you, but it's true. We're pretty broken up about it, too.