Review Revue: The Posies - Failure

Review Revue
04/02/2020
Levi Fuller

Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the ’80s and ’90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.

As these posts are basically an internet time capsule, I've been wondering whether I should continue drafting and posting them without any reference to the current chaos engulfing our planet. But as I pulled up today's album, the debut from Seattle pop institution the Posies, I realized how ridiculous it would be to attempt that. I went to their web site to see what they're up to: They were supposed to play SXSW, and we know what happened with that. They also have a tour of Spain scheduled in June, which I can't imagine is going to happen. It sounds as though they have a new album planned, and I have enough friends releasing new music this spring to have a pretty good idea of what the current situation is doing to that. Basically, it all sucks, and everywhere you look there's another musician or artist whose work you love who needs your support, whether they're directly asking for it or not.

So for now I'll take this moment to say: if you enjoy the Posies, and appreciate Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow's contributions to the musical universe (as at least half of the KCMU crew did when this came out), find a way to support them. Buy music. Follow Ken on Bandsintown, or hire him to lay down some tracks for you or give you a private online performance or instrument lessons. This is just what I came up with in a few minutes of poking around. Be creative! Or, at the very least, pay for some music.

"An excellent guitar pop LP, and a nice change of pace from the recent barrage of grunge in this area. Strong songs w/good arrangements. Falls in line with many similar band from the mid-'60s on (you know which ones). Yow."

"Zzzz wake me up when it's over."

"Teenage girls are really gonna 'light up the phones' with this one."

"And such a pretty blue!"

"An improvement over carts!"

"Yeah, vinyl flies a lot better." [ouch]

"Soon to be released on Frontier."

"I'm tired of this."

"Reminiscent of the Monkees + Hollies. Pretty cool that they did it all by himself."

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