The Girl You Left Behind
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MySpace CodesWith songs filled with heart, soul, craft and intelligence, The Brilliant Mistakes have built a devoted grassroots following throughout the U.S. and Europe by way of club gigs, word-of-mouth, rave reviews, Internet chat groups and festival appearances. Dumb Luck, the band’s second full-length release on their own Aunt Mimi’s Records label, is a bittersweet love letter to those fans of classic, melodic pop songwriting, and features 12 gems that will surely stand the test of time.The Brilliant Mistakes’ unique sound has led some listeners to make unlikely comparisons, such as "Squeeze meets Wilco†or "Beatles meets The Band." The truth is that The Brilliant Mistakes, while fans of such overseas song craftsmen as Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Neil Finn, remain true to their American rock influences, drawing upon pop, folk and soul sounds of the 60’s and 70’s to create their own unique musical identity. But like many successful songwriting partnerships (Difford/Tilbrook, Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards) The Brilliant Mistakes’ Erik Philbrook and Alan Walker are kindred souls who write timeless pop songs that are more than what meets the ear.Mixing indelible melodies and solid grooves with clever wordplay and thought-provoking themes into their 12 songs on Dumb Luck, Philbrook and Walker have achieved a near perfect fusion of their talents. “Crawl Back†is a driving, soul song about yearning and escape. "Feed the Elephant" is a dark Wurlitzer-driven folk tale about suburban angst, the title track is a Byrds-y, ale-soaked sing-along; "Line of Battle" is a majestic piano ballad about a lover’s subtle cruelty that features a string quartet to powerful, cinematic effect; and “Dumb Luck,†the album’s title track is a melancholy ode to stubborn persistence in the face of the dumbing down of society.
Produced by producer/bassist Lincoln Schleifer, who has worked with Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Buddy and Julie Miller, the album was recorded over several months in Lincoln’s basement studio, affectionally dubbed "Lincoln’s Log Cabin," in the Bronx. The band was joined by some incredible guest musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (longtime Bob Dylan sideman who has also worked with Paul Simon, Ron Sexsmith, Shawn Colvin) as well as percussionist extraordinaire Marc Quinones (Allman Brothers Band, David Byrne) and guitarist John Putnam (Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky). In addition to bringing out the best of the band’s distinctive harmonies, piano rock approach and the dynamic work of drummer Paul Mauceri, Schleifer’s organic touch has yielded a record with a distinctive mood; the music breathes in a world where space and air is as important as the notes being played. Schleifer also expanded the band’s musical palette to include everything from Hammond B3 organ, Wurlitzer and a Fender Rhodes to pedal steel guitar, banjo, timbales, horns, and a string quartet. The result is a rich tapestry of emotions, both light and dark.The Brilliant Mistakes' independently-released 1999 album, All Hands & The Cook, received critical acclaim and considerable airplay on non-commercial and college radio stations around the United States. The album brought them to the attention of some of the country’s most discernible music lovers. As a result, they began building an underground fan base that continues to grow.New York City's WFUV, one of the top AAA stations in the country, was the first to catch on to the band and kept them in heavy rotation when Dumb Luck was launched to radio last year. The Brilliant Mistakes’ music has since been featured on WXPN-PA's nationally-syndicated "World Cafe" as well as on XM Satellite Radio. Dumb Luck hit ..101 on CMJ’s Top 200 radio chart and the album began receiving airplay in Germany, Italy, Holland and Japan.The band has performed extensively throughout the United States and has appeared at such festivals as South by Southwest, the Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah), the Full Circle Summer Music Festival and Baystock (Maine), New York's CMJ Music Festival, Boston's NEMO Music Festival and the Boston Pop Underground, the Dewey Beach Pop Festival in Delaware and the International Pop Overthrow Festivals in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.With smart songwriting, abundant soul and timeless appeal, The Brilliant Mistakes’ music continues to captivate fans of classic, melodic pop.
