The National (Part 2) - High Violet & Tour

[Imperor]

"Driver Surprise Me" is in my Nash Non-album Track Pantheon. And that remix of "Secret Meeting" is swell.

 

[PhilsFan]

Tall Saint is probably the best non-album track, for my money. Driver Surprise Me is right up there. Damn, they have a lot of good non-album tracks.

 

[Imperor]

"Tall Saint" is the top spot in a landslide, but shit, cat, look at this:

Thrilling of Claire
Driver Surprise Me
So Far Around the Bend
Exile/Vilify
You Were A Kindness
Wake Up Your Saints
You've Done It Again Virginia
Santa Clara
Blank Slate
Think You Can Wait


That's more than enough for a killer album.

 

[iron yuppie]

That's more than enough for a killer album.

Even more so if you count the Cherry Tree tracks. If not, I would probably designate "You Were a Kindness" as my favorite non-album track. That it was justifiably left off High Violet is a testament to the astounding strength of that album.

 

[LMP]

I haven't heard any of the Alligator bonus tracks. Of the non-album tracks that I've heard, "Exile / Villify" and "Blank Slate" are tops. The fact that the former's buried in Portal 2 cracks me up.

 

[IWasBored]

I'm hoping that Matt and co. make a trip to Chicago during that September tour. I know that we got those Pavilion shows, but one more would be fabulous.

Also, I'm not quite sure how to feel about this cover:

Mumford & Sons Cover The National - Stereogum

i'm pretty sure i hate that band too much to objectively come up with an opinion. but i do hate the vocals, and think it's overall pretty weak.

 

[LemonMelon]

i'm pretty sure i hate that band too much to objectively come up with an opinion. but i do hate the vocals, and think it's overall pretty weak.

Yeah, I really hate their vocals too. It's bad enough that Matt is missing from any National cover, but when the vocals are actively annoying, I'm just put off of it entirely.

That said, when the banjo came in, the cover started to feel unique and gain some momentum.

 

[bono_212]

Clearly as a fan of Mumford and Sons, I don't much mind his voice, kind of like it in fact. I was just disappointed by how much of the song was a straight-forward cover. It was once the banjo came in, as LeMel pointed out, that it felt wholly unique to Mumford & Sons and at that point, because much more interesting.

 

[iron yuppie]

I think that the presence of such a unique frontman makes The National extremely difficult to cover. Matt brings such a simultaneously detached and impassioned approach to the songs that he is nearly inimitable.

 

[Imperor]

That shit makes me want to fucking puke.

 

[Imperor]

Jesus.

 

[Imperor]

I'd rather listen to Creed cover St. Vincent.

 

[onebloodonelife]

My vinyl copy of Cherry Tree finally arrived today, a full 10 days after it shipped. It's letting me appreciate the EP even more so than I already did. Such a full and gorgeous sound.

It's really lovely when record companies take the time to put out quality vinyl. Two thumbs up to Brassland.

 

[u2popmofo]

Post more.

 

[cobl04]

Thrilling of Claire
Driver Surprise Me
So Far Around the Bend
Exile/Vilify
You Were A Kindness
Wake Up Your Saints
You've Done It Again Virginia
Santa Clara
Blank Slate
Think You Can Wait

Are these all the recently released b-sides/bonus tracks/etc? I'm huntin' em down on itunes.

 

[iron yuppie]

Are these all the recently released b-sides/bonus tracks/etc? I'm huntin' em down on itunes.

The only one of these that might be difficult to find (legally) is Thrilling of Claire. All the rest are available on the US version of Amazon MP3. Australia may have different selections, though. Here's how they break down:

The Thrilling of Claire: Alligator b-side
Driver Surprise Me: Alligator b-side, also on the Alligator special edition bonus disc
So Far Around the Bend: from Dark Was the Night compilation
Exile/Vilify: recent non-album single
You Were a Kindness: High Violet bonus disc
Wake Up Your Saints: High Violet bonus disc
You've Done It Again Virginia: Virginia EP (might also have been an Alligator left-over)
Santa Clara: Virginia EP
Blank Slate: Virginia EP
Think You Can Wait: recent non-album single

 

[PhilsFan]

You've Done It Again Virginia was originally the B-side for the Lit Up single before it was on the Virginia EP, if I recall correctly.

Santa Clara and Blank Slate were both B-sides for Mistaken for Strangers, and Thrilling of Claire and Driver Surprise Me B-sides for Abel.

 

[u2popmofo]

Keep it upstairs for the grand finale, guys.

 

[monkeyskin]

Harvest Festival, Australia FTW.

Be cool to catch Flaming Lips and Portishead there too:

Harvest | The Gathering | November 2011

 

[cobl04]

Just bought tickets! Ridiculously excited, and I'll be checking out most of the rest of the lineup before hand as well

 

[iron yuppie]

Just bought tickets! Ridiculously excited, and I'll be checking out most of the rest of the lineup before hand as well

I'm definitely jealous. Glad that you are able to see them!

 

[cobl04]

Hoping for Secret Meeting and Mistaken for Strangers this time, they were the only songs I missed in what was otherwise an extraordinary set.

 

[IWasBored]

I cant wait for September. I have shitty, shitty seats, but I am psyched.

 

[IWasBored]

my shitty seats were really far away, but aside from the dude nearby who kept farting, they were fine.

i tried to keep track of the setlist, but wasn't too interestd in messing around with my phone (aside from texting u2popscumbo to tell him you guys were right about "squalor victoria" being tepid and dull on the album, but pretty damn amazing live) in the middle of the show to bother. that's what the internetz are for. tools like the guy in front of me who was shazaam-ing every single yo la tengo song (i thought they were fucking awful. i've never been a fan anyway, but they exceeded my very low expectations in general horridness) are way better at that stuff than me, anyway.

runaway
anyone's ghost
secret meeting
bloodbuzz ohio
slow show
squalor victoria
afraid of everyone
conversation 16
son
available/cardinal song
sorrow
abel
lucky you
england
fake empire
-----
thirsty
mr november
terrible love
about today
vanderlyle crybaby geeks


band sounded pretty great, there were fancy lights. i had a good time. and having easily avoided any recent setlists (or any setlists ever, other than what a couple folks in this thread posted a while back--and i apparently didn't really read, or remember anyway, cobbler's post) acoustic/band standing on the edge of the stage shouting vanderlyle was unexpected. especially since i was pretty much convinced it was going to be over after "mr. november."

my only real disappointment was the lack of "apartment story." if i were to pick one song, but not think about it too long as to not wind up with a list of 10 or so, and claim it to be my favorite national song, that would probably be the one i came up with.

 

[PhilsFan]

They are just fantastic.

As you missed Apartment Story, I missed Slow Show and About Today. Literally the only two songs I really would have liked to have seen. I got Available (first performance of the 2010 tour) and Geese, and I got to sing Abel with Matt in the crowd. No complaints. Still the best concert experience I've had.

 

[cobl04]

They are a phenomenal live band. Cannot wait to see them again in November. So glad I stuck it out with this band.

 

[indra]

They are a phenomenal live band. Cannot wait to see them again in November. So glad I stuck it out with this band.

I remember when you kinda liked them a little bit.

 

[cobl04]

I've come a long way since then!

 

[indra]

I've come a long way since then!

I figured they would reel you in!

 

[cobl04]

It was his dancing that did it