Good news from the land of Seattle’s Posies. Their new album – the first of new material since 1998’s Success and the subsequent breakup of the band – will be coming out on June 28 on Rykodisc, with extensive touring to follow.

Despite being technically defunct for the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st, the band was just as prolific split up as they were together. Principals Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer played a series of acoustic shows in 2000 as The Posies to promote a box set and best-of compilation and which in itself yielded a live album and led to another studio EP. Auer and Stringfellow also released the Private Sides split EP in 2003, almost but not quite a proper reunion as the three songs each contributed was recorded independently. They’ve also both been part of the reconstituted Big Star since 1993 and are part of that band’s first new album since 1978, due out in late August/early Septermber (though I’ve not heard great things about it).

And in addition to the collaborative work, both Auer and Stringfellow are prolific solo artists – well, Stringfellow more than Auer but he’s more prolific than most mortals. In addition to the Posies, Big Star and his solo work, he’s also an almost-permenant member of REM (Who apparently turned 25 a couple days back? Happy birthday. Start making good music again, if you please). Auer, however, has been sitting on his Songs From The Year Of Our Demise for God knows how long now and with the upcoming Posies responsibilities, it has been pushed back till January 2006 at the earliest. Pity.

I admit I’m a johnny-come-lately to the Posies, starting with their Dream All Day compilation and working my way back to all of the albums (except Failure). Their songcraft is impeccable but I’ve always felt they suffered from the production and haven’t necessarily aged well sonically. But when you’re looking for pure pop goodness, you’ll not find many better. This live track, from indeterminate time and place, comes courtesy of the first decent band resource ever, www.theposies.net.

MP3: The Posies – “When Mute Tongues Can Speak”

And while I’m milking the mid-90s power-pop kick, Buffalo Tom are out of mothballs and working on new material. Bill Janovitz has been passing time doing the solo thing, writing a volume for the 33-1/3 series of books about Exile On Main Street and selling real estate.

Popmatters has a brief Q&A with Mr Iron & Wine, Sam Beam.

The Empires are playing Wavelength this Sunday night. I was fairly impressed when I saw them a couple months ago, I will try to make it out again this weekend to check them out again. Click the WL link for an interview. Check out their MySpace page.

This bands on MySpace thing fascinates me. Do they really administer their pages themselves or do they get someone to do it for them? Like, if I saw that The Wedding Present was online, could I instant message them and talk to Dave Gedge? Or would I get some Scopitones underling? I am too shy to find out.

Miasma tonight at SpaHa. Go, enjoy the music, but get loaded at home first – drinks there be expensive.

np – Yo La Tengo / A Smattering Of Outtakes And Rarities 1986-2000

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