The Posies are the tragic overachievers of the 1990s alternative rock explosion. Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, the songwriting duo of Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow masterfully bridged the gap between the roaring, distorted crunch of Seattle grunge and the shimmering, pristine vocal harmonies of classic 1970s power-pop.
They possessed an unparalleled knack for writing soaring, Beatles-esque melodies wrapped in sharp, emotionally complex lyrics. Despite staggering critical acclaim and heavy backing from Geffen Records, they were unjustly overshadowed by their more cynical, abrasive peers, remaining a fiercely guarded secret for power-pop purists worldwide.
Originally released in 1988 on cassette, the debut album by Seattle power-poppers The Posies represents an important part of the Pacific Northwest music scene that wasn’t Sub-Pop or Grunge. “Failure” was a young sounding, yet very strong set of uber melodic pop songs that spiritually connected fans of Big Star, early R.E.M., The Replacements, Velvet Crush, and the Hollies. The band’s principals – Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow – went on to become members of Big Star – and while fans would make the case that The Posies’ major labels were better albums than “Failure”, it’s inspiring to hear the pop bliss of a band struggling to find their voices, as The Posies certainly did.
The Posies, were Jon Auer, Dave Fox, Ken Stringfellow, and Mike Musburger,
The Fat Angel Sings 