Led by Isabel Monteiro (b. Sao Paulo, Brazil; vocals/bass), who relocated to England in 1990, Drugstore are a London-based outfit specializing in dreamy but occasionally spiteful punk pop. The band was formed in 1992 by Monteiro, Dave Hunter (guitar) and Mike Chylinski (drums), with the singer meeting the latter, previously in a series of Los Angeles rock bands, after she had played bass in minor London bands. Hunter was replaced by Daron Robinson in November 1993. Drugstore came to nationwide prominence at the following year's Phoenix Festival, at which Monteiro took the stage in the national football strip of Brazil (this being only one of several unusual stage costumes adopted). This was enough to gain the attention of Go! Discs, who signed the band following the release of just one single ("Alive") on their own Honey label (just before Robinson had joined the band). Tours with Gene, Tindersticks, Jeff Buckley and Echobelly followed as did second single "Modern Pleasure", before the advent of a debut album in 1995. With their vocalist proffering highly unusual lyrical matter with a delivery akin to Mazzy Star, there was delicious menace behind the seductive sound (sample lyric from Drugstore - "I've still got the knife that I used to get rid of that guy" - from "Nectarine"). A complementary single, "Solitary Party Groover", earned numerous Single Of The Week awards as Drugstore's rise continued. The band recruited a fourth member, Ian Burdge (keyboards, cello), in 1996, but the collapse of Go! Discs delayed their follow-up. A duet with Thom Yorke of Radiohead on the excellent single "El President" put the band firmly back in the spotlight. While not all of White Magic For Lovers was able to match the high standards set by the single, tracks such as "Say Hello" and "Mondo C ne" proved the band were capable of equally inspired moments. Another change of record label preceded their best album to date, Songs For The Jet Set.

Listen to Drugstore at Finetune.

• (1998)  White Magic For Lovers

• El President
• Sober
• I Know I Could
• White Magic For Lovers
• Never Come Down

• Radiohead
• Lush
• Snow Patrol
• Flaming Lips
• Yo La Tengo
• Primal Scream
• My Bloody Valentine
• Tortoise
• Isotope 217
• Mogwai
• The Delgados
• The London Community Gospel Choir
• Looper
• Spiritualized
• Ride
• Flying Saucer Attack
• Kent
• Spacemen 3
• Swervedriver
• The Boo Radleys

• sideways
• kjellaso
• framek
• bloodyCURE
• schnuerle