Anyway, anyone got any information on the new album?
All I can find is that it's being recorded now, unlikely to come out this year and that they've "gone electronic" (whatever that means)
― groovypanda, Thursday, 8 September 2016 10:17 (eight years ago) link
arab strap is a good band to enjoy while waiting for a new national release
― niels, Saturday, 25 February 2017 17:28 (seven years ago) link
I kind of get the spirit of why people think the National are dull. I was at some music thing where I met a girl who told me the National were her favorite band and when I asked her why she replied "They romanticize the ordinary." Like it's the poetic stream of consciousness of the average intelligent thirty something who is falling deep into ennui.
But there is something there lurking under the surface that makes them just interesting enough for me to not skip some of their tracks when they show up on shuffle. A subtle mythos that makes their songs become more than they are.
― yesca, Saturday, 25 February 2017 23:11 (seven years ago) link
i think what's lurking beneath the surface is a killer band full of killer players who mostly write songs that are interesting and good
― alpine static, Saturday, 25 February 2017 23:41 (seven years ago) link
Trouble Will Find Me is probably in my top ten in favorite of albums of the decade, so far.
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Sunday, 26 February 2017 00:00 (seven years ago) link
It was my favorite of 2013 for sure.
when I asked her why she replied "They romanticize the ordinary."
this is okay but the correct answer is bryan devendorf
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 26 February 2017 00:33 (seven years ago) link
New album soon?
Sleep Well Beast. pic.twitter.com/3IpxpigJlj— The National (@TheNational) May 9, 2017
― groovypanda, Tuesday, 9 May 2017 14:24 (seven years ago) link
promising tease
― niels, Tuesday, 9 May 2017 20:38 (seven years ago) link
New album September 8th
New track now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O6duDDkhis
― groovypanda, Thursday, 11 May 2017 09:56 (seven years ago) link
guitar solo!
― niels, Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:05 (seven years ago) link
That was a shock! Is it their first?
― Steve Reich In The Afternoon (Against The 80s), Thursday, 11 May 2017 11:36 (seven years ago) link
the title drop is a bit clumsy but I like everything else about this
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 11 May 2017 12:24 (seven years ago) link
That's excellent.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 May 2017 13:55 (seven years ago) link
damn what a band
― Evan R, Thursday, 11 May 2017 15:01 (seven years ago) link
The title sounds like an Adam Curtis film.
― Gukbe, Thursday, 11 May 2017 16:01 (seven years ago) link
This new track fuckin' rules.
― yesca, Monday, 15 May 2017 09:05 (seven years ago) link
Bought tickets for the London Monday gig. Anyone else going?
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 15 May 2017 15:42 (seven years ago) link
Not for £40 I ain't.
― The XX pants (ledge), Monday, 12 June 2017 13:03 (seven years ago) link
the local "event" show is over 100 bucks, ick.
Anyway, new song and album. 16 tracks on this motherfucker
https://youtu.be/lBcVrb-snPk
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:06 (five years ago) link
new song sounds exactly like what i expected the last record to sound like. cautiously hyped
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:12 (five years ago) link
the STRINGS, wow
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:13 (five years ago) link
yeah, when they said SWB was going to be "electronic" and "experimental" or whatever I was surprised at how conventional it ended up sounding, this is a little more adventurous. hoping the tidy length is a sign of more Boxer-like economy as well.
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:15 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Uow9aNCRU
album trailer featuring another song that sounds really great
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:17 (five years ago) link
fuck, the guest vocals on "you had your soul with you" are gail ann dorsey?
the national are the only good indie rock band
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:26 (five years ago) link
album is apparently 68 minutes long
i always want them to make shorter records but given how many times i've listened to this new song this morning, maybe this time it won't matter
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:35 (five years ago) link
i got it worse than anyone else andi just can't find a way to forgive myself
i had only one thing to dobut i couldn't do it yet
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:50 (five years ago) link
i guess it's early to say this but this is the best national song i've ever heard
also this is definitely a live, unedited drum track that is meant to *sound* cut-and-pasted and it's one of the most dazzling devendorf performances, i can barely wrap my head around it
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:54 (five years ago) link
oooh well spotted
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 16:57 (five years ago) link
oh wow i'm pretty astounded they've done something as good as this. hopefully the rest of the album delivers because last album had a promising lead single too but was a bit underwhelming overall
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 17:54 (five years ago) link
Alligator is still by far their peak.
― Fried Egg Sandwich, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:02 (five years ago) link
trouble is their best album until further notice imo
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:02 (five years ago) link
Brad i love your enthusiasm
― alpine static, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:15 (five years ago) link
I'm not sure that drum part is *entirely* live - I think I hear some subtle hi-hat programming in there, at least - but it is entirely awesome.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:22 (five years ago) link
yeah on further listens there's a drum machine exporting tiny hi-hat fills every few seconds
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:24 (five years ago) link
Pretty sure that second new song is this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8yehVUF8h0
― Steve Reich In The Afternoon (Against The 80s), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:33 (five years ago) link
Extra drums explained by extra drummers (cf. Radiohead, Fugazi). Devendorf is still a monster/machine.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:49 (five years ago) link
wait are there two drummers on this song
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:54 (five years ago) link
I dunno! But that live video just above feature at least two people drumming along with Devendorf. So ... maybe? Or maybe just a little here and there? I still think it's largely him plus a minimal programming assist.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:58 (five years ago) link
glad The National finally decided to make a concept album about the dearly departed FX series Justified
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 18:59 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY22IpVkQp0
here's a compilation of recordings of the unreleased songs they played on the last tour - all of them are on the new one except "sometimes i don't think" but i expect it'll be there under a different title.
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 19:11 (five years ago) link
"so far, so fast" is nearly 8 minutes and has an extended sax solo that reminds me of the blade runner soundtrack
― ufo, Tuesday, 5 March 2019 19:27 (five years ago) link
xpost idk "light years" is pretty crushing
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 5 March 2019 19:28 (five years ago) link
New video/track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0
― groovypanda, Thursday, 4 April 2019 13:54 (five years ago) link
The National is Arab Strap for dummies, discuss
― rip van wanko, Thursday, 4 April 2019 15:43 (five years ago) link
idk sounds like you're the one who needs to make a case
― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Thursday, 4 April 2019 17:36 (five years ago) link
yeah i'm having trouble with this one. drunk maudlin radiohead for dummies maybe.
as whole-band composers, the national are way not for dummies so uh yes please elaborate.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Thursday, 4 April 2019 20:51 (five years ago) link
the deep register voice detailing personal events and the attendant feelings all within a downbeat, melancholic musical framework.
although the national's lyrics are more abstract.
I like this formula, and want to like the national, but there's something too explicit or on the nose about the words, idk
― rip van wanko, Thursday, 4 April 2019 21:02 (five years ago) link
I listened to Alligator, Boxer and Trouble Will Find me the other day, and boy do I like this band, and in particular so many specific aspects of the band. Like, obviously, the drummer, who is always interesting, or the lyrics, which are sort of abstract and elliptical but still cut to some accidentally truths once in a while, to the fact that no one personality dominates the group, not even Matt, who, for that matter, has been quietly writing his lyrics with his wife for a while now, and she's not even in the band (shades of Tom Waits' work process). Had some flashbacks to all the great shows I've seen them play. Looking forward to this new album and the tour. .
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 22 April 2019 16:21 (five years ago) link