Showcase: The Format
Dec. 14th, 2009 12:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
foolish_m0rtalThis is sort of my tribute to one of my favourite bands called The Format.
The Format was an indie band formed in Arizona comprised of Nate Ruess and Sam Means.The Format chose their name to make fun of the music industry's inclination towards a cookie-cutter "format" for a hit. This is ironic, since their record company (Atlantic Records) really would royally screw them over later. Yes, that company Weird Al dislikes immensely. You know his shirt "Atlantis Records Sucks"? Yeah...
Their style is very interesting and is described 'a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music." I've heard a lot of people describe their music as 'feel good music,' which makes it sound like easy listening music or running water or something ridiculous like that. (No offence to people who like that kind of music)
I like to describe their music as the feeling you have when you're sitting on the side of some small road in the middle of dusty nowhere in the hot summer in your car with the windows rolled down, your best friend is sitting beside you talking about nothing particular, and you've got an icebox between you filled with sweet cold pluots and crisp summer beer. And maybe your friend's moving tomorrow, maybe you'll never see this place ever again, but at least for a few hours it's like the whole summer is yours.
The style changes into something more perky and upbeat in the second album, like you've finally moved away and you still think about the past, but you're still excited about living in a new place and the adventures you could have. *^_^* I'm waay to excited about this. I talk about these guys to any indie music lover I meet.
Albums:
Interventions + Lullabies
After this album was released, the company Elektra was absorbed into Atlantic Records, which allowed parent company, Warner Bros., to eliminate any artists and employees who were considered a liability, without having to fulfill contractual obligations. The Format first believed themselves to be dropped, but then learned that their contract had been picked up by Atlantic Records. Unfortunately for The Format, Atlantic had decided not to invest any time or money into Intervention + Lullabies and instead instructed them to simply record a second album similar to their debut.
Despite the lack of support and marketing from their record company (no video, no major promotions, no push for radio play outside of Phoenix), the band's fan base grew due to word of mouth, the Internet, and extensive touring.
Dog Problems
Atlantic Records was not pleased by the 1970's influenced music in their second album Dog Problems and asked the band to write more songs that had the potential to become hit singles. The band refused to change their music, and their contract with Atlantic Records was terminated.
The band created their own record label, which let them have total creative control over the music making process, and they released their second album totally independently.
(I wanted to post Snails or Oceans, which may be my favourite songs on that album, but this is the official music video. *flail* They got their own music video!)
The first single from Dog Problems was "The Compromise", which was ironically written as a response to Atlantic Records asking The Format to write a "hit single" before dropping them.
Like in their previous album, the band literally used "any other fun instruments we had lying around" and the instruments range from tuba and french horn, to handclaps and harpsichords, to orchestral arrangements and a children's choir.
The Format announced in 2008 that the band would be going on hiatus, much to their disappointment, and members of the band have since gone on to pursue other musical projects.
So anyway, I did a small tribute to The Format in under 10 minutes and put together art from their two studio albums. (I really like their art too)
Plain:
With Text:
The Format was an indie band formed in Arizona comprised of Nate Ruess and Sam Means.The Format chose their name to make fun of the music industry's inclination towards a cookie-cutter "format" for a hit. This is ironic, since their record company (Atlantic Records) really would royally screw them over later. Yes, that company Weird Al dislikes immensely. You know his shirt "Atlantis Records Sucks"? Yeah...
Their style is very interesting and is described 'a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music." I've heard a lot of people describe their music as 'feel good music,' which makes it sound like easy listening music or running water or something ridiculous like that. (No offence to people who like that kind of music)
I like to describe their music as the feeling you have when you're sitting on the side of some small road in the middle of dusty nowhere in the hot summer in your car with the windows rolled down, your best friend is sitting beside you talking about nothing particular, and you've got an icebox between you filled with sweet cold pluots and crisp summer beer. And maybe your friend's moving tomorrow, maybe you'll never see this place ever again, but at least for a few hours it's like the whole summer is yours.
The style changes into something more perky and upbeat in the second album, like you've finally moved away and you still think about the past, but you're still excited about living in a new place and the adventures you could have. *^_^* I'm waay to excited about this. I talk about these guys to any indie music lover I meet.
Albums:
Interventions + Lullabies
After this album was released, the company Elektra was absorbed into Atlantic Records, which allowed parent company, Warner Bros., to eliminate any artists and employees who were considered a liability, without having to fulfill contractual obligations. The Format first believed themselves to be dropped, but then learned that their contract had been picked up by Atlantic Records. Unfortunately for The Format, Atlantic had decided not to invest any time or money into Intervention + Lullabies and instead instructed them to simply record a second album similar to their debut.
Despite the lack of support and marketing from their record company (no video, no major promotions, no push for radio play outside of Phoenix), the band's fan base grew due to word of mouth, the Internet, and extensive touring.
Dog Problems
Atlantic Records was not pleased by the 1970's influenced music in their second album Dog Problems and asked the band to write more songs that had the potential to become hit singles. The band refused to change their music, and their contract with Atlantic Records was terminated.
The band created their own record label, which let them have total creative control over the music making process, and they released their second album totally independently.
(I wanted to post Snails or Oceans, which may be my favourite songs on that album, but this is the official music video. *flail* They got their own music video!)
The first single from Dog Problems was "The Compromise", which was ironically written as a response to Atlantic Records asking The Format to write a "hit single" before dropping them.
Like in their previous album, the band literally used "any other fun instruments we had lying around" and the instruments range from tuba and french horn, to handclaps and harpsichords, to orchestral arrangements and a children's choir.
The Format announced in 2008 that the band would be going on hiatus, much to their disappointment, and members of the band have since gone on to pursue other musical projects.
So anyway, I did a small tribute to The Format in under 10 minutes and put together art from their two studio albums. (I really like their art too)
Plain:
With Text:
