The National’s new album ‘Sleep Well Beast’ is released 8th September on 4AD Records on limited 2xLP, CD and digitally, featuring ‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’: The National have now shared the second single from their forthcoming seventh album Sleep Well Beast. Watch the video for the haunting new tune, titled “Guilty Party,” below along with the first single. The National will tour the world in support of their new album beginning this fall. Last week in Paris and the U.K., the band performed new songs from Sleep Well Beast live for the first time during their Glastonbury main stage set .
In honor of their forthcoming record, The National will throw a Guilty Party at New York’s Basilica Hudson July 14-15th. The event, a collaborative concert performed in the round, features Buke & Gase, Nadia Sirota, Mouse on Mars, So Percussion and others. Video artist Casey Reas, who directed the band’s “Guilty Party” and “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” videos, will contribute live projection mapping for the event, which sounds like both an eye-popping and ear-pleasing experience. Mikkeller will provide the beer.
The National have released just 700 tickets for each night of the Guilty Party. Each guest in attendance will walk away with a 7-inch split including “Guilty Party” and lead Sleep Well Beast single “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness.” A portion of ticket sales will benefit Basilica Hudson itself, a non-profit multidisciplinary arts center housed in a reclaimed 1880s industrial factory on the Hudson River.
Enough about the Guilty Party—on to the “Guilty Party.” Reas explained his vision for the new tune’s Rorschach test of a video in a statement: “The video is a dream about memory and the degradation of memory; it’s about distance in time and space,” he said. “Time moves forward, but then backward as memory. The image of the two-faced Roman god Janus, who can look into the past and future, is the core visual language.”
The new album, Sleep Well Beast, out September 8th, 2017
The National unveiled the title of their forthcoming album, called “Sleep Well Beast”. In addition to announcing the album, they also gave a sneak peek of the new music via single “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness.”
“The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” has an eerie accompanying video, directed by software designer Casey Reas. The track is undeniably catchy and offers listeners a throwback to earlier National records. You know them, you love them. Cincinnati-turned-Brooklyn indie rock gurus The National have finally readied album number#7, their first full-length in almost 4 years. Berninger and the boys’ have perfected their knack for channeling our inner melancholy and giving us a cathartic dose of anthemic rock and roll, and given the current sociopolitical landscape around us, The National should have plenty of material to fashion a charging album of glimmering hope.
This is the group’s follow-up record to 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me. In support of their new album, The National will tour worldwide starting in late June.
Sleep Well Beastwill be available September 8th via 4AD Records. 4 AD have slung together two colorways for the album, and indie-exclusive on blue wax and a 4AD-exclusive white vinyl copy. The word ‘limited’ has only been used for the blue vinyl, so if you’re looking for the rarer of the two, that’s most likely the choice for you.
The National’s massive triple-disc Grateful Dead tribute album “Day Of The Dead” still keeps throwing out some classic covers. It’s took me an age to get through this album and still I keep discovering some beautiful gems. Already we’ve heard a whole pile of songs from it. the people behind the album have shared most of the tracks, and there are some heavyweights on them. For our purposes, the biggest of these is probably the version of “To Lay Me Down,” done as a funeral duet from Perfume Genius and Sharon Van Etten. Also we get to hear My MorningJacket frontman Jim James doing “Candyman,”
‘Candyman’ by Jim James & Friends, from ‘Day of the Dead’, is a tribute album to the Grateful Dead curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, with all profits going to Red Hot Organization. ‘Day of the Dead’ was released on 20th May via 4AD Records. Featuring an incredible cast list, the compilation is a wide-ranging tribute to the songwriting and experimentalism of The Grateful Dead which took four years to record and features over 60 artists from varied musical backgrounds, with 59 tracks and a duration of almost six hours. The limited edition 10xLP ‘Day of the Dead’ LP boxed set is released today via 4Ad Records, on individually coloured vinyl.
Among others are Unknown Mortal Orchestra covering “Shakedown Street,” Bonnie “Prince” Billy singing “Rubin & Cherise,” and old-school soul howler Charles Bradley teaming up with soul/funk revivalists the Menahan Street Band for “Cumberland Blues.”
The tracks curated from Bryce & Aaron Dessner ,The compilation was produced by Aaron Dessner and co-produced by Bryce Dessner and Josh Kaufman. Grateful Dead tribute album were released a year ago. Considering the album has 59 tracks, this is just a small sampling. Last March, a whole bumch of coversfrom the record were released, including takes from the National, Courtney Barnett, the War on Drugs, Bruce Hornsby with Justin Vernon’s band DeYarmond Edison, and Phosphorescent with Jenny Lewis., the National and Grizzly Bear members also performed a’ 17-minute cover of “Terrapin Station Suite” .
On May 20th, 4AD will release “Day of the Dead” – a celebration of the Grateful Dead’s music created and curated by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National.
It has been a massive undertaking. The compilation is a wide-ranging tribute to the songwriting and experimentalism of the Grateful Dead, which took four years to record, features over 60 artists from varied musical backgrounds, 59 tracks and is almost 6 hours long.
Day of the Dead will be released digitally, on a 5 X CD, and as a limited edition vinyl boxed set. All profits will help fight for AIDS/ HIV and related health issues around the world through the Red Hot Organisation.
Among the first five songs shared from it today include the first new music from The War on Drugs since 2014’s brilliant Lost In The Dream with their cover of the Dead’s 1987 hit “Touch of Grey”.
Phosphorescent and Jenny Lewis combine with the backing of the in-house band (featuring 4/5 of the National) that contributed to numerous recordings on the compilation, to cover 1971’s “Sugaree”.
Courtney Barnett puts her characteristic slant on New Speedway Boogie,
The National cover Bonnie Dobson’s Morning Dew, a Grateful Dead staple since 1967, one of two songs that they contributed to the compilation.
Black Muddy River’ by Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison, from ‘Day of the Dead’, a tribute album to the Grateful Dead curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, with all profits going to Red Hot Organization.
‘Day of the Dead’ is released on 20th May via 4AD.
After much anticipation and years of work, the massive tribute to the Grateful Dead organized by The National’sAaron and Bryce Dessner has finally been officially announced. Titled Day Of The Dead, the 59-track playlist features over 60 guests, and is split into three parts: “Thunder,” “Lightning,” and “Sunshine.”
The album is full of an incredible listing of special guests, including The War On Drugs, Jim James, Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis, Courtne Barnett, Wilco, The Lone Bellow, Bruce Hornsby, Charles Bradley, Local Natives, Kurt Vile, The Flaming Lips, Lucinda Williams, Mumford & Sons, Joe Russo, Lucius, Perfume Genius, Stephen Malkmus, Bela Fleck, Tallest Man On Earth, Richard Reed Parry, and more! Bob Weir makes a handful of appearances throughout, including collaborations with Wilco and The National.
ABOUT RED HOT ORGANIZATION:
Red Hot is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS through pop culture. Its mission is to raise awareness and money around the AIDS crisis and related health issues. It was started in 1990 by Leigh Blake and John Carlin with the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, which raised millions of dollars, helped reduce the stigma around AIDS at the time and supported organizations and efforts such as ACT UP and T.A.G., which took a stand and made the world pay attention and develop medication that let people with AIDS survive.
Over the past 25 years, over 500 artists, producers and directors have contributed to 20 compilation albums of original music, videos, events and media to keep people thinking about the implications of the AIDS epidemic as well as donate millions to organizations around the world.
Day of the Dead Tracklist:
“Thunder” (Volume One)
Touch of Grey (The War on Drugs)
Sugaree (Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends)
Candyman (Jim James & Friends)
Cassidy (Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends)
Black Muddy River (Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison feat. Justin Vernon and Megafaun)
Loser (Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends)
Peggy-O (The National)
Box of Rain (Kurt Vile and the Violators feat. J Mascis)
Rubin and Cherise (Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Friends)
To Lay Me Down (Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends)
New Speedway Boogie (Courtney Barnett)
Friend of the Devil (Mumford & Sons)
Uncle John’s Band (Lucius)
Me and My Uncle (The Lone Bellow & Friends)
Mountains of the Moon (Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends)
Black Peter (Anohni and yMusic)
Garcia Counterpoint (Bryce Dessner)
Terrapin Station (Suite) (Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear, The National feat. Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus)
Attics of My Life (Angel Olsen)
St. Stephen (live) (Wilco feat. Bob Weir)
“Lightning” (Volume Two) If I Had the World to Give (Bonnie “Prince” Billy)
Standing on the Moon (Phosphorescent & Friends)
Cumberland Blues (Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band)
Ship of Fools (Tallest Man on Earth & Friends)
Bird Song (Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Friends)
Morning Dew (The National)
Truckin’ (Marijuana Deathsquads)
Dark Star (Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends)
Nightfall of Diamonds (Nightfall of Diamonds)
Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald (Tim Hecker)
Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad (Lucinda Williams & Friends)
Playing in the Band (Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends)
Stella Blue (Local Natives)
Eyes of the World (Tal National)
Help On the Way (Bela Fleck)
Franklin’s Tower (Orchestra Baobob)
Till the Morning Comes (Luluc with Xylouris White)
Ripple (The Walkmen)
Brokedown Palace (Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream feat. Garth Hudson)
“Sunshine” (Volume Three) Here Comes Sunshine (Real Estate)
Shakedown Street (Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
Brown-Eyed Women (Hiss Golden Messenger)
Jack-A-Roe (This is the Kit)
High Time (Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear)
Dire Wolf (The Lone Bellow & Friends)
Althea (Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura)
Clementine Jam (Orchestra Baobob)
China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks)
Easy Wind (Bill Callahan)
Wharf Rat (Ira Kaplan & Friends)
Estimated Prophet (The Rileys)
Drums > Space (Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida)
Cream Puff War (Fucked Up)
Dark Star (The Flaming Lips)
What’s Become of the Baby (s t a r g a z e)
King Solomon’s Marbles (Vijay Iyer)
Rosemary (Mina Tindle & Friends)
And We Bid You Goodnight (Sam Amidon)
I Know You Rider (live) (The National with Bob Weir)
From the debut album “Return to the Moon” by EL VY, released October 30th by 4AD Records .
Directed by Tom Berninger, EL VY is the musical collaboration between Matt Berninger, vocalist and lyricist of The National, and Brent Knopf, the Portland musician and producer best known for his work in Ramona Falls, and his previous band, Menomena.”Return to the Moon,” the debut album from EL VY, was Mixed by Craig Silvey and assisted by Eduardo de la Paz at Toast, London.
Last month, Matt Berninger of The National and Brent Knopf of Menomena dropped the second single from their collaborative project, EL VY—the sultry “I’m the Man to Be.” Today, the duo have released a lyric video for the album’s third single, “Paul is Alive.”
Like “I’m the Man to Be”‘s clip, “Paul is Alive” was directed by Berninger’s brother Tom, who also shot the National tour film “Mistaken for Strangers”. The song finds Berninger in a playful mode, dragging his baritone as low as it can go as he ticks off a list of the bands playing Cincinnati’s Jockey Club while he sat outside, “crying in [his] 7-Up.” Meanwhile, Knopf’s ticklish synths shake up a Halloween rhythm that highlights the twinkle of irony in Berninger’s voice.
Berninger called “Paul is Alive” “very much my story of what Cincinnati was like, growing up and falling in love with music, discovering these little places where like-minded people could find each other.”
The National’s Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf from the band Ramona Falls have formed a new side-project, EL VY. Listen to their brilliant first track ‘Return To The Moon’ The title track from the debut album by EL VY, to be released October 30th by 4AD Records
A musical collaboration between Matt Berninger, vocalist and lyricist of The National, and Brent Knopf, the Portland musician and producer best known for his work in Menomena and his more recent band, Ramona Falls.
To the beloved listeners of Ramona Falls,
I just finished a record with Matt Berninger. We became friends way back when Menomena and his full-time band The National toured together to half-full rooms. This new thing is called EL VY and I want you to be the first to know about it. The album’s called “Return to the Moon,” it comes out late October, and you can hear the title track now if you want. We’ll be doing a short tour with a live band late this year – tickets go on… sale on Friday. I’m still working on the next Ramona Falls record too. Thanks, as always, for caring and for listening.
Love, Brent
Just to get this out of the way, the band say that their name is “pronounced like a plural of Elvis; rhymes with ‘hell pie'”. They’ll be releasing their debut album “Return To The Moon” via 4AD on 30th October. The first taster of the album is the title track – a breezy and summer-y piece of choppy guitar-pop anthemics, drenched in Berninger’s trademark reflective and majestic melancholy.
“I never worried about sending Matt something unfinished,” says Knopf of the project. “He’s able to imagine where it can go. He can grab the four bars that will become the core of the track and develop them into something amazing.”
Berninger added: “This record is more autobiographical than anything else I’ve written, but the details aren’t true. It’s written in the voices of a few invented characters, composites of different people—myself, my wife, and other people I was thinking about.”
The tracklist for Return To The Moon is: 01 Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, With Crescendo)
02 I’m the Man to Be
03 Paul Is Alive
04 Need A Friend
05 Silent Ivy Hotel
06 No Time to Crank the Sun
07 It’s a Game
08 Sleepin’ Light (ft. Ural Thomas) 09 Sad Case
10 Happiness, Missouri
11 Careless
For those of you waiting for a new National album,Berninger. said that the band would be changing their approach somewhat for the next release. “We’re talking about getting together, which won’t be until about October time, taking a little break and then getting together to try and write together in a room – which we’ve never done,” said Berninger. “We always work on little things and email back and forth. We have no idea whether it’s going to work or not, but that’s as far as we’ve got with the new record: trying to work out a plan and a different approach.
“That might fail miserably, but then we’ll try it a different way.”
When asked if the band had any idea or hopes on what their next record could sound like, Berninger said: “No, not really. Everybody’s been talking about it and people have different ideas about what kind of record they want to make. But every time we all talk about that, it never helps anyone figure it out. It’s never a very good creative catalyst to say ‘I’m going to make this kind of record’. It’s never been that helpful for me at least, let’s just wait to see where things go organically and naturally.”
‘Sunshine On My Back’ is available as a free download if you purchase Mistaken for Strangers from The National have shared a new song taken from the ‘Trouble Will Find Me Sessions’ and featuring Sharon VanEtten.:http://www.mistakenforstrangersmovie.com
Listening to this record by Australia’s Luluc more than most other albums this year. These songs feel like they’ve always been around the simple beauty in Zoë Randall’s voice and the underlying tension and support offered by guitarist Steve Hassett create a perfect vehicle for storytelling. “Passer By” was co-produced with The National‘s Aaron Dessner in Brooklyn (where the duo lived for half this year), its a quiet album filled with gentle surprises and a beautiful aura of calm.
Nice version from Alt Country Singer songwriter Caitlin Rose, for good measure and fairness here is the National’s version recorded at the Q studios last year,
The Fat Angel Sings 