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 Wale ...

The Format The Format was an American indie rock band, formed by vocalist Nate Ruess and multi-instrumentalist Sam Means (musician), Sam Means. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1 ...

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. The album did not produce any hit singles. ...

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 ...

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 the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

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 ge ...

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

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and 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, ...

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

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the f ...

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. 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 ...

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 (or first 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. A similar term, "debut ...

the All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects (often abbreviated as AAR) are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma, 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. The album did not produce any hit singles. ...

'' 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 ...

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

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

, after which the band were 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 the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

. While this was occurring, the band were supporting

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...

and

Something Corporate Something Corporate (also known as SoCo) is an American Rock music, rock band from Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California, Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their currently active line-up includes vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, ...

on their co-headlining tour of the United States. Over the next three months, The Format performed on the

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

, and went on headlining tours of the West Coast and Midwest. They ended 2004 touring the US with

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

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 ...

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

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. 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 ...

and

Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, New York, formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999. The band's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, voc ...

on their co-headlining US tour; to coincide with this, The Format released an

Extended Play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

(EP) titled ''Snails''. By July 2005, The Format were recording demos, after which they aimed to find a producer. According to Ruess, their record company listened to the band's new demos but "didn't hear a single"; the band repeatedly asked the label to remove them from the roster. Ruess planned to make 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 the ending of his five-year-long relationship but this idea was abandoned because he was "still in the relationship and it was still going bad and I couldn't get out of it". Atlantic removed the band while they were preparing to record their next album. 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 ge ...

, who was assisted by engineer Ken Sluiter, and was recorded in Los Angeles, California, over two months. They worked 12 hours per day on six days a week. Throughout the recording process, Ruess frequently apologized to his partner; he would 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", and the remaining tracks were mixed by Tom Rothrock. Mike Tarantino served as mixing engineer and Don Taylor

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

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

Composition and lyrics

Music and themes

The music of ''Dog Problems'' 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 a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

,

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and 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, ...

, drawing comparisons to the work of

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

,

Cake Cake is a flour confection usually 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 elabor ...

,

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

,

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After playing in several small independent bands throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Folds came to prominence as the f ...

,

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. 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 ...

and

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

. 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 ...

'' (1986) by

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

as his biggest influence for the album; he said; "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, inspiration came from '' Nilsson Sings Newman'' (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 success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experi ...

, which Ruess said has "so many great standardish songs". The works of

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

and

The Zombies The Zombies are an English Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the U ...

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, i ...

" (1984) by

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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 that was four minutes long or changing keys 90 different times".

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

reviewer Corey Apar wrote there is a "whimsical, carnival-esque air that appears sporadically throughout" ''Dog Problems'' as the band "mix in horn sections, piano, banjo, handclaps and pretty much whatever else was lying around the studio". ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...

'' writer Chad Grischow said The Format bounce between a "soulful and reflective pair, begging comparisons to old Beach Boys, while at other times they dazzle with danceable beats and dangerously addictive soaring emo 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, ...

'' contributor Winston Kung said across the album's songs, Ruess "discusses corporate rock magazines, moving to the ountryUkraine, and one dysfunctional girlfriend in particular who seems to have eviscerated his heart". The melody of some songs, such as "I'm Actual" and "Dog Problems", came about when Ruess was sitting at home or driving; he would repeat the melodies to Means, who would then work out the

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

s. From here, Ruess took lyrics from a notebook and worked them around the melodies. Means and Ruess were supplemented by additional musicians for every song on ''Dog Problems'', which includes cello, violin, viola, French horn, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone and tuba instrumentation. 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 Geta ...

of the

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

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

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Stony Brook, in 1967. They have sold 25 million records worldwide, including 7 million in the United States. ...

played drums and percussion on most of the album, and

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He has performed with acts including Beck, R.E.M., Oasis and Roger Waters, and is a member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Back ...

played on "Dead End", "Inches and Falling" and "Matches". Roger Manning Jr. wrote 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 is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

on "Snails".

Anna Waronker Anna Jeanette Waronker is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress and musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drummer Joey ...

arranged and sang vocals on "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb" and "Dead End". Aaron Wendt of Tickertape Parade added

Doppler effect The Doppler effect (also Doppler shift) is the change in the frequency of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave. The ''Doppler effect'' is named after the physicist Christian Doppler, who described ...

to "Pick Me Up" and

noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...

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

Tracks

Discussing the album's title and the song "Dog Problems", Ruess said 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, 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: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...

waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

; ''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 dis ...

and power-pop track that blends drums and a piano against a disco beat; it describes a self-destructive woman who self-harms by the song's end. The track evolved from an occasion in which Means and Ruess tried to recall an older, unrelated song. Ruess wrote the melody and lyrics, and on the same day they recorded a demo of it. The

surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a 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 inst ...

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

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...

. The fifth track, "Pick Me Up", begins with lyrics taken from the chorus of "Green Isaac (I)" on Prefab Sprout's first album Swoon. "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; the song is 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 staff writer Knott said Ruess spells out "B-E-C-C-A before he realizes 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 and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

track "Oceans" recalls the work of the Beach Boys; ''Merry-Go-Round Magazine'' founder CJ Simpson wrote "Dead End" feels like a "massive post-intermission number of a happy-go-lucky musical". "Snails" is a folk song that uses the titular creatures as a metaphor for loving one's life; the track's guitar-playing is 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 global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

in " Blackbird" (1968) by The Beatles. "The Compromise" is a response to Atlantic Records' request to the band for a hit-sounding song. Ruess said it "wasn't 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 pop Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from the 1986 ''NME'' compilation '' C86''. Twee pop gets its name from the aesthetic of twee, which is known for its simplicity and childlike innocence. Some of its defining features are boy-gi ...

track that Grischow said is 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 music, rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikola ...

and switches from a being 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 primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

song.

Release

The Format supported

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

in March and April 2006. A few weeks before its release, ''Dog Problems'' was leaked online, prompting the band them to sell it digitally early through The Nettwork's online store. Ruess wrote a long-form piece about the band's experiences while making 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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

it. When it was leaked, Ruess did not have the finished masters so he purchased the download version to show his parents. ''Dog Problems'' was made available for streaming through

AOL Music 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, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...

on July 10, 2006, and was 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 ...

. On July 14, 2006, the band performed the entire album at a release show at

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 and cultural center. He received ...

in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) 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 over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. "The Compromise" was released to radio on July 18, 2006; the same month, a music video for the song was filmed over four hours and features

origami ) is the Japanese 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 paper into a ...

. 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. They have released six full-length albums, a live DVD, and numerous liv ...

and

Anathallo Anathallo was a band originally from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and then based in Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With ...

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

the All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects (often abbreviated as AAR) are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1999.Glutton of Sympathy" (1993) by

Jellyfish Jellyfish, also known as sea jellies or simply jellies, are the #Life cycle, medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, which is a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animal ...

as its

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

. A week later, the live EP ''And Now I Hope You're Alright – Live in California'', including versions of "Matches", "Dog Problems", and "Inches and Falling",was released. 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 CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...

. On November 20, 2006, a music video for "Dog Problems" was released. The staff at ''Spin'' wrote it features hands, saying the "forefinger protagonist ... s 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 Format performed ''Dog Problems'' in its entirety at Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles; the performance was filmed for a potential DVD release. In June 2007, the album was released as a free download over a three-week period. Ruess said the band knew "kids aren't buying music", and added; "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 US tour with support on various dates from

Mike Birbiglia Mike Birbiglia (; born June 20, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, director, producer and Emmy-nominated writer. He has written and performed a series of award-winning solo shows worldwide. His six solo shows, ''Sleepwalk With Me'', ''My Gi ...

,

Limbeck Limbeck is an American rock band that formed in Southern 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 Matthew S ...

,

Steel Train Steel Train was an indie rock band from New Jersey. They performed at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Coachella, ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', and ''Late Show with David Letterman'', and toured with several acts, including Tegan and Sara, Fun, Ben ...

, 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 ...

, 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 backg ...

. The band released the video album ''Live at the Mayan Theatre'', which consists of songs from their two studio albums, on November 13, 2007. In February 2008, The Format announced they were breaking up. ''Dog Problems'' was initially released as an LP in 2006; in 2014, it was reissued as a two-disc edition with a die-cut jacket and an etching of a dog bowl on the D-side. The two-disc version was re-pressed in 2016 and 2020. In 2022, the album was released on cassette as a joint release by The Vanity Label and Means' label Hello Records. Demos of "I'm Actual", "Time Bomb", "Dead End" and "If Work Permits", and an acoustic version of "Matches" were included on The Format's compilation album ''B-Sides and Rarities'' (2007). These versions of "Time Bomb" and "If Work Permits" were later included on the EP ''Kenneth Room Sessions'', which also includes 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 alone as a live album in 2020, under the title ''Live at the Mayan Theatre: Dog Problems''.

Reception

''Dog Problems'' was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. ''

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 featu ...

'' founder Jason Tate wrote 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 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 said The Format made a "refreshing album that screams for repeated play on sticky summer days", and added it "works both as a danceable party rock album and as an example of beautiful songwriting ability". Punktastic founder Paul Savage said among the "drama and intrigue is a record that's nigh on perfect". According to ''

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'' Katie Hasty, 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 r ...

'' called ''Dog Problems'' an "odyssey sans trite lyrical clichés and guitar-overload breakdowns" found in emo while ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

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

Riverfront Times The ''Riverfront Times'' (''RFT'') was a free progressive weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, that consisted of local politics, music, arts, and dining news in the print edition, and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its websit ...

'' writer Julie Seabaugh said "instead of treading clichéd ground, Ruess employs metaphors far more convincing than his peers' overused" imagery. She asked "Females? Financial backing? If 'Dog Problems''is any indication, freedom suits The Format better than those two things combined". According to Trent Moore of Soundthesirens, the album is one of the best 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 the band made "something very unlikely: a tight, independent sophomore release that's more mature and meaningful than their first". '' Melodic's'' Pär Winberg called ''Dog Problems'' "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". According to Kung, the breadth of instruments used make ''Dog Problems'' sound like "

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

—on crack, and what's really surprising is that it doesn't crumble under all that feel-good weight". Apart from the "occasional tedium", Kung said the majority of the album shows "effortlessly creative depth". Alan Shulman of No Ripcord wrote The Format "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 said the album "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 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 created in ...

'' writer Noel Murray said ''Dog Problems'' "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". According ti ''

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'' contributor Kevin Bronson, the melodies "stick but never wear out their welcome" because the tracks are "arranged

ell An ell (from Proto-Germanic *''alinō'', cognate with Latin ''ulna'') is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means "arm", an ...

but don't suffocate from their orchestration". Mxdwn included "Dog Problems" on their list of the 40 best songs from 2006 while "The Compromise" was included on No Ripchord's similar list.

Commercial performance

''Dog Problems'' sold 13,000 copies 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's release. Alongside this, the album peaked at number 11 on the Tastemarkers chart.Schlager ed. 2006, p. 70

Retrospective reviews

In a retrospective review, Knott said ''Dog Problems'' "sweeps you through 45 minutes of brilliantly easy listening with every ounce of its musical integrity intact", and called it perfect. Knott concluded their review with; "Broad, honest and ambitious, Dog Problems is a stunning listen from start to finish". According to Tyler Scruggs of Spokesman, the album has 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 the album "should have made their career or, at the very least, helped assure them some sort of iconic cult record status". In comparison, he said 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) appears "overproduced, lesser versions of the ideas conveyed on ''Dog Problems''". Dan Bogosian in his book ''Red Hot Chili Peppers FAQ'' (2020) wrote Klinghoffer's parts on the album are "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 later explore. The Young Folks writer Ryan Gibbs expanded on this, saying fans are able to hear "early inklings" of Fun's album ''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 ba ...

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

Track listing

Personnel

Personnel per booklet. The Format *

Nate Ruess Nathaniel Joseph Ruess (pronounced ; born February 26, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. He formed the indie rock band The Format in 2002, and later went on to form the band fun. in 2008. He emerged as a solo act with his guest per ...

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

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

* Peggy Baldwin – cello * Kethleen Robertson –

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

* Johana Krejci – violin * Adriana Zoppo –

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

* 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 o ...

* Paul Loredo – French horn * Deborah Avery –

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

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

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

* Roy Wiegand – trumpet * Jim McMillan –

trombone The trombone (, 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 lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

* Dave Ryan – trombone * Randy Jones –

tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...

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 that ...

(track 5) * Don Raymond Jr. – bass guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9–12) * John O'Reilly Jr. – 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 is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

(track 9) *

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He has performed with acts including Beck, R.E.M., Oasis and Roger Waters, and is a member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Back ...

– 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 ge ...

– bass guitar (tracks 3, 6 and 8), backup vocals (tracks 7 and 10) *

Anna Waronker Anna Jeanette Waronker is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress and musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drummer Joey ...

– 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 Geta ...

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

noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...

(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 – 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