waiting for the national's new album, boxer, out may 22nd

I meant to write about The National earlier, but I'm just getting around to it now. I saw them open for the Arcade Fire at Radio City Music Hall last week, and they were amazing. If you have a chance to see them play, don't miss it. Like the Arcade Fire, The National is a band that puts on an incredible live show.

They ended their set with an breathtaking version of "About Today," which starts off slowly before building to a crescendo of violins and guitars. I defy anyone to listen to the entire song and not fall in love with the band immediately. Here's a grainy video of their performance of "About Today" at Radio City Music Hall. (Sorry for the video quality, but the audio is decent.)



I just purchased their album Alligator and I can't stop listening to it. Their new album, Boxer, sounds even better and is out on May 22nd. You can preview the entire album here. "Fake Empire" and "Squalor Victoria" are personal favorites (I fell in love with both songs during their live show).

Here is another version of "About Today" that has better video and sound quality:



And here is a version of "Start a War," another great song off of Boxer.