About the Mess

About The Mess is a punk band from Chicago, Illinois that is fronted by Joe Mizzi (formerly of Common Rider). “Anthem Of Imperfection” is their debut EP, which was released on July 6th via Whoa! Records.

I would say this EP borders on being punk and pop-punk, due to the bouncy feel of the instruments on certain songs. A prime example of this is the first track, “Janie,” which is a raw sounding, bass heavy, pop-punk song about losing your girlfriend and becoming a total mess. Highlights of the song are Mizzi’s gruff vocals, which carry on throughout the rest of the EP, countless melodic guitar solos, and an infectiously catchy chorus. This song starts off the EP strong and prepares you for the next 4 tracks that follow.

The second song, “Story To Tell,” is about how everyone has a story to tell. To me, it feels more like a rock-n-roll song than anything, but it’s still a nice change of pace from it’s predecessor’s pop-punk feel. You’ll notice the band tweeking their sound and incorporating elements from different genres and playing styles in later tracks on the EP.

Up next is a little diddy, called “Shitty Beers & Pissing On Bedroom Floors,” that was thrown in to show you that the guys in About The Mess aren’t all business, and they know when to break out their party pants, if necessary. It’s a funny and catchy tune about drinking cheap beer and pissing on bedroom floors, hence the title. Any fans of Cobra Skulls will like it, due to the rockabilly feel of the instrumental work and vocals.

The fourth track on “Anthem Of Imperfection” is the title track of the EP, and this is when the band starts wrapping things up. This song really ties in the theme of the EP, being complacent with imperfection, and it’s more of a stripped-down punk song than the 3 previous songs. Highlights of this track are the chorus, which is short but sweet, and the fact that the band threw in some “Whoa”s (appropriate considering the name of their label).

To cap off the EP, and let you know your ride through the world of About The Mess is over, the band threw in a really short song, entitled “The Letter.” It’s about getting a letter from you’re girlfriend, who you’ve been away from for a long time, and having no way to get back to her. This track is my least favorite on the release, due to its short length.

In the end, I give this EP a 4-star rating, and I would highly recommend any fans of Cobra Skulls, or The Loved Ones give “Anthem Of Imperfection” a listen. If you dig it, you can pick up a copy from the Whoa! Records bandcamp. - Dying Scene

About The Mess is a punk band from Chicago, Illinois that is fronted by Joe Mizzi (formerly of Common Rider). “Anthem Of Imperfection” is their debut EP, which was released on July 6th via Whoa! Records.

I would say this EP borders on being punk and pop-punk, due to the bouncy feel of the instruments on certain songs. A prime example of this is the first track, “Janie,” which is a raw sounding, bass heavy, pop-punk song about losing your girlfriend and becoming a total mess. Highlights of the song are Mizzi’s gruff vocals, which carry on throughout the rest of the EP, countless melodic guitar solos, and an infectiously catchy chorus. This song starts off the EP strong and prepares you for the next 4 tracks that follow.

The second song, “Story To Tell,” is about how everyone has a story to tell. To me, it feels more like a rock-n-roll song than anything, but it’s still a nice change of pace from it’s predecessor’s pop-punk feel. You’ll notice the band tweeking their sound and incorporating elements from different genres and playing styles in later tracks on the EP.

Up next is a little diddy, called “Shitty Beers & Pissing On Bedroom Floors,” that was thrown in to show you that the guys in About The Mess aren’t all business, and they know when to break out their party pants, if necessary. It’s a funny and catchy tune about drinking cheap beer and pissing on bedroom floors, hence the title. Any fans of Cobra Skulls will like it, due to the rockabilly feel of the instrumental work and vocals.

The fourth track on “Anthem Of Imperfection” is the title track of the EP, and this is when the band starts wrapping things up. This song really ties in the theme of the EP, being complacent with imperfection, and it’s more of a stripped-down punk song than the 3 previous songs. Highlights of this track are the chorus, which is short but sweet, and the fact that the band threw in some “Whoa”s (appropriate considering the name of their label).

To cap off the EP, and let you know your ride through the world of About The Mess is over, the band threw in a really short song, entitled “The Letter.” It’s about getting a letter from you’re girlfriend, who you’ve been away from for a long time, and having no way to get back to her. This track is my least favorite on the release, due to its short length.

In the end, I give this EP a 4-star rating, and I would highly recommend any fans of Cobra Skulls, or The Loved Ones give “Anthem Of Imperfection” a listen. If you dig it, you can pick up a copy from the Whoa! Records bandcamp. - Dying Scene

Critical Mass: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Critical Mass, Joe. You sing and play guitar in About The Mess. And I KNOW you say that the bands history isn't interesting...but I'm gonna ask anyway. Can you give us a little history on the band and how you got started?

Joe Mizzi: Well Mike came up with the whole "not interesting" bio on Facebook, but I do agree that in your 30s, forming a band, especially when you've been in more than a handful, doesn't always have the youthful luster it once did, and the details are harder to retain for reasons that may or may not involve alcohol. On top of that, I don't know much, since I was the last guy in. What I do now is... Mark and Mike have known each other since they were kids, hadn't seen each other in a while, ran into each other at Blues Fest, got things started. Mark brought Jack in on bass. He and Jack were in some straight-edge band when they were like 14 and just starting to grow pubes... let's just say the straight edge thing may not have been working for them. Myself, I had moved here from Detroit about 5 years ago now, and hadn't gotten involved in the scene around here because I was focusing on actually being able to pay my bills for once in my life. But, I decided I wanted to try something again because I had a lot of pent up stuff that I'm hoping makes for a few good tunes. Instead of going with the usual suspects of finding people I knew, I hit up craigslist to see if I could get something totally new going. Found these dudes, we met, fell in love, got passed the awkward silences, drank beers, shared some ass-out hugs, and the rest is history. We've all become fast friends, and even though we definitely have our disagreements from time to time, that's a lot of what this band is about... dealing with shit. - Critical Mass