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From The Desk Of The Posies: The Melismatics

Solid States is the Posies’ first new collection since 2010’s Blood/Candy, and the circumstances surrounding its conception couldn’t have been more different than those of its predecessor. First and foremost were the double-gut-punch deaths of two longtime band members: drummer Darius Minwalla in 2015, and bassist Joe Skyward earlier this year. There was also a divorce and a remarriage for Jon Auer, who, like Ken Stringfellow, now lives in France. Life-changing events aside, the Posies are back with yet another great album. Stringfellow and Auer will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.

Melismatics

Auer: Hailing from Minneapolis, the Melismatics are, dare I say, most excellent indeed. Ryan, Pony, Mark and Ron, in this writer’s opinion, all have talent and charisma to burn, and I would rank them among the most hard-work musicians I’ve ever known. Besides having honed their music and performance to a solid T over the year, they also have a true “band feel” to them; they’re more than just a collection of musicians as each of them is complimentary to the other and seems indispensable. When it comes to what they do and how they do it, I’ve never seen them phone in anything; they always give of themselves to the nth degree. Sure, I helped produced a couple their of records, so you can call me a little biased if you like, but go see them live and I think you’ll be able to see what I mean. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to be the band that has to follow them on a bill. On a more reptilian note: What do the Melismatics, a snake and myself have in common? Take a gander at their video for “Divided Devotions” and find out.