Photo by Angela Jimenez

In the wide, wonderful world of bands, there exist two extremes (at least for the purpose of this piece): bands that pioneer uncharted waters on one end and bands that consummate various pioneers on the other end. Husker Du broke all sorts of barriers with their punk opera and Nirvana absorbed them -- along with Westerberg, Mascis and AC/DC -- at the other end. Brooklyn's Mistakes are a fantastic band, representing the consummation end of the spectrum. Having absorbed plethora of influences into one giant rock'n'roll party, the group is currently in an exciting state of evolution, one that may lead to a new chapter of sonic pioneering. This is a great time to see a great band in action.

1. Make Sure the Interview Takes Place at Your Home Studio -- Show the interviewer around the loft. Proudly point out the room where you record the drums, the fine collection of musical gizmos at your disposal, and the Pro Tools work station complete with the Dildoman desktop wallpaper. Be sure to play some tracks from your upcoming CD. Don’t be shy about those rough mixes. Show the interviewer the microKorg which adds so much to those strokes of Television, those crooning Clash vocals. 

2. Take the Interviewer to Your Roof and Feed Him Hot Dogs -- Nothing completes a rock and roll interview like good hotdog. Your stories about broken vans being pushed down the road as college coeds deserve to be told in between bites of long beef sausages.

3. And Beer -- Beer is important. When you’re talking about that first ever show at North Six and how they didn’t ask you back, a 24oz Coors will put a little flare into your joking-but-not-really exclamation of, “Who’s lasted longer NOW, bitches!?!” Not only that, but beer allows the band members to let their true feelings out, revealing artistic ambition. Romantically earnest comments such as, "we'd like to give the audience something that they've never heard before" are the children of honesty and beer.

4. And Make Sure the Hilariously Cocky Lead Singer Shows Up -- No band, no matter how good they are, can survive without a good lead singer. And if you're band is as good as -- I dunno... Mistakes -- you need a funny lead singer. A risky lead singer with a lot of charisma, a spider earring and sunglasses who cracks jokes and makes you choke on your hot dog. Many times.

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            Mistakes can ultimately be described by the band's intentions rather than their influences. They intend for their audience to have a good time, and this is good time music. The Clash, Pulp and the Strokes make their appearance, but there is also a hint of prog-rock that 1977 would never have allowed. An arpeggiated riff here, a snakey synth line there... everything about this band suggests a huge record collection. And indeed, the loft is littered with records in the studio, cassettes in the bathroom, and CDs in places we probably don’t want to know about. It all coalesces into music that makes you want to dance. Friday night music. Hip swinging music. Hot dog and beer on a roof music. All approached from the perspective of five well-read students of rock music.

            The band members have a history that extends well beyond their 3 year lifespan, having known each other from their home state of Pennsylvania. The camaraderie has allowed the music to evolve without a crippling clash of egos. Their recent EP project, consisting of three separate 3-song releases  was inventively packaged and designed assembly line-style, and the music reflects a similar sense of balance and cooperation. Every instrument is given its due in the mixes, nothing is overbearing. With their upcoming project, the band has honed their songwriting, allowing stray ideas to develop into new songs instead of stuffing them all into the same composition. It's a smart move, one that will help them win a lot of new fans.

Mistakes (Fraser, Matt, Chris, Tim and Dale) are at a turning point in their journal. Having been together for three years, they've spent enough time blindly lashing out at success to realize that the wiser band adopts a more focused, zen-like approach. The method is paying off for them. By zeroing in on the things that matter -- a good live show, a good record, patience in the face of broken vans, and hot dogs -- Mistakes have started to receive all the things that they deserve. Recent shows have been successful on all fronts. The press is starting to take notice. And the new record promises to be their best yet. We wait for it with baited breath.

http://www.mistakesmakemusic.com