The 20 Best Albums of 2007 - The National: "Boxer"

2.  If I had to use one word to describe The National, it would be unassuming. It's easy to listen to the sad drone of Matt Berninger's vocals coupled with the violin and guitar strumming and dismiss the band as a bunch of whiney sad bastards, but that would be completely short-sighted. Time and time again The National have proven themselves as not only a far more dynamic band then at first glance, but also as one of the better rock bands this country has to offer.

If you think that is a bold statement then listen to Boxer and rethink your skepticism. Much like their previous three albums, Boxer grows on you. That's not to say you  need to give it 5-10 listens before it starts sounding good (you don't), but rather with each successive listen more of the album's subtle greatness reveals itself.

"Fake Empire" is a wonderful opener that puts the focus squarely on Berninger's storytelling ability while only giving us a glimpse of the band's rich sound in the final 30 seconds. From there things start to get really interesting as "Mistaken for Strangers" announces it's presence with an emphatic drumbeat that dominates the track without overpowering the rest of the band. Meanwhile, on "Squalor Victoria" the workman-like marching of the drums serves as a perfect backdrop for the moody sound of the violin. If you listen closely (that is, with full attention), nearly every melody on this record is beautiful and dramatic with each instrument working together in perfect disciplined harmony. There's plenty of detail that reveals itself to the patient listener, you just have to be open to finding it. It isn't a difficult thing to do, especially since the music is good enough to warrant exploration in the first place.

>>>Continue reading "The 20 Best Albums of 2007 - The National: "Boxer""

Song of the Day - The National: "Mr. November"

Usually I try to keep the content for the Song of the Day limited to new music. This isn't a set-in-stone rule or anything, but one of my main objectives for posting music is to get people excited about something new; whether it is a new band or a new song/album from an established artist. Today, I decided to change things up and pay homage to this year's recipient of the Nobel Peace Price (along with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Mr. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. Now, you might be asking yourself what does Al Gore have to do with The National? In short, nothing, but this song sounds like it was written about him.

"Mr. November" is the raucous final track off The National's third album Alligator. It is my favorite song by the band for two simple reasons. For one, the combination of Bryan Devendorf's drums and Bryce Dessner's rolling guitar noise make for a bombastic sound that flat out rocks. Secondly, frontman Bryan Devendorf's screaming chorus of "I won't fuck us over/I'm Mr. November" sounds like the desperate pleas of a man who's trying to convince someone to give him the chance to lead. And as he sings about being "the new blue blood" and "the great white hope" it sounds to me that this song is about unfulfilled promise. Obviously something that describes Mr. Gore to a T.

Maybe now that he has been vindicated for being any early critic of the Iraq War and a tireless advocate for combating climate change, Gore will cap his eventful year and make another run for the White House? I know many more people willing to vote for him now than in 2000 (myself included). All we ask is that he doesn't fuck us over.



*Photo Credit: Flickr user Open Democracy's photo stream >>>Continue reading "Song of the Day - The National: "Mr. November""

Photo Essay - The National @ Wiltern Theatre 9/28/07

I guess because it is so rare nowadays, but it's always nice to see a band gain fame and notoriety who actually deserves it. Thanks in large part to the critical success of their superb latest album Boxer, New York five piece band The National has enjoyed a higher profile recently than in years past. Last Friday I got to see them live for the first time as they returned to Los Angeles to play a sold out show at the Wiltern Theatre and I definitely saw why this band is so special.


A bonus treat for me was getting to see opener St. Vincent perform. While she had to make due with out the assistance of a band, she ended up adapting her material off her excellent debut album Marry Me for a solo performance by programming backing tracks on an MPC and making liberal use of her effects pedals. The result was a choppy, but enjoyable set that was just enough to make me want to see more (especially when she comes into town headlining her own bill with a full band).


I don't know the violin dude's name, but he was all over the place. He spent time on the keyboards, melodica and shredding up the stage with his intense violin playing. He may look like Harry Anderson, but his stage theatrics were pretty fun to watch.


Another good part of the show was lead singer Matt Berninger's vocal delivery. He really looks as though he is putting every ounce of effort into his singing and it seems like the rest of the band feeds off of that.


During the encore St. Vincent was brought on stage to provide backup vocals and also to get serenaded by the crowd with a rendition of Happy Birthday. They even brought out a cake with candles and everything. I thought it was a worthy end to the night since the band's performance was itself worthy of a celebration.

Another group shot


More feverish violin jamming.
>>>Continue reading "Photo Essay - The National @ Wiltern Theatre 9/28/07"