"Alex's bedroom window looks out over the chemical factory yard. His father was a manager at the factor for years. . . . After he disappeared, they discovered he'd been embezzling money from the company's accounts using a tax trick. Nobody's seen him since. . . . The songs that Alex writes are often about that."

Four boys with turbulent home lives find refuge in the music they play together and in their friendship. When their only amp blows a fuse and the deadline to make their demo tape is pressing, they decide to steal in order to replace it. Events rapidly spiral out of control: will this be the end of everything the band's worked for?

Gipi's gritty, elegant pencil-and-watercolor artwork makes Garage Band a book of astounding beauty. The rough and compelling artistry of this young adult graphic novel binds the work together, capturing the essence of being a teenager.