Wharf Cat US Vinyl & CDs

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Drop Nineteens' album Delaware captures the essence of the shoegaze movement with its fuzzy guitars, serene harmonies, and dissonant melodies. While the band's sound draws comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, their lack of mainstream success can be attributed to the rise of grunge and bands like Smashing Pumpkins in the early 90s. The album has many moments of brilliance, such as the sprawling noise of 'Kick the Tragedy' and the catchy melodies of 'Madonna' and 'Happen.' However, some tracks fall flat with generic riffs and uninspired songwriting. Delaware includes strong vocal performances by Greg Ackell and Paula Kelley, particularly on tracks like 'Reberrymemberer.' Overall, Delaware is a very worthwhile listen for fans of the shoegaze movement or late 80s alternative/indie music.

Review: Massachusetts indie/shoegaze fivesome Drop Nineteens follow up their last album Delaware with a melancholic ride, Hard Light, painting a road-trippy picture of a band having come a long way. Indeed, they'll happily go down in history as having contributed instrumentally to the emergence of the US shoegaze scene, in what was otherwise beforehand considered, in the words of journalist Greg Ackell, "the American outlier in a largely British scene". The band carry that legacy with them here, bringing together eleven new, nostalgic originals under the wing of an honest, contemporary and hopeful sound.

Review: Drop Nineteens' album Delaware captures the essence of the shoegaze movement with its fuzzy guitars, serene harmonies, and dissonant melodies. While the band's sound draws comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, their lack of mainstream success can be attributed to the rise of grunge and bands like Smashing Pumpkins in the early 90s. The album has many moments of brilliance, such as the sprawling noise of 'Kick the Tragedy' and the catchy melodies of 'Madonna' and 'Happen.' However, some tracks fall flat with generic riffs and uninspired songwriting. Delaware includes strong vocal performances by Greg Ackell and Paula Kelley, particularly on tracks like 'Reberrymemberer.' Overall, Delaware is a very worthwhile listen for fans of the shoegaze movement or late 80s alternative/indie music.

Review: This demo sessions album is a real rarity - so if you were one of few to bag a copy first time round, you likely earned some jealous looks from fans. But since it's earned cult status as a jewel in their oeuvre through word of mouth, America's answer to Slowdive caved to popular opinion and made it more accessible with this first ever remaster job. This album takes it back to where it all began. Before signing to Caroline Records, Boston-based shoegazers took a leaf out of the punk DIY handbook and handed out this collection on cassette at gigs around London and posted it to labels. 4AD picked up on it and handed the cassette to the Melody Maker, where critics swooned and sparked a feeding frenzy for their signature. And for good reason: despite being less produced than their albums proper, the muddier mixes have a murky, hypnotic edge. Of the songs here 'Song For J.J.' is exhilarating with its unsettling, apocalyptic atmosphere. And 'Daymom' is the audio equivalent to being stood on a windswept Arctic tundra - dark, desolate beauty to its core. Many bands will come and do their best Drop Nineteens impression with the nu-gaze movement in full swing, but the 'Teens had something really special that can't be repeated.

Review: For anyone creative it can be difficult to resist the urge to share work that one's proud of publicly... to seek that instant gratification. Boston-based indie sorts Drop Nineteens, impressively, have held back these superb 1991 demos from official release for more than 30 years. They were originally sent out on cassette to labels who were keen to sign shoegaze bands after the success of Ride and Slowdive and it started a feeding frenzy. Caroline Records came out on top, snagging the US band's signature for their debut album. None of the songs from the demo tape made the album so now we're hearing them properly for the first time. It would have been a travesty if these never saw the light of day properly - it's some of the most affecting reverb-laden guitar music ever created. The tip of this fuzz-laden iceberg is the instant grat track 'Daymom', which is a swelling, darkly atmospheric triumph of a number that ramps up anticipation for what's to come. A must for anyone even remotely into shoegaze.