Dropmore Scarlet

The word that comes to mind when one thinks of the band Dropmore Scarlet is ‘melodious’. From the highly danceable bop of ‘Pretty Lip’ and ‘Jake’ to the haunting harmonica chorus of ‘Lately’ or the soaring ‘Desdemona’, these women provide gorgeous melodies and infectious rhythms on their first eponymous album. Their influences range from the Beatles to Stone Roses, Echobelly and the Pixies, with styles including jazz, Latin and African beats, but a common thread is the band’s intense musicality. Critics have already praised them for their instrumental intelligence, integrity and style. - Curve Magazine

Dropmore Scarlet quietly released one of the best CDs to come out of Milwaukee this past year and sadly it has gone relatively unnoticed. But these four women create an enchanting blend of bossa nova, rock, pop and more that will have you up and dancing in the hot July Sun. - Kenosha News

It's not an easy feat for a band to make a record packed with diversity and all the while maintain a distinctive personality. Props, then, to Milwaukee quartet Dropmore Scarlet, which bridges that difficulty with its eponymous debut disc, just released.

"We each have very different musical tastes, influences, backgrounds and the ability to appreciate those differences," admits singer Kari Bloom. "Having multiple writers in the band allows us to experiment with our instrumentation. Our variation in style comes naturally, which makes us unique and seems to set us apart from other bands."

The group -- which comprises vocalist Bloom, bassist Laura Proeber and drummer/guitarist/songwriters Ginny Wiskowski and Kristen Kakatsch -- has been together for about five years now. But most of its members are not new to the scene.

"Ginny has been active in the local music scene since the mid '80s," says Bloom. "Laura was involved in various bands throughout high school and college, and was classically trained on bass and cello. Coming from a very musical family, Kristen has been playing locally since junior high and was a member of Ever and Alpha Dog. And even though I've been singing forever, this is my first experience in a band."

All of that experience seems to have paid off. The 12 tunes on the disc - recorded with Bill Stace at Walls Have Ears in the Miramar Theatre - are tautly arranged and the band's instrumental skills are ace.

They have the ability to rock out like Blondie or Echobelly ("Pretty Lip"), pull a jazzy Brazilian twist, a la Basia ("Lately"), head into Afropop ("Love and Light") or '80s Britpop ("Jake" will grab Housemartins fans by the neck!) and leap head-first into tempo and stylistic acrobatics ("Record Skip").

Certainly the interplay among members is key and that has grown as their line-up has evolved.

"Laura and I played for fun with some friends back in 1998," Blooms says. "We decided to get out of the basement and played our first show during the 1999 Christmas season. Shortly after that, we had the opportunity to record a song at the Chicago Recording Co. for an independent movie soundtrack with one of our original members, Kim Floyd.

"Then we met Kristen and she started playing with us, splitting her time with another local group. She finally joined the band full time in 2000. When Ginny's band broke up that same year, Kim invited Ginny to come sit in on some of our practices. It was a fit, and Ginny joined us in 2001. Kim eventually left the band to commit all of her time to her new business, the West End Gallery, selling art and wine. With this new arrangement, we decided to re-invent ourselves, and became Dropmore Scarlet."

Although Dropmore Scarlet doesn't have a high profile in Milwaukee, expect that to change in the coming months. The disc is earning them some notice and word on the street is that the quartet is as accomplished on stage as it is in the studio.

"All of the feedback has been great," Bloom enthuses. "A local record label expressed an interest in working with us after listening to a pre-released copy. We've since decided to manage the CD independently and keep our options open. We do have a lot of new material and we are playing out as often as possible. We hope to get back into the studio within the next year."
- onMilwaukee.com

For the last two years, Dropmore Scarlet has kept a low profile. But the roster includes players with many high-profile moments on the local scene. Kari Bloom (vocals), Laura Proeber (bass), Ginny Wiskowski and Kristen Kakatsch (both pulling double duty on drums and guitar) have all been involved in successful bands such as Psychobunnies and Fweep. Musical diversity is the key, where new wave, rock, pop and unexpected twists of jazz and Latin combine in music of integrity and style. Fans have become accustomed to the band’s energetic and precise live performance. - Shepherd Express

Few bands possess the instrumental intelligence and raw talent to leapfrog multiple genres in a single album and retain enough individual identity to look back and smile. Dropmore Scarlet is one of the few. Celebrating the release of their self-titled debut album, this local foursome graces the Milwaukee Ale House Thursday to fan the flames of their impending fame. Join the party and gyrate to Afrobeat-inspired tunes, ‘90s British rock, a little jazzy-pop and all-out rock ‘n’ roll. - Shepherd Express

Dropmore Scarlet from Milwaukee have, in their self-titled debut, the ballsy-est album I've heard in a long time, "ballsy" defined primarily as ‘risk-taking, and pulling it off’. In quick succession, the tracks veer from noisy, catchy LeTigre-like beat-heavy indie rock, to jazzy pop which The Association would feel comfortable covering; then from up-tempo jam-band rock, to a ballad I can completely believe as the demo Marty Balin might give to Jefferson Starship; then from a Go-Go's rave-up, to a melody reminiscent of ‘Free Bird’; from a rockin' bossa nova with quirks, to a Pink Floyd on estrogen love/hate jangle. That's just the first eight tracks: I stopped and rested; the trip was joyous and exhilarating. - Challenge