High Violet

Music Video Of The Day: The National - Terrible Love (Alternate Version)

Here is the second video from hipster megastars The National's really great album High Violet. The Tom Berninger directed video is actually for the alternate version of "Terrible Love" and gives off a pretty strong stars-are-just-like-us vibe that would make US Weekly jealous. Not only do we see frontman Matt Berninger taking part in the common man's patented air hump, but we also see the entire group getting frisked by security. The National try on racoon hats, use escalators, get all existential on a banana and practice karate chops in the mirror just like us. As for their bowling careers? Thankfully there are sold out shows and critically acclaimed albums to fall back on.   [via pitchfork]

Music
Music Video Of The Day
Video
High Violet
The National

The National Are Afraid Of Everyone But Sufjan Stevens On Letterman

The National certainly don't seem to be skimping on their promotional duties. Just a couple days after releasing their insanely great new album High Violet, and the subsequent Berninger heavy music video for Bloodbuzz Ohio, the band made a pit stop over at The Late Show with David Letterman where they performed the track Afraid Of Everyone. Always ones for authenticity, the band brought their friend Sufjan Stevens along to replicate his backup vocals from the album version. The tune itself is another nice brooding song that builds into a frenetic climax, or as other people call it "every National song ever".   [via the audio perv]

Music
Video
The Late Show with David Letterman
High Violet
The National

The National Bloodbuzz Ohio Video Has A Lot Of Frontman

Today marks the official release of The National's latest album High Violet, granted it feels like it's been out forever already. To mark the occasion the band have released an extremely Matt Berninger centric video for the track Bloodbuzz Ohio.  I enjoy the fact that The National want their videos to look ridiculously pretty, with the latest example being this entirely black and white video that was directed by Hope Hall, Andreas Burgess, and Berninger's wife Carin Besser, which might help to explain the frontman's prominence in the video. Well that or the killer subtle dance moves.  

If you haven't already you can buy the album now.  Also how great is this song?   [via stereogum]

Music
Music Videos
New Music
Video
High Violet
The National

The National Rock Terrible Love In An Abandoned Castle

I don't think this footage of The National is meant to serve as any sort of official video or anything but it should borderline be entered in short film contests because it really is just beautiful. The video is part of a new special presentation being done by Pitchfork.tv featuring the Brooklyn based band playing some tunes off their awesome new album High Violet in an abandoned castle overlooking the Hudson River. In fact this same castle was used in Gus Van Sant's painfully dull Last Days. 

Anyhoo, the special presentation is being billed as a multi-part series so it only makes sense that they kick off the awesome with Terrible Love, the opening track on the new album. The video was directed by Pitchfork.tv's own RJ Bentler, with mixing and engineering from David Tolomei and cinematography by Ray Concepcion. I felt that was worth mentioning considering the high quality product in front of you.

We'll definitely be posting the other parts to this special presentation as they are made available, especially if they are all this awesome. High Violet will be released May 11th.

Music
Music Videos
New Music
Video
High Violet
The National

Stream The National's Awesome New Album High Violet

If you are at all like any of the hipsters I read on music blogs all the time, you are eagerly awaiting the May 11th release of High Violet, the latest record from The National.  We've already given you a good sampling of what you can expect, but the New York Times has that beat as they are now streaming the album in its entirety at their website along with a pretty kickass article about the album.  I tried to steal the stream and post it here for you guys but I can't really figure it out right now and my mind is buzzing with NFL draft possibilities so you'll just have to head here to listen. Believe me, it's well worth the effort it takes to click.

Listen
Music
Awesome Streams
The National
High Violet

Listen To Afraid Of Everyone, Another New Track From The National

How about another sampling from High Violet?  This time of the broody Afraid Of Everyone variety, the fifth track on The National's upcoming album, which certainly appears to be shaping up quite nicely.  In other exciting album preview news, we provided a webrip of the studio version of Bloodbuzz Ohio, but now you can go on over to the High Violet site and download yourself your very own copy for free, and if you're willing to exchange an email you even get some fancy artwork with it. 

Matt Berninger and company are getting ready to start their tour April 22nd, tickets are available through Ticketmaster.   [via pitchfork]

Afraid Of Everyone

Listen
Music
New Music
The National
High Violet

Listen To The Studio Version Of The National's Bloodbuzz Ohio

Earlier today Lauren Laverne debuted The National's new single Bloodbuzz Ohio on BBC Radio. That's when the awesomeness of the internet reared it's beautiful head and went on out and made a webrip so we can all hear it, which was a really nice thing for the internet to do.  The band has been playing the song for quite a while now but this is our first glimpse into what the studio version sounds like.

While we still have to wait until May 11th to hear High Violet in its entirety, we are certainly starting to get a better feel for the record thanks to the Terrible Love performance on Fallon and the youtubing of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks from Brooklyn.  Of course there is still that massive tour if you want to check out the band in person.  Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.   [via we all want someone]

Bloodbuzz Ohio

News
Music
New Music
The National
High Violet

The National Have A Tracklist And Cover For High Violet

The National's new album High Violet can't get hear soon enough, but at least we are getting a steady stream of previews.  The band recently performed the first single Terrible Love on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and followed that up with a couple of "secret" shows that saw them preview even more new tunes off of the upcoming album.  Now the good news continues as we finally have the official tracklisting as well as the cover art shown above, which is apparently based on a Mark Fox sculpture called "The Binding Force".  

The band has a massive tour upcoming in support of the new record  that includes stops at Sasquatch! as well as Bonnaroo.  Tickets are on sale now and are available through Ticketmaster.   [via pitchfork]

The High Violet tracklisting is as follows

  1. Terrible Love
  2. Sorrow
  3. Anyone's Ghost
  4. Little Faith
  5. Afraid of Everyone
  6. Bloodbuzz Ohio
  7. Lemonworld
  8. Runaway
  9. Conversation 16
  10. England
  11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
News
Music
New Music
Album Art
Tracklist
The National
High Violet

Watch The National Debut Vanderlylle Cry Baby In Brooklyn

After debuting Terrible Love, the first song off their new album High Violet, The National had a not so secret show in Brooklyn last night where they debuted some more material off the new album.  Here is the track Vanderlylle Cry Baby recorded by a fan last night at the show.  Doesn't really build into the standard anthemic tunes The National are so famous for but definitely continues the brooding.  [via pitchfork]

Music
Live Debut
Video
High Violet
The National

Watch The National Debut Terrible Love On Fallon

I swear this isn't secretly the location of the Jimmy Fallon fan club headquarters, but once again we go back to the well of awesome for last night's musical guest The National.  The band's upcoming album High Violet won't be released until May 11th but that didn't stop Matt Berninger and company from debuting the opening track Terrible Love. 

The song is pretty much exactly what one might expect from a new song from the band.  Moody intro that slowly builds into their standard frenetic organized guitar based chaos while lamenting "It takes an ocean not to break."  One thing for sure, it's officially time to increase your excitement level for High Violet.

As if the video wasn't proof enough, the band puts on a pretty great live show.   You can check them out at one of their many upcoming tourdates which include stops at Sasquatch! as well as Bonnaroo.  Tickets for most shows are available through Ticketmaster right here.  Dates are listed after the jump.   [via the audio perv]

03/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House
03/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House
03/26 – Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
 04/22 – Richmond, VA @ The National
04/23 – Richmond, VA @ The National
05/05 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
05/06 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
05/07 – Paris, FR @ Le Zenith *
05/08 – Berlin, DE @ Astra
05/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
05/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
05/23 – San Diego, CA @ Spreckels Theatre #
05/26 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre #
05/27 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre #
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
 06/02 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
06/03 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
06/04 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^
06/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory ^
06/06 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall ^
06/08 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall ^
06/09 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall ^
06/11-13 – Manchester, UK @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/16 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^
07/14 – Munich, DE @ Dachau Musiksommer
07/16-18 – Lisbon, PT @ Super Bock Super Rock
07/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Celebrate Brooklyn %

* = w/ Pavement
# = w/ Ramona Falls
^ = w/ The Antlers
% = w/ Beach House

Music
Tour Dates
Video
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
High Violet
The National