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Seattle Weekly Review
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“There’s a certain substantial and captivating strength that Posse brings to the stage—the band is c...“There’s a certain substantial and captivating strength that Posse brings to the stage—the band is charming, rocks heavily, takes musical and stylistic cues from some venerated examples (Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth are the obvious touchstones) and already has a loyal fanbase—nothing’s impeding them from becoming a beloved rock staple of Seattle’s live music scene.”
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Kexp Song of the Day
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“Oh Sarah, I’ve got to tell you. It’s not me, it’s you.” You can’t get much more straightforward tha...“Oh Sarah, I’ve got to tell you. It’s not me, it’s you.” You can’t get much more straightforward than that. That statement is a bit representative of the track, too. All three members of the band are quite familiar with the Seattle scene, having played in local bands like Painted Hills and Red Sea Sharks, but Posse takes life of its own.
Their sound draws from vein of playful but loud post-pop as the Black Lips and Dom, and at times, even hint at a bit of Yo La Tengo. Regardless of their influences, Posse are a fun listen, and “Sarah” is the quintessential introduction to their sound.
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Album Review
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Posse’s debut speaks the late 90's punk gospel, with ethereal lip snarl vocals and double time backb...Posse’s debut speaks the late 90's punk gospel, with ethereal lip snarl vocals and double time backbeats as it’s weapons of choice. Always in control with an itchy trigger finger, playing like pillow talk between Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. The lead off “Hey Suzanne” seems to have been getting the play, but deeper cuts like the daringly, snarky “Backrubs” and cooly orchestrated “Viaduct” get me out my seat. Cool. American. Indie rock.
8.0
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Weekly Picks
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eattle’s Posse recall the best of late 80’s and early 90’s indie rock and roll, displaying a strong ...eattle’s Posse recall the best of late 80’s and early 90’s indie rock and roll, displaying a strong Pixies and Sleater Kinney influence. It’s there in the fuzzy guitars, the lead vocal and laconic harmonies on opener “Suzanne”, a killer rock song that could well be the missing track from “Surfer Rosa”. Posse have their own distinct sound going on though-it’s indie rock with sneer and smarts. “Sarah” gets a little nasty in both lyrics (“Oh Sarah I have to ask you; why you open your mouth?”) and a searing guitar solo, while “14 days” is a heart wrencher full of reverb and longing. Posse are at their best however when they’re doing short, fast and loud thing-a feisty rock band with real punch.
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Fresh Track & Video
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Posse is a post pop, indie trio from Seattle that dropped their debut, self-titled effort this week....Posse is a post pop, indie trio from Seattle that dropped their debut, self-titled effort this week. I stumbled upon the release last night via Bandcamp Hunter, a phenomenal source for musical discovery. On the initial take, Posse offers a blend of familiar chord progressions – clean for a garage outfit, well constructed songwriting and enough energy to provide satisfying kick in the pants. A hefty 90s alternative influence runs throughout. Their sound is how I would envision a Jicks record sans Malkmus might spin. That’s not to say Posse’s self-titled release is, in any way, as refined as Mirror Traffic, but the same emotions are in play. Stream and watch the video for “Hey Suzanne” below. The good news is, while I thoroughly enjoy this track, it’s hardly my favorite from the release. Posse has at least three or four more songs worth repeatedly inserting in your ears. Not a bad batting average for their first time at the plate. Snag the digital download for five bucks from the Bandcamp link below.
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Watch the Seattle Posse for DIY Adventure
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We've been groovin' to Posse's self-titled debut album. The Seattle-based trio has caught the attent...We've been groovin' to Posse's self-titled debut album. The Seattle-based trio has caught the attention of anything-goes indie station KEXP. Posse has been sticking to the Seattle area for live shows, but we can see that changing as word spreads about their 90's guitar-drenched boy/girl tapestries. In the world of DIY videos, we especially like the low budget effects of "Hey Suzzanne," complete with guitarist Sacha Maxim emerging from an apartment closet to play a lead solo, hair flowing from a raised floor fan. Priceless!
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Not Pixies! No Gaga! Just Posse
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The Situation
I'm at Bimbo's Cantina on Capitol Hill sharing a pitcher of Rainier with the guitar-r...The Situation
I'm at Bimbo's Cantina on Capitol Hill sharing a pitcher of Rainier with the guitar-rock trio Posse: singer/guitarists Sacha Maxim and Paul Wittmann-Todd and drummer Jon Salzman. Posse hasn't had a bassist since theirs left for law school a year ago, and they're not looking for a replacement. "I thought [Sleater-Kinney] were, like, conversing with each other with guitars," Maxim says of the bass-less band. "That influenced me a lot."
How They Got Here
A couple of years ago, Maxim and Wittmann-Todd met at a show at the Wildrose, bonded over Yo La Tengo, traded phone numbers, and started playing together, although they both admit they were wary of each other at first. "I just thought Sacha was a really tough lesbian," says Wittmann-Todd. "She had, like, a Skrillex haircut."
"It was like Flock of Seagulls!" Maxim corrects.
Salzman, an old friend of Maxim's, was living in Philadelphia at the time; he was a guitarist and trombonist who'd never played the drums, but after hearing a demo of Maxim and Wittmann-Todd, he moved back to Seattle to join their band. "Sacha bought me a $50 drum set," he says.
"Hey, hey, hey," Maxim interjects. "It was $80!"
Shop Talk
Posse's chugging pop-rock songs and Maxim and Wittmann-Todd's traded vocals, as heard on their self-titled record released earlier this year, have garnered them a lot of comparison to some of their '90s alt-rock favorites.
"What's annoying about it is . . . If I were to hear someone refer to another band being like the Pixies, I would automatically be like, 'Well, fuck them, I'm not gonna listen to them,' " says Maxim. " 'Cause nobody's better than the Pixies."
"You want to have more freedom than that," says Wittmann-Todd. They each just recorded a separate Smog/Bill Callahan cover—"Jon texted me and he was like, 'I'm recording a Smog cover,' " says Wittmann-Todd. "And I was like, 'Really? I'm gonna do one too!' "
"They're all about one-upping each other," says Maxim.
BTW: The band's been playing out a lot lately, including one family event—Maxim's mom recently hired them to play a party celebrating Maxim's sister's graduation and her dad's 60th birthday. As a surprise, they covered the Beatles' "Birthday" for her dad, and, for her sister, Lady Gaga's "Americano." "Man, the face that Jon made when we were practicing the Lady Gaga cover," says Maxim, pulling the corners of her mouth down into a sad face. "It was priceless."
"Never again, Sacha," says Salzman.
"Yeah, I have certain principles for rock and roll that I'm not going to violate," says Wittmann-Todd.
"Oh, fuck off," says Maxim.
