Over the past few months I’ve listened to pretty much nothing but The National. It’s become an unhealthy sort of obsession, like when I was fifteen and discovered The Beatles. I have a new favorite song every day. Love all five albums, don’t even try to separate them any more.
Maybe they’ve already been toasted here but I couldn’t find a thread… and searching for “the national” scares the search engine.
So… any fans?
Been reading about them a lot, but haven’t taken the dive. They sound like work - lots of discussion about how multiple listens are required and Matt Berninger’s (sp?) bleak look on life. So they are getting buzz, but the words used to generate the buzz aren’t drawing me to them.
I’d love to hear your take and how you got obssessed. Can you liken them to anyone? I have ended up with a mental picture of Spoon-type pop with downer lyrics…
A cross between R.E.M. and Joy Division. But that’s all wrong. They’re hard to define. More polished than most indie bands. And sure, bleak, but… grown up in a way you don’t expect in rock anymore. Lyrically they remind me of Greg Brown with a little Raymond Carver thrown in.
Love The National. Huge fan.
I’m a big fan of the percussion behind the singer’s bleak lyrics.
WordMan, Spoon is not a good comparison. The National does not have a commercial pop sound. I despise music writers who can’t describe a band or piece of music without comparing it to another, but I lack the ability myself. (It’s really difficult.)
I just gave a description my best shot and deleted it because I sound like an idiot. I am not a musician, so I don’t think I have the vocabulary to properly describe what I’m hearing. So let me just suggest you do a search on YouTube and have a listen for yourself.
I’d go along with the R.E.M. comparison, but I dunno about Joy Division.
:: thinks about it ::
Yeah, I guess so. Only without all that synth: complex percussion, dark lyrics sung in a deep smooth baritone. Guitar work more like R.E.M.
I did a quick listen to a couple of songs - I get the Joy Division reference to the delivery of the lyrics. Frankly, I would say he sounds similar to Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, too - although Julian is not as even in his delivery.
They don’t jump out of PC speakers - well, there’s a surprise - but I can hear the basic self-containment of the songs.
I have heard that the new CD is good but the previous one was their breakout - true? Or are there specific tracks to recommend?
The National?
For sure. Peter Mansbridge is so good at the anchordesk.
Their last album The Boxer sold 200,000 copies. I guess that’s a break-out, but nothing for pop music.
Love love love love. Love Boxer the most.
ETA: favorite songs on that album if you’re hunting tracks: Fake Empire, Green Gloves, Slow Show.
MASSIVE fan of ‘Boxer’. Also really like Alligator. Trying to get into the new one.
Boxer is a top ten album for me right now.
They’re a little Nick Cave. Strong piano work. Complex orchestration.
All Music compares them to Film School, Pela and Tenament Halls. All of whom I’ve never heard of.
The best thing I like about them is that none of their songs suck. I can play through an entire album without itching to skip forward.
Here’s a little playlist for the curious. My favorites from each album, and all are fantastic. Incidentally I realize I called Boxer “The Boxer” earlier, it’s just “Boxer.”
The National - Watching You Well
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers - Lucky You
Alligator - All the Wine
Boxer - Mistaken for Strangers, Fake Empire
The Virginia - live cover of “Mansion on the Hill”
High Violet - Bloodbuzz Ohio
Also find a song called Around the Bend on a compilation disk Dark Was the Night.
The National is touring this summer/fall. My sister saw them at Pitchfork last summer, and after not being into them too much before then, she said they were awesome live. NPR’s Live Concert series has a recording of a concert (not Pitchfork).
Here The National collaborated with St. Vincent (also awesome) on a cover of “Sleep All Summer”: The National and St. Vincent - Sleep All Summer (Crooked Fingers Cover).
Huh. I think I saw these guys open for Sixteen Horsepower about 5-6 years ago and was not impressed. Maybe they’re better in the studio? I’ll give the recommendations in this thread a listen and hear for myself… 
I like other songs by them especially Mistaken For Strangers, but I listened to Available at least 50 times in the first three weeks I had the song. How could anyone not love it?
I have really enjoyed High Violet (their new album). Checked it out based on a review and now I’m looking at all their old stuff.
heheheh. That’s what I thought the thread was about too.
Damn I miss the at issue panel…
The National is probably my current favorite band. I’ve actually seen them live opening for REM a few years back, but didn’t know who they were at the time. Thankfully it looks like I will have a chance to see them live again soon, now that I will appreciate it more.
They will be playing at the Treasure Island Music Festival (I started a thread about this a while ago) in October, for those of you within driving distance of San Francisco.
Bumping this and quoting myself to say: I’ve been listening to Boxer and High Violet and I hereby officially reverse my negative opinion of them. When I saw them live, they seemed bland and lacking in hooks, but I see (hear) now that this is not the case. When I take “Mistaken for Strangers” off of repeat I’ll be able to judge the rest of their output better, but…goddamn, that song is catchy. I love the drums.
I keep coming across them when looking for new music. Apparently a lot of people consider them similar to a lot of bands I like. They play them a lot on Sirius XMU, too. Also, if I’m not mistaken they did some work with Sufjan Stevens on his new album-- Sufjan being my favorite musician.
I haven’t listened to them a ton, but what I’ve heard sounds to me like monotone vocals over completely generic, forgettable music. Am I hearing the wrong songs, or is it “layered” so that it takes several listens to sink in, or does it sound like this band is just not for me?
Saw them years ago, when they were first starting out. Singer was either a total dick or completely freaked out, because he never turned around to face the audiance. Set wasn’t bad, but I was distracted by the singer.
A year or two later I heard Sad Songs and was blown away. The Boxer is my favorite album right now, but High Violet is growing on me.
A friend sa them in DC recently and said the singer was amazing that show, so I guess he got over his issues.
Favorite songs:
Daughters of the Soho Riots
About Today
All dolled up in Straps
Cherry Tree
and I’m digging the two singles off of Violet: Bloodbuzz Ohio and Lemonworld.
Iagree with the Joy Division comparisons as well as the Film School. I’ll throw in another one, A Place To Bury Strangers, if only for the monotone phrasing and delivery.
Glad others are into these guys.