The second album after Boys And Girls In America that restored my faith on 21st century rock was Boxer by the National, another one of my nominees for band of the Naughties.
I saw the National perform most of the Boxer songs the first time I saw them live in late 2006, and was almost immediately transfixed. They reminded me of early R.E.M. with the added urgency of Joy Division. Matt Berninger's vocals were nearly as inscrutable as Michael Stipe's, but they complemented the band almost perfectly, just like the other five members complemented Matt's singing. They were like different parts of a jigsaw puzzle that were all in the right place.
Here's Boxer's opening track "Fake Empire", performed live on Letterman's late show for the National's national television debut (too many possessives!).
Note that Dave is holding up the LP of Boxer. I have this record on vinyl, and it sounds phenomenal. There are a lot of bad things about the LP format, since it's inconvenient and non-portable, but it makes bands like the National shine. Even on my cheap stereo, it's like they're right there playing in the room with you.
1 comment:
Waah, this song makes me weepy.
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