It’s unfortunate that “buzz bands” generally affect me in the exact opposite way their acclaim storm is supposed too. More often than not I’m left confused, making many earnest attempts to discover just what it is that people won’t stop buzzing about. It appears The National fits that cursed and blessed title, but unlike most, they defiantly exceed my own impartial expectations. Now after eight years of existence The National are nowhere short of making hilariously excited new fans, aka – me. I haven’t graduated to their latest, The Boxer, however, am no less than captivated by their 2005 release, Alligator. With lines like “fuck me and make me a drink,” there is a gritty honesty in these songs. As captured here in their performance for Spinner’s The Interface The National succeed at sustaining an endlessly intimate relationship with listeners, a triumph not easily attained.

Spinner – The Interface with The National

[words by guest contributor Dom Davis]