The National

[Dog Burger]

I've had this stuck in my head all weekend. So brilliant!

[Zoo Music Girl]

I've had this stuck in my head all weekend. So brilliant!

That looks intriguing! I will have to look at it later when not at work.

[Dog Burger]

My weekly The National fix for you Rebecca!

I assume you've heard Lean, Exile Vilify and Think You Can Wait, their soundtrack efforts?

[Zoo Music Girl]

My weekly The National fix for you Rebecca!

I assume you've heard Lean, Exile Vilify and Think You Can Wait, their soundtrack efforts?

I have heard Lean but only at Ally Pally. I have to be honest that it didn't stick in my head that much although, naturally, I did think it was good! I haven't heard the others... what films are they from and do I have to buy the soundtracks to get them? Or is there a more nefarious way?

Edited December 2, 2013 by RebeccaD

[Dog Burger]

I have heard Lean but only at Ally Pally. I have to be honest that it didn't stick in my head that much although, naturally, I did think it was good! I haven't heard the others... what films are they from and do I have to buy the soundtracks to get them? Or is there a more nefarious way?

I think Lean is worth revisiting, it's beautiful and bleak. Classic The National!

Are you on Spotify?

You could add me, or just listen to this playlist I made. I've just added Exile Vilify and Think You Can Wait to it.

https://play.spotify.com/user/111276564/playlist/4KvtMh8wJ28VZxxVEuzIpu

[Zoo Music Girl]

I think Lean is worth revisiting, it's beautiful and bleak. Classic The National!

Are you on Spotify?

You could add me, or just listen to this playlist I made. I've just added Exile Vilify and Think You Can Wait to it.

https://play.spotify.com/user/111276564/playlist/4KvtMh8wJ28VZxxVEuzIpu

I'm not on Spotify, no... I'm guessing I can buy these from itunes though? I will look into it.

I remember Lean being good, I just don't remember it *that* clearly. Wine fail!

Edited December 2, 2013 by RebeccaD

[Dog Burger]

I'm not on Spotify, no... I'm guessing I can buy these from itunes though? I will look into it.

I remember Lean being good, I just don't remember it *that* clearly. Wine fail!

You can listen to them on Grooveshark, a free, web-based alternative to Spotify. Exile Vilify and Think You Can Wait are both there...

http://grooveshark.com/#!/the_national

or on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GC3HB3ByU

Edited December 2, 2013 by Dog Burger

[Dog Burger]

Right, that's it for this week's update!

[Zoo Music Girl]

Right, that's it for this week's update!

Thank you! Should keep me busy for a while

[Zoo Music Girl]

Can't believe I missed the thread for this long. Just want to say...

Ally Pally was great. Went on the Wednesday. Loved the length of the setlist and the now incredible back catalogue they have to draw from. They played Available for Sad Songs which is just brilliant. New album sounded ace.

On that point, I really think TWFM is up there with the previous three. I have listened to it through pretty much every day since it came out. Definitely my go to album now. The last two songs are incredible - Pink Rabbits and Hard to Find. So is I should Live in Salt, Don't Swallow the Cap and Slipped. Just in case it manage to slip past anybody HARD TO FIND IS BRILLIANT. "I don't know why we had to lose / the ones who took so little space / they're still waiting for the years / to cover what we can't erase / I'm not holding out for you / I'm still watching for the signs / if I tried you'd probably be / hard to find."

Also, someone was asking about the older albums. I like Sad Songs - but it's a little hit and miss. Still it has Available and Lucky You which are two of the best they've ever done. Cherry Tree EP is also brilliant and the Virginia EP (earlier version of Slow Show, good cover of Springstein's Mansion on the Hill and some good live tracks).

And they definitely need to play Glastonbury. Headlining the Park on the Friday. Thanks.

Hi Vanderlyle - apologies for missing your post amongst all the videos from Dog Burger

I am really jealous of your username though - want to swap? I think I only chose my real name because I wasn't intending to post... oops.

It was me asking for all the recommendations. I'm getting those two albums and EPs for Christmas now. I know the consensus is the first one isn't all that but I think I want to be a completist for this particular band.

Ally Pally was tremendous, as you say. They played 'Hard to Find' didn't they?

[Dog Burger]

I've been vaguely thinking about getting a tattoo reading "All the very best of us, string ourselves up for love" from Vanderlyle. Is that too depressing?

[Zoo Music Girl]

I've been vaguely thinking about getting a tattoo reading "All the very best of us, string ourselves up for love" from Vanderlyle. Is that too depressing?

Hmmm, suicide as a metaphor for love. Don't see how that could be depressing at all!

[Dog Burger]

Hmmm, suicide as a metaphor for love. Don't see how that could be depressing at all!

Ha ha, quite!

Most of my favourite lines of theirs are too long for a tattoo. I'm not a sucker for pain, contrary to my choice of favourite band!

I've always liked:

"Lay me on the table, put flowers in my mouth, and we can say that we invented a summer-loving torture party"

and

"Jennifer you are not the only reason, my head is boiling and my hands are freezing; Jennifer you are not the only one to sit awake until the wild feelings leave you"

Both very long!

Edited December 2, 2013 by Dog Burger

[Zoo Music Girl]

Ha ha, quite!

Most of my favourite lines of theirs are too long. I'm not a sucker for pain, contrary to my choice of favourite band!

I've always liked:

"Lay me on the table, put flowers in my mouth, and we can say that we invented a summer-loving torture party"

and

"Jennifer you are not the only reason, my head is boiling and my hands are freezing; Jennifer you are not the only one to sit awake until the wild feelings leave you"

Both very long!

Yeah you'd be under the needle for a fair while for either of those! Also, with the last one, people would be forever asking you who Jennifer is...

[Dog Burger]

Yeah you'd be under the needle for a fair while for either of those! Also, with the last one, people would be forever asking you who Jennifer is...

Good point! I'd have to spend my life looking for a woman named Jennifer...

Other suggestions?

[Zoo Music Girl]

Crikey, I don't know. It's a really personal thing isn't it?I like the idea of a The National tattoo though. I don't think I'd get a tattoo because I don't trust myself to change my mind.

My favourite short lyric is probably the simplest - "My mind's not right". Probably not the kind of thing you want tattooed on yourself!

[mrtourette]

Fuck me and make me a drink

[Zoo Music Girl]

How about, "put me in a chair, fuck me and make me a drink."

I can see how most blokes would be happy with that for a tattoo!

[Dog Burger]

Fuck me and make me a drink

Good one! Think the context would be lost on most people though, and I'd just look like a mysogenist w*nker.

[Zoo Music Girl]

I also like these:

"Lay the young blue bodies, with the old red violets
I'm afraid of everyone, I'm afraid of everyone"

Or:

"I wish that I believed in fate, I wish I didn't sleep so late
I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders"

[russycarps]

the emo is strong in this thread

[Dog Burger]

I also like these:

"Lay the young blue bodies, with the old red violets

I'm afraid of everyone, I'm afraid of everyone"

Or:

"I wish that I believed in fate, I wish I didn't sleep so late

I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders"

I've always loved both of those. I often take the second half of the Mr November one to heart, as I struggle to age happily or gracefully. Bit fatalistic, though, perhaps?

Also really love the outro to Geese of Beverley Road, but think that "come be my waitress and serve me tonight" might also sound a bit twattish, for want of a better word.

[Dog Burger]

the emo is strong in this thread

Fucking right!

[Zoo Music Girl]

I think the problem with most of their lyrics as tattoos is they don't work that well out of context, if you know what I mean. They're a band where I love nearly every lyric though once I start thinking about it.

For example, I love this lyric:

"You were always weird but I never had to hold you
By the edges, like I do now"

But that would be a weird tattoo.

Edit: well, obviously the content is "weird" but you know what I mean.

Edited December 2, 2013 by RebeccaD

[Dog Burger]

I think the problem with most of their lyrics as tattoos is they don't work that well out of context, if you know what I mean. They're a band where I love nearly every lyric though once I start thinking about it.

For example, I love this lyric:

"You were always weird but I never had to hold you

By the edges, like I do now"

But that would be a weird tattoo.

Fair point. Maybe I'll just go for a full-sized image of Matt Berninger's face on my torso. Jed Maxwell style, then....

https://a4-images.myspacecdn.com/images03/32/d1766f3054314dc792d787a09b3686ad/300x300.jpg

Edited December 2, 2013 by Dog Burger