Brooklyn based five piece The National have been slogging away at this music thing for a handful of years now and it is paying off like a Vegas slot machine. But in the beginning it wasn't quite as successful a career path, at least on this side of the Atlantic, but they built up a sizable following in Europe and made some good friends like France's Bernard Lenoir at Inter Radio. He's the guy you hear during breaks in the popular Black Sessions and White Sessions that many indie bands have been a part of. And you know, you've got to like a guy who gets The National to drop by to reel off their entire upcoming album (Boxer) weeks before it's released. If you're already well acquainted with Boxer you'll find many interesting things to hear in these in-studio recordings. And you'll hear them two at a time, as I'm going to post the entirety of these White Sessions in bits and pieces starting with these in response to numerous requests via email and blog comments:
LINKS ARE DEAD
I don't think either of these songs loses anything in these live versions. What they gain is an immediacy that is lost in the sterile environment of a recording studio, although most of that spark of immediacy can be traced directly to the outstanding way the musicians compliment each other and their idiosyncrasies... and that's what makes live music so thrilling.
BUY Boxer and/or Alligator (2005)Download The National's albums or individual songs through eMusic's free trial offer of 25 DRM-Free downloads.
photo credit: david didier
No comments:
Post a Comment