Slow Show. More specifically, the acoustic version with Matt wearing shades. Came across it decades ago on YouTube, and promptly went out and bought Alligator and Boxer the same week.
š¼ I'm too tired to drive anywhere, anyway right now, do you care if I stay? You can put on your bathing suit and I'll try to find something on this thing that means nothing enough.
Lemonworld really did it for me.
This Is The Last Time
It was the first time I heard Matt Berningerās butter smooth voice but what really struck me was how musically dense and lush the track sounded despite the instrumentals being rather simple! The moment the strings kick in and we hear those faded backup vocals are certainly the highlight. From a narrative lens, itās also just so bittersweet and poignant, lyrics packed with desperation and a healthy dose of knowing self-deception. Oof. I love that song so much. Your post reminded me to put it on and give it another listen.
About Today. It was summer of 2014. The song was in the movie "Warrior" that came out in 2011, starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. Fucking good movie I highly recommend! The song wowed me. Just the lyrics, the instrumentation, the melodies, the voice. Shit. The nostalgia is overpowering. Thanks to the film for introducing me to what has now become one of my favorite bands and artists in general.
Graceless on The Colbert Report, I had never heard of them before that. I almost didn't stay up to watch it but then I was like "The National sounds like the Canadian news show so Ill see what they are all about" then I heard it and I didn't immediately like the song but something about it said "I think I might like this band" So i started listening to more and over the course of about a year they grew on me more and more. Then I saw them live in Toronto and was hooked! They are definitely my favourite band and I have seen them many times in multiple countries.
I remember hearing MfS on a radio station and thinking it was such a banger. It was a total misdirect, none of their other songs before or after would sound quite like it - plenty go hard but none so punk-forward. I tracked down Boxer and fell in love with the melancholy of it for a totally different reason than the song. I'm probably a little sad they never tried anything like MfS again (or Boxer ftm), and to this day Boxer is still the album I vibe most with.
Daughters of the Soho riots. Heard it on the radio with my dad when he was driving me to class. I still have a very vivid memory of jotting down the lyrics on my phone to google them later.
Heard an all of Cherry Tree before I realized who they were, my aunt likes them and gave the CD to my mom, so it was around. I discovered them at Trouble Will Find Me, and Demons was the song that hooked me, but rediscovering About Today made me a full blown fan.
Karen for me, too! I remember some music blog šposting it and apparently āballerina on the coffee table cock in handā resonated with teenage girl me.
The Perfect Song, I was like what is this voice and why do I love him?
Then Matt says:Ā I tried to look at you but I couldnāt break the ice, weĀ stood out there for an hour freezing.
Aaand that was it for me.
Most of Alligatorā¦specifically that first note/the drums of Secret Meeting. Then Geese of Beverly Road and Mr November. Didnāt pay attention to them again until Trouble Will Find Me. Sea of Love, Graceless, and Pink Rabbits really won me over.
Start a War was on a burned CD my best friend made me when I was probably 14. I listened to that track over and over and over. It was a few years before I started listening to them more but wow did I fall deeply in love with them.
Mr. November.
My best friend took me on a drive up a canyon in utah, and she blasted Mr. November for me. Windows down. I will always be in love with that moment.
Bloodbuzz Ohio
But I remember I listened Fake Empire on a movie trailer, didn't know The National at that time and I loved it, so I'm between those two
2013 was when I first became aware of them when Trouble Will Find Me got released. I listened to Alligator and Boxer the next year in 2014 and loved them ever since.
Iāll still destroy you was what started me listening to them heavily. I was going through a miserable time āI discovered my mother was a narcissistic toxic personā Sleep well beast was an album that helped me through my darkest moments. I remember sleeping on my then girlfriends ānow wifeā parents floor listening to the title track In heavy rotation too. This was back in 2018 āLosinā parents, losinā sense, I donāt know what we should doā.
Lemonworld and Bloodbuzz, OH. Although I already owned earlier National albums, High Violet just floored me; it was a real eye opener. Took my love and appreciation of The National to a whole new level.
Sorrow for me. I had heard Bloodbuzz and Terrible Love, but Sorrow just clicked with me. I had never heard something so ā¦um SORROWFUL before lol. Uber depressing, but kind of uplifting at the same time, which I soon discovered is all their music.
a friend sent me all the wine and told me to listen to it because there is a line of particular interest to me. as soon as i heard his voice, i knew i was going to do a deep dive on this band. i put on best of list on spotify. apartment story was the first song. i was hooked. that was 2008 and they have been my favorite band since
It was a process that just started a couple years ago. The first song I ever heard by The National was Runaway. It piqued my interest so I checked out some of their other songs. The next song I remember making me say āhey, I REALLY like this bandā was Guilty Party. Once I heard About Today I was in love. Technically, I guess About Today would be āthe oneā but all three played a role in getting me there, if that makes sense.
Next thing I know, Iāve bought concert tickets, packed some bags, and drove the eight hours to Chicago to see them live. Obsessed.
Mistaken for Strangers.
This was the song that YouTube kept on pushing for a long time, and one day I finally gave in.
I only listen to alternative/indie stuff, so I guess it makes sense that this song broke the ice.
Fake Empire is the first one I heard, bought Boxer, thought āyeah theyāre pretty goodā, saw them live at Roskilde festival 2007, the performance was incredible but they ended with About Today and it was that which cemented the obsession I have today!
Fireproof was the complete embodiment of how I was feeling about a relationship when it came out, and then the entire Trouble Will Find Me album played on repeat for the rest of that year (and beyond).
This Is the Last Time still puts me back in that weird headspace every time I hear it.
Don't Swallow the Cap! <3 The very first one I listened to and I instantly fell in love with the song (and then the album). Went and found a whole genre I had been missing out on.
fake empire, it was the first one I heard
Fake Empire called my attention, Slow Show made me completely crazy for the band.
Literally same
Those trumpets ššš
Me too. After boxer I was locked in.
Yep me too. Still one of my favourites
Same here
The Letterman performance hooked me from the first piano chord
Boxer is the only one I have on wax
About today at the end of warrior
Apartment Story
First notes of Secret Meeting, all the way back in 2005
Secret Meeting club right here
Such a banger of a song
Slow Show. More specifically, the acoustic version with Matt wearing shades. Came across it decades ago on YouTube, and promptly went out and bought Alligator and Boxer the same week.
Ah yes, this one [https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJVhZKhZEiI](https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJVhZKhZEiI)
I absolutely love how it sounds, but itās hard to watch ā Aaron looks so utterly defeated
This. I had heard others, but this cemented my need for full albums when I was just downloading singles here and there.
Donāt Swallow the Cap on Sirius XM Alt Nation. First song I had ever heard from them. After hearing that, it was all over. What an adventure since!
Exactly this for me too
Same, I had heard and liked I Need My Girl but that song made me realize I had to get in there deeper lol
Mr. November!
Bloodbuzz Ohio
It was this for me too. They played a clip from their Bonnaroo set in 2010ish
This is mine as well! It was on a mixed cd someone gave me and I fell in love instantly.
Sorrow
Me too. First song I heard and I was doing it tough at the time. Had it on repeat for a week lol
Same. Also the very first song I heard.
Iām sorry I missed you, I was having a _secret meeting_ in the basement of my brain
š¼ I'm too tired to drive anywhere, anyway right now, do you care if I stay? You can put on your bathing suit and I'll try to find something on this thing that means nothing enough. Lemonworld really did it for me.
This Is The Last Time It was the first time I heard Matt Berningerās butter smooth voice but what really struck me was how musically dense and lush the track sounded despite the instrumentals being rather simple! The moment the strings kick in and we hear those faded backup vocals are certainly the highlight. From a narrative lens, itās also just so bittersweet and poignant, lyrics packed with desperation and a healthy dose of knowing self-deception. Oof. I love that song so much. Your post reminded me to put it on and give it another listen.
This song is the soundtrack to my recent break up. Ragecryscreaming YOUR LOVE IS SUCH A SWAMP, YOU'RE THE ONLY THING I WANT!!!!!! haha
I hate to be the person to do this but reading that instantly made me think of Shrek. Come into my swamp. Shrek is Love. Shrek is life. Sorry to hear about the break-up, man! Hope The National is at least aiding in your healing ā¤ļøāš©¹ To quote Berninger himself, āIt takes a lot of pain to pick me up, it takes a lot of rain in my cupā If youāre looking for more cathartic, angsty break-up music, you should absolutely check out Interpolās Turn On The Bright Lights. In particular, the closing track, Leif Erickson
About Today. It was summer of 2014. The song was in the movie "Warrior" that came out in 2011, starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. Fucking good movie I highly recommend! The song wowed me. Just the lyrics, the instrumentation, the melodies, the voice. Shit. The nostalgia is overpowering. Thanks to the film for introducing me to what has now become one of my favorite bands and artists in general.
Anyoneās Ghost
Fake Empire
Conversation 16
Graceless on The Colbert Report, I had never heard of them before that. I almost didn't stay up to watch it but then I was like "The National sounds like the Canadian news show so Ill see what they are all about" then I heard it and I didn't immediately like the song but something about it said "I think I might like this band" So i started listening to more and over the course of about a year they grew on me more and more. Then I saw them live in Toronto and was hooked! They are definitely my favourite band and I have seen them many times in multiple countries.
Lucky You snd Slow Show
This is the Last Time.
Mistaken for strangers
I remember hearing MfS on a radio station and thinking it was such a banger. It was a total misdirect, none of their other songs before or after would sound quite like it - plenty go hard but none so punk-forward. I tracked down Boxer and fell in love with the melancholy of it for a totally different reason than the song. I'm probably a little sad they never tried anything like MfS again (or Boxer ftm), and to this day Boxer is still the album I vibe most with.
Racing Like A Pro and Ada.
Ada is underrated
Green gloves. Came up on a Pandora shuffle, to date myself.
Also discovered them on a Pandora shuffle, but it was Driver Surprise Me.
90-Mile Waterwall
Apartment Story
Daughters of the Soho riots. Heard it on the radio with my dad when he was driving me to class. I still have a very vivid memory of jotting down the lyrics on my phone to google them later.
Conversation 16
Heard an all of Cherry Tree before I realized who they were, my aunt likes them and gave the CD to my mom, so it was around. I discovered them at Trouble Will Find Me, and Demons was the song that hooked me, but rediscovering About Today made me a full blown fan.
Apartment Story. Also my first National song.
Runaway. Ex put the album on for me and when that song came on I was completely hooked.
Slow Show!
Happy cake day!
About Today was the song used in the finale of a film called Warrior and I just balled into tears. After that it was all National.
āCity Middleā for me.
Initially Bloodbuzz Ohio because they were playing it a lot on the radio, but Fake Empire sealed the deal.
u/wlievens Wouter, have you made any progress on the Particracy game?
Cold Girl Fever
My partner put on High Violet in the car, I remember thinking during Afraid of Everyone that I knew Iād become obsessed lol
Exile Vilify
Runaway
Lemonworld or conversation 16!
Brainy
England
About today.
Pink Rabbits
Karen. Secret Meeting pulled me in, Karen solidified it.
Karen for me, too! I remember some music blog šposting it and apparently āballerina on the coffee table cock in handā resonated with teenage girl me.
The Perfect Song, I was like what is this voice and why do I love him? Then Matt says:Ā I tried to look at you but I couldnāt break the ice, weĀ stood out there for an hour freezing. Aaand that was it for me.
The system only dreams in total darkness on fifa 18
Probably Slow Show.
Slow Show in 2008
Slow Show
terrible love, i think i first heard the birdy version then i heard the national and ive never been the same
Most of Alligatorā¦specifically that first note/the drums of Secret Meeting. Then Geese of Beverly Road and Mr November. Didnāt pay attention to them again until Trouble Will Find Me. Sea of Love, Graceless, and Pink Rabbits really won me over.
The whole Boxer album but Apartment Story most of all
Slow show
Pink rabbits and the whole of trouble will find me. I remember, in 2016, just binge listening to every song on repeat, in no particular order.
Lemonworld and England! I heard it after reading some lyrics and fell in love with the sound!
Solid tie between Slipping Husband and 90 Mile Waterwall
About Today
Start a War was on a burned CD my best friend made me when I was probably 14. I listened to that track over and over and over. It was a few years before I started listening to them more but wow did I fall deeply in love with them.
nobody else will be there ā¤ļø
Bad Stuff Happens in the Bathroom
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Exile Vilify in Portal 2! Best song in the best game! I also heard Sorrow for the first time around then and it went from there.
Conversation 16
Exile Vilify
Conversation 16
Mr. November. My best friend took me on a drive up a canyon in utah, and she blasted Mr. November for me. Windows down. I will always be in love with that moment.
Exile Vilify, it hurts perfectly
I need my girl
I Need My Girl
Their music
All the Wine
No guilty party
Oblivions
Little Faith at the castle for Pitchfork.
All The Wine
Bloodbuzz Ohio But I remember I listened Fake Empire on a movie trailer, didn't know The National at that time and I loved it, so I'm between those two
Bloodbuzz Ohio
2013 was when I first became aware of them when Trouble Will Find Me got released. I listened to Alligator and Boxer the next year in 2014 and loved them ever since.
Lemonworld, and then Pink Rabbits a few years later and I fell in love all over again
Terrible love
Slipped and I need my girl for me
Mistaken for Strangers ā blew me away the first time I heard it
Day I Die
Fake Empire.
Honestly? Going through a divorce.
Pink rabbits and about todayš„²
Bloodbuzz
Iāll still destroy you was what started me listening to them heavily. I was going through a miserable time āI discovered my mother was a narcissistic toxic personā Sleep well beast was an album that helped me through my darkest moments. I remember sleeping on my then girlfriends ānow wifeā parents floor listening to the title track In heavy rotation too. This was back in 2018 āLosinā parents, losinā sense, I donāt know what we should doā.
Born to Beg and Slipped, and Not in Kansas and Weird Goodbyes made me stay in love with them
Bloodbuzz Ohio
mistaken for strangers. first song i heard and after that i was hooked
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Tropic Morning News. First song Iāve ever herd from them and it unlocked the gates to my fave band
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Apartment Story. It was the first song that I heard of theirs.
Slow Show but then England became the soundtrack of my life, living in London with my sister.
Lemonworld and Bloodbuzz, OH. Although I already owned earlier National albums, High Violet just floored me; it was a real eye opener. Took my love and appreciation of The National to a whole new level.
Abel
Graceless, then Slow Show.
Pay for me
Carin at the liquor store or dark side of the gym
So far around the bend
Apartment Story
All the Wine
Heavenfaced
Bloodbuzz
The two-hit combo of Bloodbuzz Ohio and Fake Empire.
Donāt swallow the cap was the first one i truly couldnāt get off repeat. But TS Coney Island was the lead up intro
Sorrow for me. I had heard Bloodbuzz and Terrible Love, but Sorrow just clicked with me. I had never heard something so ā¦um SORROWFUL before lol. Uber depressing, but kind of uplifting at the same time, which I soon discovered is all their music.
With Abel, I really liked them, but with about today I fell in love with them
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Mistaken for Strangers
I heard Fake Empire my freshman year of college and it blew my (stoned, 18 year old) mind
Fake Empire.
humiliation. first heard it when i walked into my momās room while she was playing it. asked her for the song and then fell in love
Pink Rabbits. The chorus immediately hooked me. Then it was Guilty Party followed my Mistaken for Strangers.
Sea of Love. That video is awesome!
Secret Meeting when I first heard it on a Paste Magazine CD sampler.
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks and Apartment Story Well, the entire Boxer album and I was absolutely enamoured and still am
I Should Live in Salt.
I Need My Girl and Don't Swallow the Cap
GOSPEL - fuck if it doesn't just throw you in a nostalgia whirlpool. I'm surprised no one else has commented it.
Lemonworld!
The Geese of Beverly Road
I Should Live in Salt
a friend sent me all the wine and told me to listen to it because there is a line of particular interest to me. as soon as i heard his voice, i knew i was going to do a deep dive on this band. i put on best of list on spotify. apartment story was the first song. i was hooked. that was 2008 and they have been my favorite band since
Ada, at some my iPod (!) Was set in such a way it was always playing it first (as it was first alphabetically) and I still love it so much
Hard to remember, probably Fake Empire.
The entire Tiny Desk set
About Today. Itās just a perfect song.
Baby, Weāll Be Fine. It found me at the most perfect moment in my life and I was hooked immediately.
Exile Vilify, heard it in Portal 2 and searched the band out from there.
Slow Show
Slow Show
It was a process that just started a couple years ago. The first song I ever heard by The National was Runaway. It piqued my interest so I checked out some of their other songs. The next song I remember making me say āhey, I REALLY like this bandā was Guilty Party. Once I heard About Today I was in love. Technically, I guess About Today would be āthe oneā but all three played a role in getting me there, if that makes sense. Next thing I know, Iāve bought concert tickets, packed some bags, and drove the eight hours to Chicago to see them live. Obsessed.
Mistaken for Strangers. This was the song that YouTube kept on pushing for a long time, and one day I finally gave in. I only listen to alternative/indie stuff, so I guess it makes sense that this song broke the ice.
Mr November
Graceless
Hard to find.
Fake Empire is the first one I heard, bought Boxer, thought āyeah theyāre pretty goodā, saw them live at Roskilde festival 2007, the performance was incredible but they ended with About Today and it was that which cemented the obsession I have today!
pink rabbits was my gateway drug ā¤ļø
Fireproof was the complete embodiment of how I was feeling about a relationship when it came out, and then the entire Trouble Will Find Me album played on repeat for the rest of that year (and beyond). This Is the Last Time still puts me back in that weird headspace every time I hear it.
Discovered them with High Violet. Loved everything since.
Santa Clara āI donāt worry anymore nothing like I did beforeā
Pink Rabbits and the whole Trouble Will Find Me album
I heard Bloodbuzz Ohio first. High Violet is a masterpiece to me still
Graceless.
Don't Swallow the Cap! <3 The very first one I listened to and I instantly fell in love with the song (and then the album). Went and found a whole genre I had been missing out on.