Anyone remember the Drop Nineteens?

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I love "Delaware", but their second album saw lots of line-up changes and a change in sound for the worse. I found a version of "Fight for Your Right to Party" on Audiogalaxy this week which is incredibly trashy/noisy, but somehow manages to work.

long time lurker, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Ah, the Drop Nineteens. Saw them at the late lamented Duchess in Leeds. Remember nothing other than their youth.

dan, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Incidentally there is an entire album of demos pre-dating "Delaware" that can be found on the 'net. The material is very dense sounding and lacking the later pop-sensibilities, but still well-worth checking out.

long time lurker, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Delaware is great and shits all over the Swirlies first proper album. Of all the albums I own dating from this period, this one comes out a lot more often than most.

electric sound of jim, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

the other thread may be of interest, check smashing orange as well...

and yes, they were fab. kick the tragedy is one of the best 'end of summer' songs ever, as i said last year. its a pity the 2nd album was poor, and i only saw them on the tour for that, reading festival 93 i think (near total line up change, but the new bassist, i think it was bass, she was ROWR!!!)

gareth, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Paula Kelley is looking pretty hot

Chris, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I think I'll stop using the Poops McGee name. The Artist Formerly Known As Poops McGee.

Chris, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i think the bassist (in the 2nd incarnation) was called megan something or other

gareth, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

megan gilbert

Chris, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Interviewed them once in NYC.

Freaked them out by telling them 'you're a fast crowd' for no apparent reason. Pleasant enough sound, albeit suspiciously generic.

Jerry, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Loved "Winona" from the moment I first heard it, and still have the brief clip from C4's "The Chart Show". I also still find myself regularly 'doing' (I suppose this is the right verb) their version of Madonna's "Angel" while walking to the tube in the morning.

Felt let down though when I saw them at the ... Mean Fiddler I think ? .. straight after "Delaware". The music was ok, but they turned me off with the way they picked out compatriots in the audience and spent their entire intersong banter doing 'Hey, where are you from' exchanges with them. Like, thanks for coming to our non- existent tour stop, o imperialist gods.

Darren, Thursday, 18 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...
Sure I remember them. The only one of them still making music is making great records: check out Paula Kelley's web site, and also Stop, Pop, and Roll for periodic Drop Nineteens MP3 rarities.

- Jacques

Jacques Ass, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Paula's still making music? How very cool -- thanks for googling this thread!

Ned Raggett, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

'Winona' was kinda dreamy, unlike the rest of Delaware.

stevo, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

All I remember, is that when I saw them on BOTH tours, they totally blew my mind. I got the chance to speak to them after a show once, and they invited me to hang out and have a hash orgy. The guitarist was quite the smoke-fest artist, and the singer was one of the more interesting, well-spoken sorts I've met to date.

papa knows best, Saturday, 1 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Swirlies are/were wildly inventive, but don't even come close to the Drop Nineteens. The Drop Nineteens may have had their obvious influences, but, The Swirlies wear them on their sleeve TEN FOLD what the Drops ever did. Not to mention, they suck ass live, because they don't want to try, (see the school of Sebadoh).

Carl Louis, Sunday, 2 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

anyone know where I can find their demos? I used to have a cassette of the 2nd demo, and I've lost it, and miss it terribly

Fred Ashley, Sunday, 2 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

If you look on audiogalaxy you will find all the D19's demos, as well as a Peel session which includes a very trashy version of the Beastie's "Fight For Your Right to Party". The demos are great.

james devon, Thursday, 6 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't see any threads on the Swirlies

Garnett James, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I made out with Paula when they were touring England for Delaware, and man, she has a lonnnnnnng tongue!

The Watts, Monday, 17 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't beleive that you made out with Paula Kelley......... Drop 19's continue to be the most underrated band EVER.

Pity the Fool, Wednesday, 19 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

three weeks pass...
The reason I still listen to, and keep my copy of Delaware is Kick the Tragedy-- goddam good, layered, 8 minute epic guitar bliss. And I don't believe that guy made out with Paula either.

Doug Ederley, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

last time i saw paula kelly she was making out with mat from revolver in the shelter.

keith, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've frequently made out with Paula Kelley, sadly only within the confines of my lewd imagination.

paula kelley 4EVA!, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've got that Chart Show clip as well, I think it was after the show had migrated to ITV though. I seem to remember it had stuff like the first Belly EP and the 'Trigger Cut +1' (or something) Pavement ep in the top 10, Oh, and Curv

chewshabadoo, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've got that Chart Show clip as well, I think it was after the show had migrated to ITV though. I seem to remember it had stuff like the first Belly EP and the 'Trigger Cut +1' (or something) Pavement ep in the top 10, Oh, and Curve!

chewshabadoo, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

I just came back from vacation in Belgium, and I saw their album 'National Coma' for 2.5 Euro (regarding that the Euro is at the time I write this equal to the US$, do the maths yourself). I didn't know them, and I'm just listening to the album for the first time. They sound pretty good, but I still like Skycycle best. (http://www.skycycleonline.com/, I own the site, but the band, also from Los Angeles, is not related to me)

Eddy

Eddy G. (Skycycle), Friday, 26 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

four weeks pass...
First of all let me say, "werd to the DOWN CROWD!" woo hooo ;oP,.. then i must contend the fact & grace that YES,.. this was one of THEE Greatest American counter-cultured sounds to perfectly attain the "heavyweight" status of an actual GOOD US Shoegaze group! :D
Further more I lived in La. @ the time where it was full of VERY low exposure (so you can imagine what hell i went thru just to get my hands on a copy of Delaware to begin with!) ;oP Well, 10 years has come & gone & this band of beautiful blissers STILL sounds fucking *great* ;o]]]
Not too many larger/more selling acts can say that!
Drop 19's,...

....... WHERE ARE YOU¿!¿!¿

we miss you guys (even if Paula is a sell-out) she can at least do one more summer for "US!" We LOVE you still tho Paula!!! ;oP

oh! so sincerely,
"Michael Andrew Miles!"
a.k.a. Sub-Angel

#mp3^ShoeGazer ::: on dul-nut IRC (keeping the spirit alive with the ONLY shoegaze chan down there!) well @ least I'm tryin ,.. what r u doin?¿

Mike Miles, Friday, 23 August 2002 21:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

Miles, where are you located?

sizle, Wednesday, 28 August 2002 19:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

two weeks pass...
Re: Paula today

Umm, can you please define sell-out? I mean, not still playing music in a fringe style that wasn't her first love in the first place, but having the balls to keep on making wonderful, unique, and ever-evolving music in the midst of the current lackluster scene with very little financial remuneration constitutes selling out?

And, no, that dude did not make out with Paula. Fact.

- Jacques

Googly-Man, Thursday, 12 September 2002 14:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've only heard the second album National Coma. Thought the single Limp was superb, the album unremarkable.

Underclocked, Thursday, 12 September 2002 17:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...
bump

adaml (adaml), Friday, 3 October 2003 07:55 (twenty years ago) link

I like their version of Madonna's "Angel" better than her own -- and that's saying something, because it's one of my favorite Madonna songs. The rest of their tunes never really affected me one way or another though, sorry to say.

stripey, Friday, 3 October 2003 16:01 (twenty years ago) link

six years pass...

Still love this song but god the video is sooooo horrible and "90s"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4oCboj39jo

Edgware Wolf in London (admrl), Saturday, 25 September 2010 23:53 (thirteen years ago) link

four years pass...

I never knew there was a video for this. My favorite song of theirs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM0ThAxl9FQ

dlp9001, Thursday, 6 August 2015 16:21 (eight years ago) link

i love that album

tayto fan (Michael B), Thursday, 6 August 2015 16:28 (eight years ago) link

two years pass...

http://squarecottoncandy.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/drop-nineteens-oral-history-as-told-by.html

Interesting interview with some ex-members. You even find out who Phil is from "Kick The Tragedy"

Greg Ackell still remains an enigma.

mandarax, Sunday, 17 December 2017 00:15 (six years ago) link

I remember them from an episode of "The Adventures of Pete and Pete".

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 17 December 2017 04:15 (six years ago) link

two years pass...

A little late but here's a 2018 piece on them as well:

https://bostonhassle.com/five-ex-drop-nineteens-tell-their-story/

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 8 October 2020 18:55 (three years ago) link

Now having a pair of mismatched sounding records in stores and Hot Rod as a challenger, Drop Nineteens hit the road with in support of National Coma with a setlist Koeplin likened to shuffling the deck. “ I don’t know if I could go back and listen to that set now, what that must’ve sounded like… to go from ‘Winona’ to ‘7/8’,” opined Zimmerman.

Oh cringe, they didn't!!

Deflatormouse, Friday, 9 October 2020 03:06 (three years ago) link

two years pass...

there’s no longer a gap in the 21st century

brimstead, Wednesday, 2 August 2023 15:32 (eight months ago) link

Key info:

The rest of Drop Nineteens’ current incarnation is effectively the Delaware lineup — Ackell, Kelley, Zimmerman and guitarist Motohiro “Moto” Yasue — minus OG drummer Chris Roof, whose role is amicably filled by National Coma-era drummer Pete Koeplin.

Reissues planned and apparently East and West Coast dates are lined up?

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 2 August 2023 15:36 (eight months ago) link

Ah there they are, end of the piece:

October 10 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis w/ Greg Mendez
October 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ Horse Jumper Of Love
October 12 – Boston, MA @ The Paradise w/ Greg Mendez
October 13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw w/ Greg Mendez
October 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco w/ Winter
October 22 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish w/ Winter

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 2 August 2023 15:45 (eight months ago) link

my kid of all people suggested we go see them. I was like "I vaguely remember this band"

I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 3 August 2023 00:05 (eight months ago) link

funny to read way upthread about people seeing Winona on the Chart Show on ITV which I also did when I was about 15, and I loved that song and bought the album and that was the only good song on it

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 00:48 (eight months ago) link

where is the zoomer hype for this band supposedly happening because i'm not even seeing rym be particularly fond of them which is what i'd expect for an obscure shoegaze band i'd never heard of before

ufo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 01:05 (eight months ago) link

yeah I'd be surprised if they got much zoomer love mostly because most of their stuff isn't that shoegazey and it's also rubbish.

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 01:07 (eight months ago) link

i get confused about how announcements work, yeah they've been posting updates about their work new album for a while, and apparently there's going to be an official release of the "mayfield" demos as well... one track of it got played on KEXP in april of '22, a rip is on YT. anyway, yeah, looking forward to the new record and "mayfield" getting an official release... i know one can only expect so much from demos but the bootleg copies sound like shit!

Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 3 August 2023 01:08 (eight months ago) link

Mayfield is actually pretty good!

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 01:11 (eight months ago) link

Very popular with Gen Z despite only having 1.5 good songs.

citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 3 August 2023 01:25 (eight months ago) link

three months pass...

new Drop Nineteens >>>> new Slowdive

Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Tuesday, 7 November 2023 15:42 (five months ago) link

You fiend. (But understandable.)

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 7 November 2023 15:50 (five months ago) link

my preorder is on its way! excited to give it a focused listen

was so excited to see that they covered some golden-era The Clientele! A favorite song for sure

Evan, Tuesday, 7 November 2023 16:18 (five months ago) link

one month passes...

Not enough talk about this. Beautiful record from start to finish.

Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Sunday, 24 December 2023 13:15 (four months ago) link

A shame this wasn't the actual follow up at the time but almost everyone ditched that sound by '93

Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Sunday, 24 December 2023 13:16 (four months ago) link


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