It began with Kevin McDonough, who held down the vocal and guitar spots even as his supporting players rotated. The Auxiliary LP appeared in 1997, and the band toured regionally incessantly. But the combo didn't really take off until 1999, when bassist/vocalist Andrea Jablonski joined the fold and the Drapes' sludgy punk-blues sluiceway broke forth with the ragged doom and heartache. Bones pierced skin; guitars hung low, laden with heavy-gauge strings. McDonough and Jablonski became fixtures in the local scene and continued touring, all the while with drummers in transition. The Shine on Sweetheart LP appeared in 2001, and the Drapes seemed to rock a thousand more dives before drummer Bob Spellbring finally made them whole in 2002. The trio returned in 2003 with Swollen (Orange Recordings), their most searing effort to date. ~ Johnny Loftus