Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

on sale fri, 6/8 @ 10am

Formed by Sam Means and Nate Ruess, two friends from Arizona, The Format is now on its third release. Despite some obstacles that the band has encountered, its latest full-length disc Dog Problems is a triumph of pop artistry. Released on the band’s own Vanity Records (distributed by Nettwerk), the disc is a hook-filled collection of songs drawing on influences such as XTC, the Beatles, Brian Wilson, and Harry Nilsson. Nor does the band shy away from complex arrangements and horns on the record, which was produced by Steve McDonald of Red Kross fame.

The Format debuted in 2002 with the five-song EP, then followed up with its Elektra full-length Interventions + Lullabies, which has sold 80,000 copies. Songs from Dog Problems, released last year, have turned up on the MTV show Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and in the computer game The Sims 2. Format tunes have also appeared in the movie National Treasure and on the Veronica Mars soundtrack, and the band has toured with Motion City Soundtrack, Jimmy Eat World, and Dashboard Confessional. If you’re a fan of high-energy hooks, classic pop melodies, and knowing lyrics about relationships gone bad, The Format is not to be missed.