Podcast by DCist:

Listen to an interview with The Positions by DCist, a D.C.-based set of writers, bloggers, and podcasters, recorded September, 2005. (link)

Show review from The Washington Post:

Opening was a local band, the Positions, whose music could hardly have better complemented that of the visiting groups. The quintet, which featured a female singer and a trombonist, played loungey pop-rock whose tempos were just a little brisker than the melodies seemed to require. This twist on the genre, though modest, was surprisingly satisfying.

WAMU Metro Connection:

"[Someday] is how the Positions album opens: with gently strummed guitar and jazzy bass, recalling such British lounge-rock bands as Aztec Camera...melodically ["Forever"] suggests Heavenly, a UK indiepop band from the early '90's. The Positions style also encompasses many other influences, from the Ronettes to Haircut 100...The Positions were formed by Ivan Ramiscal, clearly something of a Britpop scholar...This music is so sunny that it justifies the album title's exlamation point. Appropriately, the liveliest track is 'Summer Nights', a song that should warm the hearts of Anglophiles, and just about everybody else."

Listen to the full review (link)

Review from On Tap online:

Anybody who read our last issue knows how much we enjoyed the Positions’ newest release, Bliss! But beyond the wonderful Belle & Sebastian meets Save Ferris indie-pop that graced that album, the Positions are quite simply a breath of fresh air for DC music. Formed by veterans of local groups Barcelona and the Sprites, the Positions formed in 2003, and have since solidified their six-member lineup—complete with a brass section and tambourine-ist. Though they are unlikely to revolutionize the area music scene, their songs are infectious and appealing, ensuring that as long as the Positions exist, they will be the standard bearer for their own corner of DC indie-pop: hopeful, bright, and most of all, satisfying. And frankly, it is the perfect position for them.

Review from Splendid Ezine:

The Positions are so unapologetically pop that their senior-prom-core songs sound charming instead of abhorrent. It's a fine line to walk, but it's one that all pop artists must navigate when they're working with such cornball elements from the '60s and the '80s. Who can deny the boldness required to reference The Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and Tiffany's Tiffany in the same song, as The Positions did on the finger-snapping "Back to Me"? Combining the two elements is like putting whip cream on a cake made only of frosting; if you're in the mood for something sweet, then fuck yeah!. This may all seem somewhat wussy, but there's something undeniably ballsy about Bliss! It's just as much a statement about the jaded musical climate in which we live as it is a judgement upon the audacity of writing a song like "I Need You" while not being a member of The Chi-Lites, but it seems downright gutsy to be so... umm... happy?

To be fair, The Positions' uptempo pop ditties have a sort of contemporary flair, and when horns are added to the mix, the band lands in the same basic genre box as Beulah; "Someday" and "Flowers and Trees", for instance, bristle during the fast-paced interplay between Nicole Stoops's vocals and the Herb Alpert-style horn arrangements. At its heart, though, Bliss! is more Debbie Gibson than indie-pop (not that there's anything wrong with that). Perhaps there's not a lot of room in the cynical indie-rock world for songs that spew awkward hopefulness and optimism by the gallon, but if there is, The Positions will be there -- corsages mounted, party hats strapped to their heads, asking for the next dance.

Review from Dagger:

With the sad breakup of Barcelona a few years back Jason Korzen formed the sprightly Sprites but I wasn’t sure what happened to the others. Well, in The Positions, at least we know where Ivan Ramsical went. Ivan, along with some pals (including Charming’s singer Nicole Stoops and former Velocity Girl Archie Moore , who didn’t play on this but recorded it ) step into the lab , like Grandpa Munster, and create their debut, which is pretty damn good. The addition of 2 horn players (trumpet and trombone) really adds to the pop of the songs and , not surprisingly, some of this reminds me a bit of Velocity Girl (and a bit of Beulah as well). The songs are quite varied as well from straight up pop of “Someday” to something sounding slightly ska-ish (on “Flowers & Trees” ) to the Phil Spectorisms of “I Need You.” You can tell the band took their time to write GOOD songs and it really shows. Well done!

Review from One Chord to Another:

Horn-driven indiepop from Washington DC. Bliss! is the debut album from The Positions, but some of the band members are already familiar to us. Ivan Ramiscal used to be the synth wizard in Barcelona, the new-wave / indiepop machine that delivered several dancable and joy-filled (should-be) pop hits that might have made even the geekiest and shyest indiepop freaks thinking of hitting the dancefloor. Nicole Stoops on the other hand was the lead singer of a really charming pop group called..Charming (eh..aren't I so clever) that have at least one really good album out on Shelflife Records (or I guess it was co-release with Twee Kitten).

But enough about the old things. The Positions matters the most now. In fact, I do believe that it's the best band Ivan and Nicole have been involved in. The Positions say that they play pop singles. They're right. Most of these delightful songs could be a-sides for a great seven inch vinyl single and finding a bad song from the album proves to be more difficult task than finding moments of great acting from a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. Bliss! provide lots of joyful and sugary pop tunes. Nicole sings like an angel and the pretty much always present horn section bring more energy and intensiveness to their sound. The Positions makes life easy for a lazy reviewer, because there is no need to pick out the stand-out tracks, because all of the songs are similarly fabulous, full of the sweetest hooks, convincing singing (also some awesome male-female harmonies are a lovely bonus for a boy who thinks that harmonies are probably the greatest thing in music) and clever arrangements. The music rises somewhere from the three-minute wonders of 60's pop a'la Spector and co and after taking some influences from modern indiepop, it sets its heart on bringing glorious pop melodies for your pleasure. It's a perfect pop album. In some way, it may even be too perfect. During these dark fall days in Finland when you see daylight only from the factory window, it may seem that this pop hit galore contains too much of happiness and already when your halfway through the album you realize that your hand reaches towards Mazzy Star and other miserable autumn records.

Review from Exclaim:

There really couldn’t be a more appropriate title for the debut album by Washington DC’s the Positions. This is bright, shiny and cute indie pop at its best. Formed by Ivan Ramiscal from the now-defunct Barcelona, there is a striking similarity in their sound to that of DC legends Velocity Girl, mostly thanks to the sugary vocals of Nicole Stoops. It also didn’t hurt that Velocity Girl’s Archie Moore produced the album. The heavy use of brass and strings give the album a strong, rich sound, which has been carefully put together by Moore. The tight mixing with the occasional kiss of reverb gives the album a nicely produced feel. Many potentially decent indie pop albums fall flat as a result of poor production, and luckily, Bliss! works quite well. “Back to Me,” with its uplifting chorus and handclaps galore, is almost too catchy for its own good. “I Need You” takes the sound a bit further, with the guitars getting a bit noisier and the intensity growing as it plays out. The rest of the album sticks to short, sharp slices of geek pop that won’t break any moulds, but should definitely get some smiles on faces and maybe even a few shy indie kids on the dance floor.

Excerpts of a review from The Examiner:

"The Washington music scene always seems to be epitomized by two musicians: Chuck Brown and Fugazi...But there is more to D.C. music than just Go Go and hardcore, and if there is any justice in the world, “The Positions” will make the beginning of a local indie-pop revival...On its latest album, “Bliss!” The Positions perpetuate just that — bliss. With the help of a brilliant horn section (trombone, trumpet and flugelhorn), the band builds up an impressive wall of sound that would make Phil Spector proud."

Excerpts of a review from Hitch magazine:

"If this world weren't so damned jaded, The Positions would be on top of it. On the aptly titled BLISS!, their easy-breezy brand of uptempo pop is laden with trombones, trumpets and an all-around dose of good-natured optimism - infectious without being cloying.... Even if it's a dull gray outside, it's guaranteed to make the sun shine in your heart."

Review from IndiePages:

The Positions started a couple years back when Ivan Ramiscal's previous group, Barcelona, disbanded. He then started writing new songs for a new project of his, and assembled a band filled with friends of his from around town. After some shows and a demo, here at last is the band's debut album. With a generally clean and upbeat sound, melodic basslines, and ample use of a horn section, the band combines the 80s pop sounds of groups like the Style Council and Dexy's Midnight Runners with songs that remind me a lot of Velocity Girl (especially "Back To Me", which sounds like a Velocity Girl song recorded for a Motown single) and Charming; of course, neither reference is out of place, given that Archie Moore of VG recorded the album and Nicole from Charming is the band's singer! I also notice a few Phil Spector-isms, like on "I Need You", which would've fit perfectly on the first Aislers Set record. Like the title suggests, the songs are quite blissful, and filled with energy and joy, making this album quite a treat!

Show review from Flagpole magazine:

...Next The Positions, a five-piece from DC that is a fusion of the remaining members of Charming and Barcelona and sounds like a bolder, brassier version of the twee-pop Scottish band Camera Obscura: not as clean and polished, but definitely more energetic...The Positions begin to swing like a very groovy gate...

Review from Chart Attack:

There really couldn’t be a more appropriate title for the debut album by Washington DC’s the Positions. This is bright, shiny and cute indie pop at its best. Formed by Ivan Ramiscal from the now-defunct Barcelona, there is a striking similarity in their sound to that of DC legends Velocity Girl, mostly thanks to the sugary vocals of Nicole Stoops. It also didn’t hurt that Velocity Girl’s Archie Moore produced the album. The heavy use of brass and strings give the album a strong, rich sound, which has been carefully put together by Moore. The tight mixing with the occasional kiss of reverb gives the album a nicely produced feel. Many potentially decent indie pop albums fall flat as a result of poor production, and luckily, Bliss! works quite well. “Back to Me,” with its uplifting chorus and handclaps galore, is almost too catchy for its own good. “I Need You” takes the sound a bit further, with the guitars getting a bit noisier and the intensity growing as it plays out. The rest of the album sticks to short, sharp slices of geek pop that won’t break any moulds, but should definitely get some smiles on faces and maybe even a few shy indie kids on the dance floor.