fourstarters's Recent Activity
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fourstarters liked SteveLikesMusic's post in the thread Band The Wonder Years.
Yo that alternate track list might be it
Oct 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM -
fourstarters liked JoshIsMediocre's post in the thread Band The Wonder Years.
Dan’s alternate track list
Oct 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
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fourstarters liked Allhailburnzy's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
The Format was beginning to think the stars were aligned against them. Just as Nate Ruess and Sam Means were finally able to sort through the aftermath of the 2020 pandemic-which first stalled, then completely wiped out their last attempt at a reunion-tragedy struck again. On the very first day of recording new music in nearly 20 years with Grammy-winning producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, The Killers, Bruce Springsteen), the Los Angeles wildfires broke out, leaving devastation across the city. It was enough to inspire a little conspiratorial thinking. “It seriously felt like the universe was against us,” Ruess says, trailing off. “It was at least…” “It was testing us, for sure,” Means adds, finishing the thought. It’s no wonder that Boycott Heaven, their third album, is charged with there is no waiting on tomorrow energy. After all, if the universe was in fact putting you through your paces, how might you respond? Not on some far-off imagined judgement day, but right now? “Holy roller, don’t go wasting all your time,” Ruess sings in the boisterous single “Holy Roller.” In other words, the time for creating something more like heaven isn’t tomorrow or some other day, but today. A certain romantic fatalism has always coursed through The Format’s lyrics, which the more mature Ruess cops to in the heartland rocker “Shot in the Dark.” “Lived my whole life like I was ready to die,” he confesses over jangling guitars and stomping rhythms. But Boycott Heaven is filled with reflections on reasons to stick around this broken old world: family, life-long connections, distorted guitar riffs, and a stubborn belief that even as bad as it is, tomorrow could be better. Once it was safe to return, the duo got back to work at Henson Recording Studios. Sam and Nate both played electric guitars-Ruess having picked up the instrument in the years since The Format’s last album, in addition to launching a solo career, forming the chart-topping fun. with Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost, and collaborating with P!nk, Kesha, and Hayley Williams of Paramore.) Their rhythm section was comprised of O’Brien on bass and drummer Matt Chamberlain (David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Soundgarden, Fiona Apple,). Fans of Interventions + Lullabies (2003) and Dog Problems (2006) will recognize the hooks and retro-pop bravado, but Boycott Heaven signals a new era. It’s not a nostalgia play, even as it incorporates sonic nods to the alt-rock, grunge, and pop-punk sounds Ruess and Means first bonded over as Arizona teenagers. “We first bonded listening to bands like Weezer, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots,” Ruesssays. “I’m a new guitarist, just enamored with power chords, so I’m listening to all this stuff we’d listen to back then and cross referencing—NOFX, Lagwagon. But you take that pop-punk stuff and slow it down, and then have Matt Chamberlain playing on it, and then it feels a little like grunge. All that’s in there.” “It does kind of bring us back,” Means says, not just in terms of time but “As a partnership, too. It feels like a cool extension of where we came from.” Though the concept of recording with a mega hit producer was intense at first, Means says O’Brien made it easy to focus on the music. “Brendan just being Brendan made it so that we could focus on being there to make a good record and have a good time,” he says. “Not that it wasn’t a whirlwind, cause it was. When it happened, it happened fast.” With steady hands like O’Brien and Chamberlain backing them up, Ruess and Means didn’t have to worry about second guessing the implications of following up their past work-the act of creating new sounds kept them entirely occupied. The results are diverse, from the power pop charger “Depressed,” which hinges on buzzsaw guitars and close harmonies, to the folk ballad “Right Where I Belong,” to the rousing anthem “No You Don’t,” which sounds like a lost Pinkerton B-side. Even as they disbanded, The Format never closed the door entirely to future collaboration. Steadily resisting the “emo nostalgia” bucks offered to them, Ruessfocused on new projects, and Means devoted himself to solo musical work and his independent music merchandise company, Hello Merch. When Ruess contacted him in August 2024, he didn’t realize that right away the band was actually flipping the switch into “new Format music mode”, though the work quickly revealed the path, and the two found that their years apart hadn’t dulled their creative psychic connection. “At first, we weren’t even sure,” Means says, noting that when Ruess reached out with set of guitar-based demos, a new mode for the mostly vocals-based composer, he thought they might be songs intended for the follow up to Ruess’ solo debut Grand Romantic(2015), but as they bounced ideas back and forth, it became clear what was happening. “It was like, ‘Well yeah, this is a Format record,’” Ruess says, “What else could it be?” Though Means admits he knows some people will read the words “boycott heaven” and immediately form an opinion, Ruess says the title came to him more or less by accident. “It was a hashtag on Twitter. I read ‘boycott heaven’ but it was ‘boycott Heineken,’” he says, stifling a laugh. “But I just thought the words sounded beautiful together. It’s not an anti-religion record—I think religion can be a beautiful thing—it’s just when something is out of balance, sometimes a boycott is in order.” Ruess cites Paul Schrader’s Ethan Hawke-staring masterpiece First Reformed (2017) as a major inspiration on the album, and just like that bleak, beautiful movie, Ruess doesn’t avoid thorny topics-from religion to fake friends, all while maintaining an empathetic stance that’s less about preaching and more about observing. “I would love nothing more than to write about the world in a cheesy way,” Ruess says with a wry laugh, but instead, Boycott Heaven portrays the world as it is: full of beauty, sadness, and always, no matter how hard to see, possibility. Following sold-out reunion gigs in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and New York, where songs from Boycott Heaven were debuted live, the new album signifies both a rebirth and continuation of The Format. When the band originally disbanded in 2008, their goodbye note made reference to a Twin Peaks DVD boxset Ruess and Means were passing back and forth, in an attempt to unravel the show’s mysteries. While cutting Boycott Heaven, Means insisted they devote a deep dive watch to 2017’s revival series, Twin Peaks: The Return. The mysteries-and the magic-remain. Like Mark Frost and the late David Lynch returning to their beloved fictional Washington town, Boycott Heaven is the product of two longtime confidants creating something they could only create together, changed by time but still tied to their roots. “Been gone for way too long,” Ruess sings on album closer “Back To Life.” “I never meant to say goodbye,” he follows up. The song signifies a new start, a new beginning, and a new chapter in the story of The Format.
Oct 14, 2025 at 11:59 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Yay the Limbeck rumors were true! Can't wait for San Diego.
Oct 14, 2025 at 11:56 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Tour Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread.
Programme is about 8 minutes from me and is a tiny ass skate shop/record store.
Oct 14, 2025 at 10:37 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Band The Wonder Years.
...anyone wanna buy my brown/blue NCTH pressing?
Oct 14, 2025 at 9:39 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Tour Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread.
Real curious who the redacted names for State Champs are, but that's a fun one with Origami Angel and Just Friends in LA.
Oct 14, 2025 at 9:39 AM -
fourstarters attached a file to the thread Band The Wonder Years.
Band one is 3500.
Oct 14, 2025 at 9:33 AM
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fourstarters replied to the thread Tour Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread.
Just play “self portrait” and call it a night.
Oct 13, 2025 at 8:44 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (October 3, 2025).
I wish there was some mechanism in place for Billboard to differentiate between digital sales of Life Of A Showgirl (Sparkly Farts Edition) and Life Of A Showgirl (Bedazzled Ass Edition) if it's the same 12 songs plus 2 bonus tracks, but it feels slimy to game the system by not releasing the bonus songs individually.
Oct 13, 2025 at 1:54 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Vinyl Thread.
I ordered one record off of the Bullseye Deal page on eBay and they shipped it in a Tyvek bag. It was predictably destroyed.
Oct 13, 2025 at 1:38 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Band The Wonder Years.
Every time I've said it was my favorite of their albums, someone has looked at me like I had two heads.
Oct 13, 2025 at 10:37 AM -
fourstarters liked TEGCRocco's post in the thread Band The Wonder Years.
I feel so vindicated as a day 1 NCTH obsessor
Oct 13, 2025 at 10:36 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Band The Wonder Years.
Do we have an idea on price for the anniversary pressing?
Oct 13, 2025 at 8:56 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Vinyl Thread.
Postal Service “Give Up” is $14 at Amazon.
Oct 13, 2025 at 7:55 AM -
fourstarters liked Blainer93's post in the thread Accountability in Music II.
Ian Watkins was stabbed to death yesterday in jail
Oct 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM -
fourstarters liked Frank Lapidus's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Show was fucking great. They sounded so damn good and I'm constantly amazed at how perfect Nate's voice is - even all these years later. Boycott Heaven debut was great and I have a feeling this record is going to be way more heavy than people realize and I'm all in for it.
Oct 12, 2025 at 5:59 PM -
fourstarters attached a file to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
What a show. All respect to them for $30 shirts when most bands are doing $40 Gildan prints.
Oct 11, 2025 at 9:16 AM
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fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Live debut for that one. It’s so good.
Oct 11, 2025 at 9:10 AM -
fourstarters liked Allhailburnzy's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
[MEDIA]
Oct 11, 2025 at 9:10 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
I’ve been there a ton! My brother’s band played their first show in the ballroom for a battle of the bands thing like 20 years ago. I miss that venue and Odeon a lot.
Oct 10, 2025 at 10:55 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Grog Shop?
Oct 10, 2025 at 4:55 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
For anyone going tonight, early merch at 3pm. Doors are 6, Phantom Planet 7, Format 8:10.
Oct 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Love seeing the Limbeck shoutout. My wife brags to me that she’s seen Format/Limbeck/Hellogoodbye/Steel Train at Glasshouse.
Oct 10, 2025 at 12:32 PM -
fourstarters liked serotoninsummer's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
thank you! i foolishly gave away my copy (along with ALL of my CDs) a handful of years ago. fun to read these blurbs again!
Oct 10, 2025 at 12:20 PM -
fourstarters liked irthesteve's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
I love reading these blurbs
Oct 10, 2025 at 12:20 PM -
fourstarters liked troyplaysbass's post in the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Amazing, thank you!
Oct 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM -
fourstarters attached a file to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Completely forgot I never opened it. Mmm, minty fresh clear vinyl. Adding a PDF scan as well as mobile-friendly JPG. Work is slow.
Oct 10, 2025 at 11:41 AM
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fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
I can do this - I have it on vinyl and can grab it off my shelf to scan. Will also be there tonight at Hollywood Forever - we're heading to a wedding in Los Alamos tomorrow and staying the night in LA. Never thought we'd actually get more shows after 2020 went to shit.
Oct 10, 2025 at 10:45 AM -
fourstarters liked irthesteve's post in the thread Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (October 3, 2025).
I'm not uhh, buying them, but each time you buy a digital variant yes you are buying the first 12 song files again and again too
Oct 10, 2025 at 9:44 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (October 3, 2025).
I'm curious - for each of these digital versions she's put out that include two or three acoustic songs, she's clearly marketing the digital album for $5-7 or whatever. If someone (@irthesteve ?) were to buy all of them, are you getting 4-5 digital copies of the regular album or is it just adding the extra tracks? From a charting standpoint, technically that's another sale of the album but it's not like a CD where I have an extra physical CD. Should that even count? If I've already bought digital package 1, buying digital package 2 is really only adding whatever acoustic tracks are included + the voice memos (something tells me there's a loophole that requires it to be at least a minimum number of songs - thus the voice memos - for it to count as a sale).
Oct 10, 2025 at 9:02 AM -
fourstarters liked popdisaster00's post in the thread Tour Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread.
Moshing was fun when I was 15 but I am thirty-fucking-six years old now. No thank you. I’ll be in the back of the room with ear plugs in.
Oct 10, 2025 at 6:58 AM -
fourstarters replied to the thread The Format - Boycott Heaven (January 23, 2026).
Grand Romantic is the Meg of Nate’s discography.
Oct 9, 2025 at 7:35 PM -
fourstarters replied to the thread Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (October 3, 2025).
I can’t really fault her for vinyl variants when Twenty One Pilots just dropped 20+ variants for their new album two weeks ago and nobody really cared.
Oct 9, 2025 at 7:33 PM -
fourstarters liked Cmoney86's post in the thread Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (October 3, 2025).
First week sales end at midnight. Only reason it’s 6 hours
Oct 9, 2025 at 6:13 PM