The National (Part 2) - High Violet & Tour

[IWasBored]

Bloodbuzz is the perfect encapsulation of what it feels like to be from Ohio. The line "the floors are falling out from everybody I know" applies to so many different moments in my life that it's nearly frightening.

i kind of had to stop and think for a second about the "i never married but ohio don't remember me" line. then i realized hey, that's clever. i like it.

 

[nielsgov]

Neither of those are my High Violet favorites, although they're pretty great as well.

Terrible Love, Vanderlyle, Afraid of Everyone

Add Sorrow and Lemonworld and I totally agree.

 

[LemonMelon]

I've had Runaway stuck in my head lately. I don't think it's one of their best, but I do like the chorus, which is memorable and strangely catchy. Baffled that the song is a concert opener though.

 

[IWasBored]

I've had Runaway stuck in my head lately. I don't think it's one of their best, but I do like the chorus, which is memorable and strangely catchy. Baffled that the song is a concert opener though.

pried myself away from bloodbuzz ohio to listen to it (because i'm not listening to it on repeat, just listening to it, a song or two, back to that, another song, back to that, another song or two, back to that, etc. so, semi-repeat? i WANT to listen to it on repeat, because invariably there's always a song like that any time i start listening to a band that where i tend to do that, and 9 out of 10 times i think it's so amazing initially, but it will be the first song i get sick of. although right now i really am liking it as much as all those other songs that have been the 1 rather than the 9).

but anyway, i really like it. ok, time to listen to "afraid of everyone." then i think i go back to the alligator tracks. because lit up, karen, mr november, and i think there was one more...that was cool. i liked it.


edit, as to avoid making a new post in this thread every single time i hear another song i like (because that's really annoying): afraid of everyone has a wicked cool sound.

 

[djerdap]

Baffled that the song is a concert opener though.

It worked surprisingly well. I can still think of much better openers, but it wasn't as awkward as I expected it to be when I saw them in August. Still hoping for Start a War to open on my second gig.

 

[IWasBored]

oh yeah. one more thing, and i'll shut up. i really hate how at three and a half minutes into bloodbuzz ohio i think my doorbell is ringing, though.

 

[PhilsFan]

The Geese of Beverly Road might be the best track on Alligator.

 

[bono_212]

I love that song a lot.

The National have finally solidified themselves as one of my favorite bands year-round now (I've previously mentioned that for some reason I only listened to them in the summer, but then it was almost non-stop). Still can't get enough of what I love on High Violet and in general have begun to open up more to the later tracks on their other albums. I've been incessantly mentioning lately that I think "Slow Show" has become my favorite song of theirs, but on any given day "Start A War", "Mr. November", "Fake Empire", "Abel", or "Terrible Love" could encroach on that space as well.

 

[iron yuppie]

Alligator is really growing on me. Like all National albums, it rewards repeated listens, but I think it also takes the longest to reveal all of its charms. I still think, however, that Sad Songs is just as strong.

 

[PhilsFan]

Sad Songs through High Violet is as strong a four album stretch as I can think of.

 

[bono_212]

I recognize that it's not a great album, but I really do like the debut.

 

[LemonMelon]

The Geese of Beverly Road might be the best track on Alligator.

I don't know why I love Karen so much, but that one is up there too. It feels very lopsided, kind of rhythmically awkward, like the whole song is moments away from collapsing. Pair that with some of Berninger's most helpless lyrics (ones I, sadly, identify with greatly) and you have an excellent example of that sad drunken bastard image taking form.

 

[IWasBored]

I don't know why I love Karen so much

because it's fun?

your posts kill me sometimes, dude. i don't get why you're always trying to justify why you like something, it's always "well, i know this song isn't really the band's best song, lyrically it's not the greatest thing ever written set to the most mind-blowing music of all time, but i still don't hate it." you did the same thing with your post about "runaway" (which i agree, does have a catchy chorus, and something is strange about the way in which it's catchy as hell. totally see how that could be stuck in your head). sometimes a song can just be really enjoyable, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[PhilsFan]

Karen, put me in a chair, fuck me and make me a drink
I lost direction and I'm past my peak
I've been telling you, this isn't me, no, this isn't me
Karen, believe me, you just haven't seen my good side yet

 

[IWasBored]

and the second verse? wtf?

good song.

 

[PhilsFan]

I think the only two I'm kind of down on from that album would be Looking for Astronauts and Val Jester. The former because the repetition of the title is flat, the latter because it just never goes anywhere.

 

[cobl04]

"i never married but ohio don't remember me"

i don't "get" that line.

 

[Jive Turkey]

The record shop down the street had a shit load of SSFDL LPs. Acquired

 

[u2popmofo]

because it's fun?

your posts kill me sometimes, dude. i don't get why you're always trying to justify why you like something, it's always "well, i know this song isn't really the band's best song, lyrically it's not the greatest thing ever written set to the most mind-blowing music of all time, but i still don't hate it." you did the same thing with your post about "runaway" (which i agree, does have a catchy chorus, and something is strange about the way in which it's catchy as hell. totally see how that could be stuck in your head). sometimes a song can just be really enjoyable, nothing more, nothing less.

The forum always seems to have at least one person who's so negative about music that they even make things they like sound miserable. Unfortunately, this forum has about 15 of those these days.

 

[IWasBored]

but being the miserable defeatist was my job!

:tantrum:

 

[LemonMelon]

The forum always seems to have at least one person who's so negative about music that they even make things they like sound miserable. Unfortunately, this forum has about 15 of those these days.

This is true, and yes, I do tend to be one of them. Spent too much time qualifying my opinions in EYKIW to have any respect for them, I guess.

But I do see the forum as a whole being more negative. Nobody uses exclamation points or smilies anymore.

 

[PhilsFan]

I only use exclamation points sarcastically. I have an aversion to them, for one reason or another.

And I never use smileys.

 

[LemonMelon]

Indie bands with exclamation points in their name have an inherently lower ceiling of greatness than those that don't.

 

[IWasBored]

so what does that say about !!! then? it's like a double negative that cancels itself out, but then turns into a positive with the third? i think i just hurt my brain.

 

[iron yuppie]

This is true, and yes, I do tend to be one of them. Spent too much time qualifying my opinions in EYKIW to have any respect for them, I guess.

But I do see the forum as a whole being more negative. Nobody uses exclamation points or smilies anymore.

There's no shame in substantiating your opinions. Interference would be a lot better off if more people actually felt compelled to give evidence for their claims.

 

[djerdap]

There's no shame in substantiating your opinions. Interference would be a lot better off if more people actually felt compelled to give evidence for their claims.

Yes, but there's difference between substantiating and justifying your opinion, especially if in the latter case it is not necessarily "hip" to think so. Just check out the Radiohead atease board and you'll see what I mean. And I for one do not feel at all in need to offer somebody "evidence" because I like something.

To stay on topic, here's an interesting Aaron Dessner interview where he discusses alternate music videos for both Bloodbuzz and Terrible Love, touring next year and the differences between the two versions of Terrible Love:

http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/11/09/interview-aaron-dessner-of-the-national/2/

 

[IWasBored]

i always read atease as a tease. not at ease.

 

[LemonMelon]

At ease
Eating well
No more microwave dinners or saturated fats

 

[bono_212]

It's supposed to be read At Ease?

 

[cobl04]

this is a very black & grey & white forum at times, yes. which is why i consistently use smileys and have no qualms whatsoever about sprouting my wrong opinions or posting maniacally about albums/songs/artists i enjoy!

gave High Violet another spin today, and i really like Terrible Love, Afraid of Everyone, Bloodbuzz Ohio and i like Sorrow, Lemonworld, Conversation 16, England and The Song With the Worst Title of All Time.

Anyone's Ghost, Little Faith and Runaway bore me to tears