rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

the Format The Format is an American indie rock band formed by Nate Ruess and Sam Means. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music. Though Means and Ruess are the foremost ...

Interventions + Lullabies ''Interventions + Lullabies'' is the first album and second release by American rock band The Format. Produced and recorded by R. Walt Vincent, it was released on October 21, 2003 on Elektra Records. While the album is considered to be quite r ...

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

Steven McDonald Steven D. McDonald (March 1, 1957 January 10, 2017) was a New York City Police Department patrolman who was shot and paralyzed on July 12, 1986. The shooting left him quadriplegic. Shooting A former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and third gene ...

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

the Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...

critics A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governme ...

Fun Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment". Etymology and usage The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

the All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.

Background and recording

The Format released their debut studio album ''

Interventions + Lullabies ''Interventions + Lullabies'' is the first album and second release by American rock band The Format. Produced and recorded by R. Walt Vincent, it was released on October 21, 2003 on Elektra Records. While the album is considered to be quite r ...

'', through

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

in October 2003. In March 2004, Elektra was absorbed into

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

, which saw the band moved to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. While this was occurring, the band were in the midst of supporting

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 and was based in Los Angeles beginning in 2000. The band is recognized for having a distinct sound in their genre, primarily due to the prominent use o ...

and

Something Corporate Something Corporate (also known as ''SoCo'') was an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their last line-up included vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, guitarists Josh Partington and Bobby Anderson, bassist Kevin ...

on their co-headlining tour of the United States. Over the next three months, the band appeared on the

Honda Civic Tour The Honda Civic Tour was an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company and produced by Marketing Factory. 2001 First half *Headliner: Blink-182 *Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar Second half *Headliner: ...

and went on headlining West Coast and Midwestern tours. They ended the year touring the US with

Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, back ...

and

the Honorary Title The Honorary Title was an American alternative rock, alternative indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, United States. The band released their first self-titled Extended play, EP "The Honorary Title" in 2003 and then their fi ...

. Atlantic Records had no success in promoting the Format, resulting in legal situations. In April 2005, the band supported

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...

and

Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keybo ...

on their co-headlining US tour; to coincide with this, the Format released the ''Snails'' EP. By July 2005, they were in the midst of recording demos and were aiming to find a producer shortly afterwards. Ruess said when the company listened to the band's new demos, they "didn't hear a single"; they asked the label repeatedly to drop them from the roster. Ruess planned to make their next album a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

about his five-year-long relationship coming to its end, but this was dropped as he was "still in the relationship and it was still going bad and I couldn't get out of it". As the band were making preparations to record their next album, Atlantic eventually dropped them. On November 30, 2005, the Format publicly announced their departure from the label. ''Dog Problems'' was produced by

Steven McDonald Steven D. McDonald (March 1, 1957 January 10, 2017) was a New York City Police Department patrolman who was shot and paralyzed on July 12, 1986. The shooting left him quadriplegic. Shooting A former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and third gene ...

, who was assisted by engineer Ken Sluiter, and recorded over two months in Los Angeles, California. Their workdays consisted of 12 hours per day, six days a week. Throughout the recording process, Ruess frequently apologised to his partner, going as far as to make a "conscious effort to call her and say, 'I don't want you to take offense to this. It's just where I was at the time. I forgive you as much as I can. Sluiter mixed "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb" and "Pick Me Up", while the remainder were mixed by

Tom Rothrock Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

; Mike Tarantino served as mixing engineer. Don Taylor then

mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...

the album at Precision Mastering. "Snails" was re-recorded during the sessions; Ruess said the original EP version was recorded on a strict timeframe and as a result, they were unable to give the song enough attention. They had wanted to include a children's choir, but this was left out when they ran out of time during the new album version.

Composition and lyrics

Music and themes

Musically, the sound of the album has been described as

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

,

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

, drawing comparisons to the work of

the Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...

,

Cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

,

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

,

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...

,

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...

, and the

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

. Ruess cited ''

Skylarking ''Skylarking'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the s ...

'' (1986) by

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

as the biggest influence for him on the album, as he explained: "That record made me feel like it was okay to make a pop record that was a little weird at times, but something sunny was tying it all together". For Means, his inspiration was ''

Nilsson Sings Newman ''Nilsson Sings Newman'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released in February 1970 on RCA Victor. It features songs written by Randy Newman. Recorded over six weeks in late 1969, the album showcases Nilsson ...

'' (1970) by

Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ove ...

, as Ruess said it had "so many great

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

ish songs". In addition to this,

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and

the Zombies The Zombies are an English rock band formed in the early 1960s in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group had a British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two fu ...

were also cited as influences; the pair would listen to "

You're the Inspiration "You're the Inspiration" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their fourteenth studio album ''Chicago 17'' (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The third single released from that album, it ...

" (1984) by

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

while traveling to the studio every day. In a 2012 interview, Ruess said there was a "level of insecurity that I had. I would try and apologize for writing a pop song by giving it a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

that was four minutes long or changing

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

s 90 different times".

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Corey Apar wrote that there was a "whimsical,

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

-esque air that appears sporadically throughout" the album as the band "mix in horn sections, piano, banjo, handclaps and pretty much whatever else was lying around the studio". ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' writer Chad Grischow felt that the band bounced between a "soulful and reflective pair, begging comparisons to old

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

, while at other times they dazzle with danceable beats and dangerously addictive soaring

emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

hooks", evoking Jimmy Eat World. ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' contributor Winston Kung said that across the album's songs, Ruess "discusses corporate rock magazines, moving to the ountry

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, and one dysfunctional girlfriend in particular who seems to have eviscerated his heart". The melody for some songs, such as "I'm Actual" and "Dog Problems", came about from when Ruess would be sat at home or out driving. In this instances, he would repeat the melodies to Means, who would then work out the

chord progressions In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practic ...

. From here, Ruess took lyrics from a notebook he had and worked them around the melodies. Means and Ruess were supplemented by a variety of additional musicians for every song on ''Dog Problems''. Cello, violin, viola, French horn, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone and tuba instrumentation is heard throughout the album. Some musicians appeared on select songs: Mike Schey of the Honorary Title played guitar on over half of the album, while

Josh Klinghoffer Josh Adam Klinghoffer (born October 3, 1979) is an American musician best known for being the guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, with whom he recorded two studio albums, '' I'm with You'' (2011) and '' The Getaw ...

of the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

played it on three of the songs. Don Raymond Jr. contributed bass to over half the album, while McDonald played it on three of the songs. John O'Riley of

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American Rock music, rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla ( ...

performed drums and percussion on the majority of the album, as

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker w ...

played them on "Dead End" and "Inches and Falling", and percussion on "Matches". Roger Manning Jr. came up with the orchestral arrangements for three of the songs, and played a

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

on "Time Bomb" and a

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

on "Snails". Similarly, Anna Waronker arranged and sung vocals on "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb", and "Dead End". Aaron Wendt of Tickertape Parade added doppler to "Pick Me Up" and

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

to "Oceans". A collective known as The Hobocamp Choir sung gang vocals on "Dog Problems", "Oceans" and "Inches and Falling", as well as performed clapping on "Oceans".

Tracks

Discussing the album's title and the song "Dog Problems", Ruess explained he was in a relationship where "every single time we thought that maybe we were going to break up, we'd try to save the relationship by getting a dog". The album's opening song, "Matches", is a slow-tempo track with a carnival-esque sound and a loose arrangement of chimes and a keyboard. It segues into "I'm Actual" which is an

orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

; Merry-Go-Round Magazine writer Aya Lehman said Ruess asks for an "hour of reeling in the remains of a breakup, how the effects of said breakup come in waves, ndthe neverending desperation to talk about said breakup". "Time Bomb" is a

dance-rock Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disco ...

and power pop track that married drums and a piano against a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

beat; it details a self-destructive woman who self-harms by the song's end. The track evolved out of an occasion where Means and Ruess tried to recall an older, unrelated song. Ruess came up with the melody and lyrics on the same day they recorded a demo of it. The

surf rock Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a Music genre, genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is in ...

song "She Doesn't Get It" discusses casual sex, and includes a reference to

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...

. "Dog Problems" opens with a

Dixieland jazz Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

atmosphere, and describes having a broken heart, accompanied by bar piano and horns. Kung said the track serves as both a "circus song and a cutting portrait of a bitch, with a run-through of the alphabet to boot".

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

staff writer Knott said Ruess spelled out "B-E-C-C-A before he realises that he's spelling 'because' wrong and his thoughts have slipped back onto his presumed ex-girlfriend". The

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

track "Oceans" recalled the work of the Beach Boys; Merry-Go-Round Magazine founder CJ Simpson wrote that "Dead End" felt like a "massive post-intermission number of a happy-go-lucky musical". "Snails" is a folk song that uses the creatures of the same name as a metaphor for loving one's life. The guitar playing in it was reminiscent of the style played by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

in " Blackbird" (1968) by the Beatles. "The Compromise" came about from Atlantic asking the band for a hit-sounding song. Ruess said it "written because we were dropped, but in an attempt to get dropped from our label. ..we gave them something catchy – only it was about (our experiences with) them". "Inches and Falling" is a twee track that Grischow said was an "emphatic plea for love, despite the potential for emotional destruction". The album's closing song, "If Work Permits", recalls the work of

the Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...

; over the course of its runtime, the song switches from a ballad to a

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...

song.

Release

The Format supported

Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Courtney Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew ...

in March and April 2006. A few weeks from the album's release, it had leaked online, which prompted them to sell it early digitally. This version was available through The Nettwork's online store. Ruess wrote a long-form piece on what they went through to make the album and why listeners should not

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

it. When it leaked, Ruess did not have the finished masters, resulting in him buying the download version to show his parents. ''Dog Problems'' was made available for streaming through

AOL Music AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...

on July 10, 2006, before being released the following day on The Vanity Label, the Format's own record label, with distribution through

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

. Describing the label, Ruess said it was done through their management company, "we have to put up the dough for a lot of things, but it's definitely worth it". A release show was held at the

Celebrity Theatre Celebrity Theatre is a theater in the round located in Phoenix, Arizona. Construction and features Beverly Hills architect Perry Neuschatz designed the 196-foot-diameter building as a multipurpose conference center. He received the 1964 top a ...

in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, on July 14, 2006, where the band performed the album in its entirety. "The Compromise" was released to radio on July 18, 2006; that same month, a music video was filmed for the song. It was filmed over four hours and features

origami ) is the Japanese paper art, art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of pape ...

. In July and August, the band went on a summer tour with support from

Rainer Maria Rainer Maria is an American emo band from Madison, Wisconsin, later residing in Brooklyn, New York. The band was originally active from 1995 to 2006 and reunited in 2014. History Caithlin De Marrais, Kaia Fischer and William Kuehn formed the b ...

and

Anathallo Anathallo was a band originally from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and then based in Chicago, Illinois. The band started practicing in the fall of 2000 and played their first show soon afterward. Their name is derived from a Greek word meaning "to renew ...

. The Format's touring line-up was augmented by Wendt and members of Anathallo. They took a week-long break in September before touring the UK with

the All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects is an American rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed in 1999.Glutton of Sympathy" (1993) by

Jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...

as its

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

. A week later, the ''And Now I Hope You're Alright – Live in California'' live EP was released, featuring versions of "Matches", "Dog Problems", and "Inches and Falling". From late October to mid December 2006, the band supported The All-American Rejects on their Tournado 2006 tour, which included an appearance at the CMJ Festival. On November 20, 2006, a music video was released for "Dog Problems". The staff at ''Spin'' wrote that it features hands; they explained that the "forefinger protagonist .. is seendoing the things a normal human would do: Singing to his cheating lover, wandering neon-lit streets somberly, perusing MySpace, smoking himself to sleep, and, um, fantasizing over a mannequin's perfect hand". "She Doesn't Get It" was released to radio on March 6, 2007; its music video was directed by Travis Kopach. On June 14, the band performed ''Dog Problems'' in its entirety at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, which was filmed for a potential DVD release. In June 2007, the album was released as a free download over a three-week period. Ruess explained that the group knew that "kids aren't buying music. We're going to see if we can't pick up 20,000 new sets of ears by offering the album for free." Following this, the band went on a three month headlining tour across the US. They were supported on various dates by

Mike Birbiglia Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

,

Limbeck Limbeck is an American rock band that formed in Laguna Niguel, California in 1999. The group featured Robb MacLean on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Carrie guitar and backing vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, and Jon Phillip, who replaced Matth ...

,

Steel Train Steel Train was an indie rock band from New Jersey. They have toured with The Juliana Theory, Tegan and Sara, Girl in a Coma, Ben Folds, The Fray, Silversun Pickups, Hanson, The Format, Gomez, O.A.R., Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, Baren ...

, Reuben's Accomplice,

the Honorary Title The Honorary Title was an American alternative rock, alternative indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, United States. The band released their first self-titled Extended play, EP "The Honorary Title" in 2003 and then their fi ...

, Ollie Wilde and

Piebald A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal's skin under the white backgro ...

. The band released the video album ''Live at the Mayan Theatre'' on November 13, 2007, consisting of songs from their two albums. In February 2008, the band announced they were breaking up. ''Dog Problems'' was initially released as a single LP in 2006, but was later split across two discs for its 2014 re-press, with a die-cut jacket and an etching of a dog bowl on the D-side. The latter version was subsequently re-pressed in 2016 and 2020; the album was released on cassette in 2022 as a joint release between The Vanity Label and Means' label Hello Records. Demos of "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb", "Dead End", and "If Work Permits", alongside an acoustic version of "Matches", were included on the band's sole compilation album, ''B-Sides and Rarities'' (2007). These versions of "Time Bomb" and "If Work Permits" were later featured on the ''Kenneth Room Sessions'' EP, which also contained demos of "She's Doesn't Get It", "Pick Me Up", "Oceans", "The Compromise", and "Inches and Falling". The ''Dog Problems'' portion of the ''Live at the Mayan Theatre'' video album was released as its own live album in 2020, under the name ''Live at the Mayan Theatre: Dog Problems''.

Reception

''Dog Problems'' was met with generally favorable reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. ''

AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fea ...

'' founder Jason Tate wrote that the first five tracks "impact with their hooks and choruses, it's the next 7 that make the album an almost instant classic". Apar referred to it as "hands-down the feel-good album of the summer. After all, the heartache-induced lyrics of sarcasm and bitterness are in direct contrast to the sonic warmth emanating from. every note-filled corner". He added that despite heavy use of extra instruments, "every element is cleanly pulled off with such effortless charm, grace, and style that the songs in no way feel bogged down under the weight of the bands' ambition". Grischow thought that the band made a "refreshing album that screams for repeated play on sticky summer days". He added that it "works both as a danceable party rock album and as an example of beautiful songwriting ability". Punktastic founder Paul Savage wrote that amongst the "drama and intrigue is a record that's nigh on perfect". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Katie Hasty expanded on this, saying that the "breathless indie pop and broken-hearted lyrics of 'Dog Problems' deserve every bit of the attention they are receiving". Jennifer Sica of ''

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

'' saw the album as an "odyssey sans trite lyrical clichés and guitar-overload breakdowns" found in emo, while ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' Peter Gaston praised the "immaculate conceived arrangements", which "come to vivid life" with Ruess' "acerbic, spot-on witticisms". ''

Riverfront Times The ''Riverfront Times'' (''RFT'') is a free progressive weekly newspaper in St. Louis, in the U.S. state of Missouri, that consists of local politics, music, arts, and dining news in the print edition, and daily updates to blogs and photo galler ...

'' writer Julie Seabaugh said that "instead of treading clichéd ground, Ruess employs metaphors far more convincing than his peers' overused" imagery. She proposed two questions: "Females? Financial backing? If Problems is any indication, freedom suits the Format better than those two things combined". Trent Moore of Soundthesirens opined that it was one of the bests releases to "ever be recorded. It's a collection of driving, happy sing-alongs that you can't help but fall in love with on the first listen". Mxdwn's Jacquie Frisco wrote that the band made "something very unlikely: a tight, independent sophomore release that's more mature and meaningful than their first". '' Melodic's'' Pär Winberg viewed it as "whimsical, it's joyful, it's glad, it's sad, it's all a mess in the instrumentation and it's just adorable all over". Kung wrote that the breadth of instruments made the album sound like "

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

—on crack, and what's really surprising is that it doesn't crumble under all that feel-good weight". Apart from the "occasional tedium", he said the majority of the album showcases "effortlessly creative depth". Alan Shulman of No Ripcord wrote that the band "do a pretty good job putting their own spin on the melodic-here comes the hook-there goes the riff-check out this harmony pop song". He explained that it "never really dips below the level of 'pretty decent' which is enough to recommend it, but it's a sad fact that familiarity breeds contempt". ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' writer Noel Murray felt that it "relies a little too much on pat power-pop formulas, though Ruess' sweetly elastic voice and honest anger carry a lot of the songs close to 'Time Bomb' sublimity". ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' contributor Kevin Bronson said the melodies "stick but never wear out their welcome" as the tracks were "arranged ellbut don't suffocate from their orchestration".

Commercial performance, accolades and retrospective reviews

''Dog Problems'' sold 13,000 in its first week of physical release, peaking at number 84 on the ''Billboard'' 200; it had sold 2,000 copies prior to the physical edition. Alongside this, the album peaked at number 11 on the Tastemarkers chart.Schlager ed. 2006, p. 70 Mxdwn included "Dog Problems" on their list of the best songs from 2006, while "The Compromise" was featured on No Ripchord's list. In a retrospective review, Knott said the album "sweeps you through 45 minutes of brilliantly easy listening with every ounce of its musical integrity in tact", going as far as to call it perfect. Broad, honest and ambitious, Dog Problems is a stunning listen from start to finish". Tyler Scruggs of Spokesman felt that had a "timeless aspect that unfortunately isn't afforded to many of Nate Ruess' more recent efforts". Spectrum Culture writer John Paul added to this, stating that it "should have made their career or, at the very least, helped assure them some sort of iconic cult record status". By comparison, he said that the material on

Fun Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment". Etymology and usage The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...

's '' Some Nights'' (2012) came across as "overproduced, lesser versions of the ideas conveyed on Dog Problems". Dan Bogosian in his book ''Red Hot Chili Peppers FAQ'' (2020) wrote that Klinghoffer's parts on the album were "not the most advanced guitar work, utone of the songs became one of the Format's largest hits in 'I'm Actual, which he said foreshadowed the sound Fun would subsequently explore. The Young Folks writer Ryan Gibbs expanded on this, saying fans could be able to hear "early inklings" of ''Some Nights'' in the songs "I'm Actual" and "Dog Problems". In addition to this, he called Fun's debut studio album ''

Aim and Ignite ''Aim and Ignite'' is the debut studio album by American indie pop band Fun. It was recorded at Appletree Studios. Background On February 4, 2008, The Format broke up. Soon after, vocalist Nate Ruess had called up Jack Antonoff, from the band ...

'' (2009) the "spiritual successor to ''Dog Problems''", and said ''Dog Problems'' was "one of the best power pop records of the 2000s and a towering statement of 21st century love and heartbreak".

Track listing

All tracks written by Sam Means and Nate Ruess, except "Dead End" by Means,

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for ...

, and Ruess. # "Matches" – 2:10 # "I'm Actual" – 3:47 # "Time Bomb" – 4:01 # "She Doesn't Get It" – 3:51 # "Pick Me Up" – 3:46 # "Dog Problems" – 4:11 # "Oceans" – 4:48 # "Dead End" – 4:08 # "Snails" – 4:09 # "The Compromise" – 3:27 # "Inches and Falling" – 3:30 # "If Work Permits" – 5:28

Personnel

Personnel per booklet. The Format *

Nate Ruess Nate Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder and lead singer of the indie pop band Fun, and of The Format. As of 2015, he also performs as a solo musician. Early life Ruess was born the second child of Larry ...

– vocals, "a grain of synth", horn arrangements (track 8 and 11) *

Sam Means Sam Means is an American comedy writer. He won three Emmy awards for his work on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', and wrote for both '' 30 Rock'' and '' Parks and Recreation'' on NBC as well as all four seasons of ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ...

– piano, keyboards, guitars, "other fun instruments we had laying around", horn arrangements (track 8 and 11) Additional musicians * J'Anna Jacoby –

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

* Peggy Baldwin – cello * Kethleen Robertson –

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

* Johana Krejci – violin * Adriana Zoppo –

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

* Jean Marianelli –

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

* Paul Loredo – French horn * Deborah Avery –

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

, sax * Rory Mazella – clarinet, sax * Mike McGuffey –

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

* Roy Wiegand – trumpet * Jim McMillan –

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

* Dave Ryan – trombone * Randy Jones –

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

Additional musicians (cont'd) * Mike Schey – guitar (tracks 4, 5, 7 and 9–12),

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

(track 5) * Don Raymond Jr. – bass guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9–12) *

John O'Riley John Patrick Riley (also known as John Patrick O'Riley) (Irish: ''Seán Pádraig Ó Raghallaigh'') (8 February 1817 – 10 October 1850) was an Irish soldier in the British Army who emigrated to the United States and subsequently enlisted in t ...

– drums (tracks 2–7, 9, 10 and 12), percussion (tracks 2–8) * Roger Manning Jr. – orchestral arrangement (tracks 2, 6 and 9),

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

(track 3),

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

(track 9) *

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker w ...

– drums (tracks 8 and 11), percussion (track 1) *

Steven McDonald Steven D. McDonald (March 1, 1957 January 10, 2017) was a New York City Police Department patrolman who was shot and paralyzed on July 12, 1986. The shooting left him quadriplegic. Shooting A former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and third gene ...

– bass guitar (tracks 3, 6 and 8), backup vocals (tracks 7 and 10) * Anna Waronker – vocals (tracks 2, 3 and 8), vocal arrangements (tracks 2, 3 and 8) *

Josh Klinghoffer Josh Adam Klinghoffer (born October 3, 1979) is an American musician best known for being the guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, with whom he recorded two studio albums, '' I'm with You'' (2011) and '' The Getaw ...

– guitar (tracks 2, 3 and 8) * Sean McCall – percussion (tracks 9–11) * Aaron Wendt – doppler (track 5),

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

(track 7) * The Hobocamp Choir – gang vocals (tracks 6, 7 and 11), claps (track 7) **Steven McDonald ** Sam Means ** Ken Sluiter ** Nate Ruess ** Mark Buzard ** Mike Schey ** Sean McCall Production and design * Steven McDonald – producer * Ken Sluiter – engineer, mixing (tracks 2, 3 and 5) *

Tom Rothrock Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

– mixing (tracks 1, 4 and 6–12) * Mike Tarantino – mix engineer * Don Taylor – mastering * John Rummen – art direction * Sam Means – art

Charts

References

Citations Sources * * * * *

External links

''Dog Problems''
at

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(streamed copy where licensed) {{Authority control The Format albums 2006 albums Self-released albums