Drugstore (band)

Drugstore
Origin	London, United Kingdom
Genres	Alternative, dream pop
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Go! Discs Roadrunner London Rocket Girl
Associated acts	Thom Yorke, Jeff Buckley, Tindersticks, The Flaming Lips
Website	Official Facebook website
Members
Isabel Monteiro Peter Allinson Yuuki McCLure
Past members
Daron Robinson Mike Chylinski Matt Aulich Ian Burdge

Drugstore are a London-based alternative and dream pop band led by Brazilian singer-songwriter and bassist Isabel Monteiro (b. São Paulo, Brazil), who relocated to England in 1990s, with Dave Hunter (later replaced by Daron Robinson) on guitar and Mike Chylinski on drums. The band's name is taken from the 1989 Gus Van Sant film, Drugstore Cowboy.^[1]

Career

The band was formed in 1993 by Monteiro, Hunter and Chylinski. Shortly before the release of their first single "Alive” in 1994, Hunter was replaced by Daron Robinson. Soon after this, the band signed a major record deal with Go! Discs. A number of singles earned them 'Single Of The Week' awards, as Drugstore's rise continued. The band came to prominence at the following year's Phoenix Festival, at which Monteiro took the stage in the national football strip of Brazil, followed by performances both at the Reading and Glastonbury festivals. Tours with Radiohead, Tindersticks, Jeff Buckley and The Jesus and Mary Chain followed.

Following the sale of Go! Discs to PolyGram, the band released its second album, White Magic for Lovers on Roadrunner Records. The 3rd album, Songs for the Jet Set, was released by GlobalWarming Records in 2001, followed by a compilation of extra tracks in 2002, Drugstore Collector Number One (compilation of b-sides and out-takes).

Drugstore played at a protest in London which called for the extradition of the Chilean General Augusto Pinochet. Their song "El President", a duet with Radiohead's Thom Yorke, is dedicated to former Chilean president Salvador Allende,^[2] who was ousted in a 1973 coup d'état in which Pinochet played a key role.

Drugstore's music has been featured on four film soundtracks. "Superglider", from the album Drugstore, is used on All Over Me and House of America, both released in 1997. "Fader", also from Drugstore, is featured on the credits of the 2000 film Cherry Falls. "Old Shoes", originally written and performed by Tom Waits from the album Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits, is used in the 2004 film East of Sunset. The band's music was also featured throughout the BBC series This Life, whose music producer was Ricky Gervais.

In 2002 the band went into a seven-year hiatus:.^[3] They returned with a gig at Dingwalls, London, in September 2009.

Early in 2010, Monteiro announced a revamped line-up, which was unveiled at a sold-out gig, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, on May 5, 2010.

In the summer of 2010 the band performed at Glastonbury Festival, for the charity 'Attitude is Everything' and at the Secret Garden Party Festival, in Huntingdon.

In October 2010 Drugstore signed a record deal with London based indie label Rocket Girl, who previously released works by Robin Guthrie, Television Personalities, A Place to Bury Strangers and others.

The band spent 3 weeks in January 2011, at a remote studio in Platts Eyot, recording material for a new album, Anatomy, which was released in the summer.

Discography

Albums

• 1995 - Drugstore - UK #31
• 1998 - White Magic for Lovers - UK #45
• 2001 - Songs for the Jet Set
• 2002 - Drugstore Collector Number One (compilation of b-sides and out-takes)
• 2011 - Anatomy

^[4]

Singles

• "Alive" (1993) - [Honey Records HON1]
• "Modern Pleasure" (1993) - [Rough Trade Singles Club 45REV 24]
• "Starcrossed" (1994) - [Honey Records HONCD3 Go! Discs 857709-2]
• "Nectarine" (1995) - UK #105[Honey Records HONCD4 Go! Discs - 857891-2]
• "Solitary Party Groover" (1995) - UK #105 [Honey Records HONCD6 Go! Discs - 857965-2]
• "Fader" (1995) - UK #75 - [Honey Records HON7]
• "Injection" (1995) - UK #81 [Honey Records HON8]
• "Mondo Cane" (1996) - UK #92 [Honey Records HON10]
• "El President" (1998) - UK #20 - [Roadrunner]
• "Sober" (1998) - UK #68 - [Roadrunner]
• "Say Hello" (1998) - UK #148 [Roadrunner]
• "I Wanna Love You Like a Man" (2000) - UK #131 [Global Warming]
• "Baby Don't Hurt Yourself" (2001)
• "Song for the Lonely" (2001) - UK #147 [Global Warming]
• "Sweet Chili Girl" (2011)[rocket girl]

^[4]

Fanclub releases

• "Driving" (one-sided 7 inch release Christmas 1994, limited to 1000 copies, Honey Records HON5)
• "Xmas at the Drugstore" (one-sided 7 inch release Christmas 1995, Honey Records DXMAS95)

Additional recordings

• The band also contributed tracks to a variety of compilations, of note the Volume Series.

References

1. ^ "Biography by Jason Ankeny". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p143751/biography. Retrieved 9 January 2009. 
2. ^ "Radiohead, colaboraciones y versiones". indyrock.es. http://www.indyrock.es/radiocolaboraciones.htm. Retrieved 27 August 2008.  (Spanish)/(English)
3. ^ "Anatomy" - Isabel Monteiro's blog
4. ^ ^{a b} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 169. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links

• official Facebook page
• Drugstore fansite
• SoudsXP Interview
• Londonist Live Review