| Aim and Ignite | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 2009 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:20 | |||
| Label | Nettwerk | |||
| Producer | Steven McDonald | |||
| Fun chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Aim and Ignite | ||||
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Aim and Ignite is the debut studio album by American indie pop band Fun. It was recorded at Appletree Studios.
On February 4, 2008, the Format broke up. [1] Soon after, vocalist Nate Ruess had called up Jack Antonoff, from the band Steel Train and Andrew Dost of Anathallo, [2] They created the band Fun. and headed into the studio with producer Steven Shane McDonald.
The album was described as "what a pop album should sound like" and "the most essential pop album of 2009" by AbsolutePunk. [3] AllMusic compared the trio to Queen and the Electric Light Orchestra. [4] It was said "it used previous Format tricks like using bright horns and sophisticated harmonies". [5]
On April 20, 2009, it was revealed that fans could download "At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)" for free upon signing up with the band's mailing list. In addition, it was mentioned that the band's debut album would be released in August. [6] Between late April and early June, the band supported Manchester Orchestra on their headlining tour of the US. [7] On May 19, Aim and Ignite was announced for release in August. In addition, the album's track listing was revealed. [8] In August, the band went on a tour of the US with Hellogoodbye, Limbeck and My Favorite Highway. [9] Aim and Ignite was released on August 25 through Nettwerk. [10] Two of the bonus tracks are re-imagined versions of songs on the CD, and two are remixes. [11] The title of the album comes from a line of the lyrics on the track "Light a Roman Candle with Me". Following a support slot for Motion City Soundtrack, Fun supported Paramore on their headlining US tour in April and May. [12] [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk.net | 89% [14] |
| AllMusic |    [15] |
| The Aquarian Weekly | B+ [16] |
| Melodic | [17] |
| Music Emissions | [18] |
| PopMatters | 5/10 [19] |
| Redefine | A− [20] |
| Rock Sound | 8/10 [21] |
| Sputnikmusic | [22] |
Aim and Ignite was released to positive reviews. AbsolutePunk.net's Drew Beringer praised the album, calling it "what a pop album should sound like" and "the most essential pop album of 2009". [14] AllMusic called the album "progressive, but in the best possible way" and admired Ruess's lyrics for "investigating the larger truths of life...with a witty approach that keeps the songs bubbling merrily along on a positive note". [15] Dave de Sylvia of Sputnikmusic wrote, "Aim and Ignite isn’t the most consistent pop album around," but he ultimately commended the album as "a superbly mixed and arranged album made by musicians who clearly understand the limits and potential of pop music". [22]
Estella Hung of PopMatters was less impressed with the album, praising songs "Be Calm" and "The Gambler", but criticizing the lyrics and production of the album's early tracks. Hung concluded that while Aim and Ignite is "pretty original to say the least", it "fails to live up to the Format's last outing". [19] Popdose's Ken Shane called the album "an interesting and unusual listen". Shane applauded the album's songwriting and said "many of the songs are really good", but he objected to the "cute" production, desiring to hear the band "in a more stripped-down form. He ended his review with: "I have a similar problem with Dr. Dog, a band that was recommended to me by a number of people. I think much of their recorded work is too fussed over, but when I saw them live and their sound was more stripped down out of necessity, emphasizing their powerful songwriting, I thought they were wonderful. Perhaps the same fate awaits me with Fun." [23]
The album reached number 26 on Sputnikmusic's top 50 albums of 2009.
All tracks are written by Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jack Antonoff and Sam Means except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Be Calm" | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Benson Hedges" | 4:00 |
| 3. | "All the Pretty Girls" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "I Wanna Be the One" | 3:37 |
| 5. | "At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)" | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Light a Roman Candle With Me" | 3:05 |
| 7. | "Walking the Dog" | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Barlights" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "The Gambler" | 4:12 |
| 10. | "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" | 7:52 |
iTunes bonus tracks
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [25] | 71 |
| US Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [25] | 20 |
| US Rock Albums ( Billboard ) [25] | 23 |
| US Tastemaker Albums ( Billboard ) [25] | 3 |
The Format was 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 members of the band, they have played, toured, and recorded with Mike Schey, Mark Buzard, Don Raymond, and for the DVD recording and summer 2007 tour, The Honorary Title's drummer Adam Boyd. The Format chose their name to make fun of the music industry's inclination towards a cookie-cutter "format" for a hit. Formed in 2002, the band announced a hiatus on February 4, 2008. On February 4, 2020, they announced a return from their hiatus for a tour of special shows that were later cancelled due to the pandemic.
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 radio friendly, it did not produce any hit singles. This is possibly due to the absorption of Elektra Records into Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records shortly after the album's release.
Dog Problems is the second studio album to be recorded by American rock band The Format; the album was released on July 11, 2006, through the band's label The Vanity Label. Following the release of their debut studio album Interventions + Lullabies (2003), The Format were moved from Elektra Records to Atlantic Records, who were unable to promote them, causing the band to leave the label in late 2005. The Format recorded their next album Dog Problems with producer Steven McDonald in Los Angeles, California. Dog Problems is an indie pop, indie rock and power pop album that has been compared to the work of the Cars, Ben Folds and Jimmy Eat World.
Trampoline is the second studio album released by Steel Train.
Fun was an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consisted of Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess.
You, Me, and Everyone We Know is a rock band from Washington, D.C. After a decade-plus of lineup changes and hiatuses, the moniker has become a vehicle for singer-songwriter Ben Liebsch. The band has released ten EPs, one of them is a live EP, and two full-length albums.
Nathaniel Joseph 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.
Crash Love is the eighth studio album by the rock band AFI. Produced by Joe McGrath and Jacknife Lee, it was released on September 29, 2009, through Interscope Records.
"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, Some Nights (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead single from the album. The song quickly received acclaim from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.
Dancing with a Ghost is the third full-length studio album by American pop punk band Valencia, released through I Surrender Records on October 12, 2010.
Some Nights is the second and most recent studio album by the American pop rock group fun. It was released on February 21, 2012, through Fueled by Ramen. It was recorded in 2011 and produced by Jeff Bhasker. After signing to the new label, the band began to work on Some Nights for over nine months throughout 2011.
"Some Nights" is a song by American indie pop band Fun. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the second single from their second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Jeff Bhasker, Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, and Jack Antonoff. Musically "Some Nights" is an alternative rock song with elements of power pop and progressive pop while the lyrics depict the protagonist having an existential crisis.
The discography of American indie pop band Fun consists of two studio albums, seven extended plays, 11 singles and seven music videos. Following the split of his previous band The Format, lead singer Nate Ruess formed Fun in 2008 with musicians Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, both of whom had previously toured with The Format. Fun began recording sessions for their debut album in September 2008 and embarked on a North American tour the following month. In May 2009, they issued their debut single, "At Least I'm Not as Sad ". Aim and Ignite, the band's first full-length album, was released by Nettwerk Records on August 25, 2009, and peaked at number 71 on the United States Billboard 200 chart. The album produced an additional two singles, "All the Pretty Girls" and "Walking the Dog", which were then followed by the release of the single "C'mon", a collaboration with American alternative rock band Panic! at the Disco.
"Carry On" is a song by American indie pop band fun. It was released on October 23, 2012, as the third single off their second album, Some Nights. The song was written by the band members, Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jack Antonoff, alongside the album's producer, Jeff Bhasker.
Andrew Paul Dost is an American musician and singer; he was a member of the indie rock band Fun., in which he plays several instruments, mainly the piano. He was formerly a member of the indie rock band Anathallo from 2003 to 2007.
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and was the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun; the latter group released the international number-one single "We Are Young" which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and topped the Hot 100 for six weeks. He was previously the lead singer of the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with Bleachers and Fun, Antonoff has worked as a songwriter and record producer with various artists, including Taylor Swift, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff has often been credited with having a significant impact on the sound of contemporary popular music since the mid-2010s.
Before Shane Went to Bangkok: Live in the USA is the only live music EP by the band fun. It was recorded in 2013 during Fun's North American tour. The name of the EP refers to Fun's guitar tech and photographer Shane Timm. The EP was released December 17, 2013 as a digital download and also as a vinyl bundle including photographs taken during the tour, limited to 1,000 pressings, and was released primarily as a way of thanking the fans for attending the shows. Most notably, the EP contains a previously unreleased track called What the Fuck that was performed only in Fun's live sets.
Strange Desire is the debut studio album released by American indie pop act Bleachers, led by guitarist Jack Antonoff. The album was released on July 11, 2014, through RCA Records, and produced the singles "I Wanna Get Better", "Shadow" and "Rollercoaster".
Rachel Antonoff is an American fashion designer based in New York City. She is known for presenting her designs in creative ways, including in the form of a murder mystery, as a "sock hop," and in a dollhouse. In 2015, director and actress Lena Dunham promoted Antonoff's collaboration with & Other Stories in a short film called Vote Audrey. Dunham famously wore Antonoff's Uterus Sweater to a Planned Parenthood event where she then auctioned it off to raise an additional $4,000 for the cause. The text of her popular 2013 "I'm With Her" sweatshirt descended into politics after Hillary Clinton's campaign adopted I'm With Her as the campaign's slogan. Antonoff starred in and was the creative director for the music video for Tegan and Sara's "Boyfriend" in 2016.
Samuel Thomas Means is an American songwriter, producer and musician, previously songwriter of indie pop band The Format.
