I’m actually a recent convert to The National. I guess they’re another one of those bands that got a bad rap among the high and mighty music press. I usually make my mind up about these things and I will be the first to admit that with all the bands out there, I skip over some when I hear even just a handful of snarky remarks. My friend Erik made me listen to their new album, High Violet. They’ve joined the 4AD roster so I at least owed it a listen. I immediately heard stadium rock, and who doesn’t like an anthem now and then? At last year’s festival, I was pretty vocal about my disdain for crybaby indie pop; Grizzly Bear and Beirut were just not doing it for me. If I didn’t listen to The National and familiarize myself with their work, I may have been one of those high and mighties myself. The National are playing at the perfect time and on the smaller of the two Treasure Island Music Festival stages. I expect chills, and hopefully not just from the expected chilly evening temperatures!
Are you going to the festival? Let us know, we’d love to meet some of our readers in person!
Wait, so if you hear random snarky comments you immediately write off a band? Are you some sort of sheep? Cry baby indie like beirut and grizzly bear? The national is like some horribly monotone version of bruce springsteen. get a clue.
“Tikka”
I don’t need to explain myself to you. Read a whole sentence. I haven’t said anything mean nor directly offended you. Go be mean somewhere else, you aren’t welcome here. You are basically a bully, but you hide behind the internet. I bet you wouldn’t tell me to get a clue if you met or knew me.
I hope you have a nice weekend.
Phil
Interesting, I always thought of the National as a band that the critics were high on long before the public caught up. Certainly ‘Alligator’ and ‘Boxer’ both had glowing aggregate reviews from Metacritic.