What makes you think I'm enjoyin' being lead to the flood?

Matt Berninger of The National, live at the House of Blues, Boston, May 23 2009. Photo by Ian Doreian, Melophobe.

Have I told you lately how much I love The National? They're kind of a little bit amazing, and one of those rare bands that sound like they have a driving need to create music.

To tide you over until their next album (late this year/early next year, hopefully), here is some post-Boxer material, culled from two shows they played in May. All of these songs have gone through various, sometimes extensive revisions, and may change further before the album is released, or they may not appear on the album at all, but they're all basically amazing, so, enjoy.

The National - England (Radio City Music Hall, NYC 03.05.09) (zShare)
The National - Vanderlylle Cry Baby (feat. Bon Iver) (Radio City Music Hall, NYC 03.05.09) (zShare)
The National - Blood Buzz Ohio (House of Blues, Boston 23.05.09) (zShare)
The National - The Runaway (House of Blues, Boston 23.05.09) (zShare)

Gotta say, the "I never married, but Ohio don't remember me" in Blood Buzz gets me every time. Definitely one to get stuck in your head. Of course the others ain't exactly shabby, with England being a perfect illustration of how, to quote Amrit at Stereogum who captured my feelings on it perfecly, "The National are at their best when they push to a climax they never fully punctuate, which is why "England" is the National at their best." Vanderlylle Cry Baby, from the same night, features here a shout-along chorus and an electrifying guitar solo from Mr. Justin 'Bon Iver' Vernon. The Runaway (formerly 'Karamazov', which is apparently a reference to this book which I now feel compelled to read) was probably the slowest-burner of the bunch for me, but after seeing the radio session footage of it below (which also features frequent National collaborator Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman, plus a two-piece horn section which I think was the same one present at the Boston show), I can't stop listening to it.



Pretty sure I could watch Matt sing like that all day.

The National official site
Buy Boxer: CD / Vinyl / iTunes

And in case you forgot how great The National were in the first place:

The National - Fake Empire (zShare) from Boxer