Posies’ Auer Making Plans For ‘Demise’

Jon Auer has had a busy year. He’s currently touring Europe as co-frontman of the Posies, whose first album in seven years was released in June. And as previously reported, he played a major role with “In Space,” the upcoming Rykodisc album by the reunited Big Star.

But don’t blame him if he’s looking ahead a bit, because the veteran artist is also planning to drop his first bona fide solo album, “Songs From the Year of Our Demise,” early in 2006 on Pattern25 Records. The 15-track set represents the past half-decade in Auer’s life.

Read full article on Billboard.com

Big Star Looks Forward Despite Years

Jon interview on Billboard.com – full story here.

“We had no expectations,” Auer tells Billboard.com of the recording sessions, “and I think we came up with a pretty credible record. It’s impossible, of course, to compete with the original Big Star, but it’s pretty crazy that a band that broke up 30 years ago made a new record.”

‘Songs from the Year of Our Demise’ – January 2006

Snippet from updates on jonauer.com:

And now for the bad news…After all the trials and tribulations, long lonely late night hours, a million and one morning stars counted, and many of what can now be officially labeled “Odes to Wishful Thinking”, “Songs from the Year of Our Demise” will not be released in the near future as I’d originally hoped. Simply put, there just isn’t enough time to do it any real justice as we’ve almost entered the realm of the Posies pre-release/tour press and such. Further prolonging my “masterpiece” from being released, Big Star is all set to put out our new record in late August/early September so the soonest mine really has a chance of reaching your patient hands is…………………..January 2006.

#++&*%?+=!#*&*!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hell, it may even be a little later than that depending on how well the Posies stuff goes. Not the way I wanted it, but it’s really all because of me and my “perfectionism” and all that “I-Love-Stanley-Kubrick-He’s-My-Idol” stuff so there’s no one else to point a finger at but yours truly. The way I look at it, at least the record is done and I’m finally getting a little sleep. As a bonus, my label couldn’t be happier with the final product and the people who have heard it say it was worth the wait (“But for fuck’s sake” they pointedly add, “don’t you dare take so long to make the next one!”). Some have even expressed how they were quite surprise by some of the material and all the attention to detail. To my ears, this can only be positive news and it’s nice to know you can still surprise those so familiar. So yes, I’ll have some waiting to do (the hardest part) but I’m already plotting the solo future after the Posies and Big Star finish doing their thing. When you think about it, we’re talking about another nine months of waiting or so and time moving the way it does for me these days, “Songs from the Year of Our Demise” is practically just around the corner. Plus, when I do actually tour, I’m going to go full tilt and do more shows and play more places than I would’ve been able too had I started in May of this year. And, in spite of it all, I’m still considering doing a few shows in the major cites of the US and maybe a show in London and/or Amsterdam before the Posies and Big Star start taking up all manner of available time from July 15th until the end of 2005. No promises or dates yet, but I’d sure like it to happen

‘Songs from the Year of Our Demise’ completed

Mirrored from jonauer.com –

Certainly I have envisioned this moment a multitude of times in the last 6 months or so, so without further delay, I’d like to tell you this record I’ve been methodically dragging into existence, “Songs from the Year of Our Demise”, is finally done. I finished the mastering a handful of hours ago and I have to say I am extremely exhausted in the most euphoric kind of way. Now it’s time to get a little rest and then get on with the rest, that being what to do next and when to do it all.
 
Check back over the next few days as there will be more updates. Along with posting an image of the cover art on their website, I will be writing a piece for the Pattern 25 home page as well. At the present time, I’m going to drink a bottle of good red stuff and call it a night.
 
See you in the morning,
 
Jon

Jon and Ken on Bread tribute album

Along with Matt Harris’ band Oranger.

from billboard.com:

Kings Of Convenience’s Erlend Oye, Josh Rouse, Cake, Posies principals Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer and Tarnation’s Paula Frazer are among the artists that have contributed to “Friends and Lovers,” a tribute to ’70s soft rock act Bread. Due April 12 via Badman Recording Co., the set features 14 tracks recorded exclusively for this release.

Oye covers the title cut, which was not among Bread’s 10 top-20 hits on the Billboard pop singles chart between 1969-1977. Rouse chimes in with “It Don’t Matter to Me,” Cake tackles “The Guitar Man” and Frazer offers “Everything I Own.” Bread’s lone No. 1 hit, “Make It With You,” is performed by Oranger.

Other artists featured on “Friends and Lovers” are Call And Response, Dave Derby, Holy Sons, Emily Sparks, the Moore Brothers, former Mojave 3 vocalist Rachel Goswell and Eric Shea & Bart Davenport.

Here is the track list for “Friends and Lovers”:

“I Don’t Matter to Me,” Josh Rouse
“Baby I’m a Want You,” Call And Response
“Games of Magic,” Jon Auer
“The Guitar Man,” Cake
“Friends and Lovers,” Erlend Oye
“Everything I Own,” Paula Frazer
“Down on My Knees,” Ken Stringfellow
“Make It With You,” Oranger
“I Use the Soap,” Dave Derby
“Last Time,” Holy Sons
“Too Much Love,” Emily Sparks
“Look at Me,” The Moore Brothers
“If,” Rachel Goswell
“The Goodbye Girl,” Eric Shea & Bart Davenport