<< Just got an advance of the new Format record..."Dog Problems". (due out in July) Some big pop names really pull this record to life...Roger Manning Jr, production by Steve McDonald...and contributions form the Waronkers (Anna and Joey). On first listen...there's alot more musical desnity than their last one (2003's "Interventions & Lullabies")...but some solid songcraft all around...and great string and vocal arrangements (thanks most likely to RMJr.!). Alot of great indie pop ear candy to get into on this one! I'd expect to see this on some year-end Top Ten lists.... Check em out: http://www.myspace.com/theformat >> I would definitely second this recommendation. The album is available for download for $7.99 now from the Nettwerk website if you can't wait until the official release, and I couldn't so I decided I'd check it out. It sounds a lot like a marriage of Jellyfish and The Shins, if you can imagine such a thing, and is very much down most Auditeers' alleys. They were apparently heavily inspired by Van Dyke Parks and the good ol' J-Fish when working on this one. Their debut from 2003, "Interventions and Lullabies," is also well worth checking out. "The First Single (Cause a Scene)" (or, as its sometimes billed, "The First Single (Cause a Scene)" was one of the catchiest singles of 2003. --J