How do you love rap when rap doesn’t love you back? From Rico Nasty’s harassment from toxic Carti fans, to Saucy Santana's unapologetically femme aesthetics in a queerphobic industry, to the assault case that put Megan Thee Stallion’s entire image on trial, each episode of Louder Than A Riot - the second season of our investigative hip-hop podcast - unpacks the unspoken rules of rap that hold the entire culture back. Tap in to our first episode at n.pr/louder-season-2.
Matt Berninger is on the bass clef or below it for most of his songs. It’s really awesome. His melodies and lyrics have enough of an impact that he doesn’t need to sing high notes. I think him singing in his low register gives the songs a really relaxed cool feel to them. Listening to the National makes me think of long drives at night with a close friend talking about broken hearts. I just love this band
David Jacob ..yes but so are this IS The last time And I need my girl.Aaron playing The guitar in I need my girl..It gives you back The Joy of being alive
mramerecka agreed, every album is solid, they completely are insync with each other, they remind me of fleetwood mac during rumours, not in style of music, but in the clear fact that they are all on the same page which in turn makes their efforts seamlessly intertwine. I am just an amateur musician and they continue to inspire me to get better.
mramerecka every once in a while i take another look at this band hoping to like their sound and see some tiny ray of hope in their words. somehow all I ever hear is glum. i got nothing wrong with a little gloominess, but is that really all they do? can anyone recommend a track to check out that is not just gloomy.
Wallace Murray Hmm For me and I am sure many others a bit of an odd comment. Much great music has a melancholy feel to it. My current No, 1 band London Grammar sound sad to many of my friends. I never thought of the National as being "a bit Gloomy" Joy Division yes but not the National. "Anyone's ghost" is a great track by the National but I have a gut feeling you may think it is " a bit gloomy" give it a go ! Two of my Favourite tracks at the moment are "just so" by Agnes Obel . Short sweet and catchy . A brilliant song .I find myself whistling this around the Supermarket. The other is " a long time ago" by First Aid Kit. Now this is a sad song . Yet it is a wonderful track and Klara sings it oh so beautifully. nuff said !
Wallace Murray I'd give Fake Empire, Apartment Story, Fashion Coat, Secret Meeting, Lemonworld and possibly Blank Slate a listen! :) Hell, I'd give those a listen any day, but those aren't so gloomy.
I keep playing Pink rabbits just to listen to the bits with the trumpet. It's like my heart walks out of my chest, stands in front of me, and is suddenly the one playing. I'm just shocked surprised it is possible. So beautiful.
Nathaniel Hornblower that’s the best way of seen someone describe it wall of sound thats beautiful. Its why there songs get better the more you listen.
Love this band. And then magic happened to bring them down to Melbourne, Australia. On a perfect Melbourne moonlit night, they played at our Myer Music Bowl. It was a transformative, out-of-body experience. Perfect. And unforgettable. There's this thing with the "deep magic" concerts. Years later, you listen to a song and suddenly you can climb back into the sensation of being there, like with dreams from your past. Like now.
I believe they are 'Divorce' music...or 'The Great Divorce' as Sleep Well Beast was named after one of the Great Divorce Author's books. Can't remember the name...something like Cheetoh.
Just found them today at 34. Grateful to have found the Tiny Desk Concert's. They have exposed me to different artists that I haven't heard before. Some artists I already liked but haven't heard acoustically and with stripped down performances. NPR is so awesome for doing these performances. The talent that they draw here, and for free, amazes me. One of my favorites is definitely The Milk Carton Kids. I heard them on W XPN here in Philly back in 2012. Before they did a TDC, I was happy to find they did one. If you like folk music check it out. Singer/songwriter's are my fav. I became a quadriplegic in 2013 when I suffered a spinal cord injury due to a heroin overdose. So I spend my free time on the Internet and watching TV. I take the time to find new bands. I was stuck in the 90s during my heroin addiction. Grateful to have found new artists that have opened me up to new feelings and emotions to carry me through my sobriety. Celebrated two years March 24 2013. One day at a time. I am able to dictate text and surf the interwebs using Dragon speech recognition software. Thank God/Buddha/etc. for that or I would be stuck with out being able to do what I love.
+Ron Smith Oh damn I commented above you without even reading this. Glad to know I'm not the only recovering heroin addict that's into The National. "This Is The Last Time" was the anthem to my last shot of heroin. Emotional moment, and frankly heroin loved me and emotionally abused me like no lover ever could. Keep it going with the sobriety man. I'm only at 5 months myself, and frankly it still fucking sucks. Still having trouble finding joy in life, and I miss heroin more now than I did during withdrawal. I find myself reminiscing very fondly about moments in my life that I should see as pathetic (nodding out in a dark room completely by myself for days on end).
Bigby Wolf Keep it up, one day at a time. I remember what five months felt like. My emotions were up and down and I missed my old security blanket, dope. At the end I was shooting 15+ bags a day and drinking/xanax/crack and chain-smoking. I went through withdrawal cold turkey from everything without being able to move. I had opiate withdrawal psychosis and started hallucinating heavily for three days all while puking on my self. I'll never forget that. I could still get high from if I want to buy meeting people on Reddit. But I just remember where I was, what happened, and what it's like now. It will get better. As long as you're not using you can get through it. Because you know what it was like when you were isolating and going through hell. Take care.
I love a band that doesn't make the lyrics the focus of every song. His voice is just another instrument that blends beautifully into the the rest of the band. It's great because you can listen to it over and over and hear something new each time.
MrGrantmandude i’m listening to them for years now and some numbers that I listened to 1000 times still amaze me! There’s no band like the national that makes this sort of music! So beautiful
Hands down my favorite band of all time. When I was lucky enough to see them live in my hometown and their hometown in Cincinnati, I cried during the whole set. My whole heart belongs to this band
At the very least, he is an ambitious and thoughtful singer. Any lyric taken out of context can sound absurd or small, but it is the way it's sung, the way the lyric is woven into a larger context that gives the song life and meaning. When I read that the lead singer had read a lot of John Cheever (The Swimmer, etc.) in preparation for this album, that's when a lot of things clicked for me.
This band feels like the Fall, I just realised that's what it's been all these years. (maybe this comment has already happened amidst these many years, but I finally figured out why I felt trepidation and comfort at once while listening)
"This Is The Last Time" was the anthem to my final shot of heroin. True story. Pretty emotional moment, but it stuck. It really did feel like saying goodbye to a passionate lover that had been with me through thick and thin. Many of the lyrics apply to my love for heroin quite well, it's eerie actually. I know it's probably not the case, but when I heard the song initially I was convinced he was actually talking about smack addiction veiled as a love song. Now whenever I hear this song I remind myself of how happy I am to be clean. You bet your ass I miss the hell out of that cruel mistress though. "I wish everybody knew what's so good about you" "And I said I wouldn't get sucked in" "You're the only thing I want" "Baby you left me sad and high" "I know I'm in trouble... can't get these thoughts out of me... It takes a lot of pain to pick me up" I'll never feel about a girl like I did about that beautiful drug. Complete, passionate devotion. The absolute definition of a love/hate relationship. Intense feelings of nostalgia and longing when I reminisce about it, which is fucked up because some of my fondest memories are of me sitting alone in a dark room with a needle on the floor and music like "The National" blaring. It's really weird when the peak of your life, no matter how good things get after addiction, will always be while doing the most pathetic thing a human being can do. It ruined me and my life yet I still love heroin with all my soul. Abusive partner I kept crawling back to in desperation. Hopefully she's gone for good now, good riddance despite all the good times. I still think about her everyday. Nobody can love me like she did.
+Kiedy Silniejsza Fuck off, I care. +Bigby Wolf We all take different paths in life toward the same destination. You're no less a person than anyone else. Accept it all and come to peace with your choices, all the negatives will leave you and you can move on.
The songs in this set hit me right in the feels, currently going through a quarter life crisis turning 30 and this is just speaking to me right now. So much love for this band right now.
"Pink Rabbits" reminds me so much of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks". They're both such hauntingly beautiful songs. The National really have a way with that.
I'm hearing each song thinking to myself "Yes! They choose another one of my favorite songs!" but to be honest, the whole album is pure gold, it wouldn't have mattered which song they chose, it would have been my favorite. SUCH an amazing album. And they perform it so well live.
+frankieinfrance "I'd been listening to 'Hey Joe' (Hendrix)... then that just stuck. There probably was a time when I was like 'OK, I have to put a woman's name in there', and I quickly just discarded that temptation to change it to a woman's name because I'm a man. It didn't matter, at all. And I just could never let go of 'Hey Joe'." - Matt Berninger on the Song Exploder podcast
I keep watching this video, several times a day, and shaking my head in disbelief. Every listen finds me thinking this will be the one that reveals some fatal flaw and losing interest. Surely I was just blown away and exaggerated it's quality and almost quiet and barely restrained intensity. 100 repeats later and I'm still amazed every single time I hear it. Typhoon's Tiny Desk is another example of NPR's quality and consistency in delivering a gem of a performance that will both resonate with and baffle you. Congratulations NPR, you've managed to captivate my mind and steal my breath.
I still cannot believe that after 5 years after I watched this for the first time, I finally saw these dudes live (and got to meet them, oh my, they really are amazing). I am so lucky to live at the same time as The National.
discovered The National when they opened for R.E.M. in 2008, and been in love ever since. what a wonderful performance, it wouldn't sound at all out of place on one of their actual albums.
Never heard of The Nationals until I watched Mistaken For Strangers. Tom is great. The band is great. Music is awesome. Rockumentary was incredible. Thanks all!
I’ve been listening to them since I was five, and I’m now twenty. They are continually a great part of my life, and it really reawakens the soul to watch them like this. Much love
So thankful for Tiny Desk and opening my eyes to such great musicians! Nathaniel Ratliff and the Nightsweats, Leon Bridges, John Mooreland, Justin Townes Earle, and now the National 👏🏼
Weird question: if some of you people really dislike The National, why the hell are you wasting your time watching a video of theirs and posting negative comments? Do you really have nothing better to do?
after being a fan for about 7 years, i finally got to see these guys live at primavera sound. they put on the most incredible show, and even songs i dont really like from the recent album were outstanding w matt's sheer stage presence. so strange to come back to this and see them 11 years younger.
I know this was 4 years ago... but NPR tiny desk has returned my faith in musicianship. The performances are so intimate. There is no room for anything but excellence. You cannot perform in this format if you're not amazing.
Thanks NPR for continually expanding my knowledge in so many different areas; news, politics, environment, and arts (musical). Truly appreciate all you do. Like many others that have commented, I've discovered new artists and found new appreciation for familiar artists in the voice that you allow them to share in the acoustic format of Tiny Desk. Thanks.
How do you love rap when rap doesn’t love you back? From Rico Nasty’s harassment from toxic Carti fans, to Saucy Santana's unapologetically femme aesthetics in a queerphobic industry, to the assault case that put Megan Thee Stallion’s entire image on trial, each episode of Louder Than A Riot - the second season of our investigative hip-hop podcast - unpacks the unspoken rules of rap that hold the entire culture back. Tap in to our first episode at n.pr/louder-season-2.
❤.
Why is this the pinned comment on this video? The National aren't in the hip hop genre.
It’s been ten years. We need The National’s Tiny Desk 2 :)))
I was just coming to comment on the same thing. We really need it 🙏🏻
This is the best band of the cool teachers from highschool ever
The slow camera scroll in the beginning really hits it on the head
Walter White on vocals
what do you mean?.. did any of them teach?
You could've stopped at "this is the best band"
@@radulescuandrei6178 one of their touring buddies Kyle Resnick (the trumpet player with the beard) is an adjunct music professor
Almost forgot to watch this today
Can I ask you….. about today (specifically whether or not you watched The National on Tiny Desk?)
Just remember to listen again today
I laugh at this comment every day.
I also forgot. Just in the nick of time
It be like that.
This version of Pink Rabbits.
I mean, the WHOLE set is ridiculously good, but Pink Rabbits is a moment in time.
Tiny Desk is awesome.
My favorite from the bottom of my heart
00:06 This Is The Last Time
04:56 I Need My Girl
09:00 Pink Rabbits
14:16 Sea Of Love
obrigado
Your are a gentleman and a scholar.
@@startowers37 :)
Gotta get this pinned!
Thank youu ♡♡
It’s so refreshing to listen a baritone/bass lead vocal in today’s music where a good song is almost equalized with a high note...
Honestly this. Every other male lead/singer is a falsetto/tenor
Matt Berninger is on the bass clef or below it for most of his songs. It’s really awesome. His melodies and lyrics have enough of an impact that he doesn’t need to sing high notes. I think him singing in his low register gives the songs a really relaxed cool feel to them. Listening to the National makes me think of long drives at night with a close friend talking about broken hearts. I just love this band
WHen I first heard of them I thought of Tindersticks who have a similar baritone vibe
Yessss, it’s very rare these days. And when he does go higher, it has such an impact. I love this band so much!
word
Pink Rabbits is unbelievably beautiful.
Exactly, just like you say.
David Jacob ..yes but so are this IS The last time And I need my girl.Aaron playing The guitar in I need my girl..It gives you back The Joy of being alive
I can barely finish it. I feel nostalgic for the part right before the part that's playing.
One of the greatest bands of our time right here.
mramerecka agreed, every album is solid, they completely are insync with each other, they remind me of fleetwood mac during rumours, not in style of music, but in the clear fact that they are all on the same page which in turn makes their efforts seamlessly intertwine.
I am just an amateur musician and they continue to inspire me to get better.
mramerecka One of the greatest bands of "any era"
mramerecka every once in a while i take another look at this band hoping to like their sound and see some tiny ray of hope in their words. somehow all I ever hear is glum. i got nothing wrong with a little gloominess, but is that really all they do? can anyone recommend a track to check out that is not just gloomy.
Wallace Murray Hmm For me and I am sure many others a bit of an odd comment. Much great music has a melancholy feel to it. My current No, 1 band London Grammar sound sad to many of my friends.
I never thought of the National as being "a bit Gloomy" Joy Division yes but not the National.
"Anyone's ghost" is a great track by the National but I have a gut feeling you may think it is " a bit gloomy" give it a go !
Two of my Favourite tracks at the moment are "just so" by Agnes Obel . Short sweet and catchy . A brilliant song .I find myself whistling this around the Supermarket. The other is " a long time ago" by First Aid Kit. Now this is a sad song . Yet it is a wonderful track and Klara sings it oh so beautifully. nuff said !
Wallace Murray I'd give Fake Empire, Apartment Story, Fashion Coat, Secret Meeting, Lemonworld and possibly Blank Slate a listen! :)
Hell, I'd give those a listen any day, but those aren't so gloomy.
can we just appreciate Aaron jumping around to play every other instrument in the room
I’ve watched this an awkward amount of times
That part when the trumpet comes in in "This Is the Last Time" always gets me :(
I keep playing Pink rabbits just to listen to the bits with the trumpet. It's like my heart walks out of my chest, stands in front of me, and is suddenly the one playing. I'm just shocked surprised it is possible. So beautiful.
I could honestly watch this Tiny Desk Concert on repeat. Such a solid band.
Watched it yesterday while procrastinating, listened to it today in the work ute while driving.
I will always love this. The saddest version of Pink rabbits.
No one builds up a wall of beautiful sound like The National - and their drummer is the definition of tight!
best drummer in the business
Yeah dude i was just thinking how they set up the wall by around the 4th minute
Tight.
Nathaniel Hornblower that’s the best way of seen someone describe it wall of sound thats beautiful. Its why there songs get better the more you listen.
i'm waitin' on a 90 mile wall of sound
The Wall of Sound
Must be such a privilege to work at NPR and get to see these tiny desk concerts in person.
Love this band.
And then magic happened to bring them down to Melbourne, Australia. On a perfect Melbourne moonlit night, they played at our Myer Music Bowl.
It was a transformative, out-of-body experience. Perfect. And unforgettable.
There's this thing with the "deep magic" concerts. Years later, you listen to a song and suddenly you can climb back into the sensation of being there, like with dreams from your past.
Like now.
"It wasn't like rain it was more like a sea, I didn't ask for this pain it just came over me"
I love a storm, but I don't love lightning
All the water's coming up so fast it's frightening 🖤
Despite whatever genre a band is you know they're good when they can have this many members and everyone has their own space within the songs...
I believe they are 'Divorce' music...or 'The Great Divorce' as Sleep Well Beast was named after one of the Great Divorce Author's books. Can't remember the name...something like Cheetoh.
Just found them today at 34. Grateful to have found the Tiny Desk Concert's. They have exposed me to different artists that I haven't heard before. Some artists I already liked but haven't heard acoustically and with stripped down performances. NPR is so awesome for doing these performances. The talent that they draw here, and for free, amazes me. One of my favorites is definitely The Milk Carton Kids. I heard them on W XPN here in Philly back in 2012. Before they did a TDC, I was happy to find they did one. If you like folk music check it out. Singer/songwriter's are my fav. I became a quadriplegic in 2013 when I suffered a spinal cord injury due to a heroin overdose. So I spend my free time on the Internet and watching TV. I take the time to find new bands. I was stuck in the 90s during my heroin addiction. Grateful to have found new artists that have opened me up to new feelings and emotions to carry me through my sobriety. Celebrated two years March 24 2013. One day at a time. I am able to dictate text and surf the interwebs using Dragon speech recognition software. Thank God/Buddha/etc. for that or I would be stuck with out being able to do what I love.
Meant to say I celebrated two years March 23, 2015. Thanks for the love.
***** Thank you, I will.
+Ron Smith right on, bud.
+Ron Smith Oh damn I commented above you without even reading this. Glad to know I'm not the only recovering heroin addict that's into The National.
"This Is The Last Time" was the anthem to my last shot of heroin. Emotional moment, and frankly heroin loved me and emotionally abused me like no lover ever could.
Keep it going with the sobriety man. I'm only at 5 months myself, and frankly it still fucking sucks. Still having trouble finding joy in life, and I miss heroin more now than I did during withdrawal. I find myself reminiscing very fondly about moments in my life that I should see as pathetic (nodding out in a dark room completely by myself for days on end).
Bigby Wolf Keep it up, one day at a time. I remember what five months felt like. My emotions were up and down and I missed my old security blanket, dope. At the end I was shooting 15+ bags a day and drinking/xanax/crack and chain-smoking. I went through withdrawal cold turkey from everything without being able to move. I had opiate withdrawal psychosis and started hallucinating heavily for three days all while puking on my self. I'll never forget that. I could still get high from if I want to buy meeting people on Reddit. But I just remember where I was, what happened, and what it's like now. It will get better. As long as you're not using you can get through it. Because you know what it was like when you were isolating and going through hell. Take care.
I don't know why their music in particular elicits emotions from my stoic ass, but it simply does. Pink Rabbits here nearly makes me cry every time.
We got lucky when these guys found each other.
Being in a band like this is a TREASURE.
I love a band that doesn't make the lyrics the focus of every song. His voice is just another instrument that blends beautifully into the the rest of the band. It's great because you can listen to it over and over and hear something new each time.
MrGrantmandude i’m listening to them for years now and some numbers that I listened to 1000 times still amaze me! There’s no band like the national that makes this sort of music! So beautiful
his lyrics are fantastic and a definite highlight, dont know what you're talking about lol
mathieu vandebeek tank
Truu love that about them my fav in that sense in guilty party
This version of Sea of Love… again and again and again 🥰
They start to play, I start to cry. Every. Time.
That pan at 11:03 is iconic to me. I look for it every time I watch this. The timing, the speed, it captures the moment.
Oh wow. They never get boring, do they? I envy anyone who's gotten a chance to see them live.
That would be an amazing venue to see them in! I'm seeing them in two weeks :D
I saw them live at riot fest in 2014 and I have to say that it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. I highly reccomend that you see them!
One of the best live bands on the planet. Every time.
Seeing them tomorrow!
Matt crashed into me when he was wandering the aisles at the show I saw.
this band all look like the same dude in different stages of their life
Puma Thurman what an incredibly accurate observation
lol two of them are brothers
@@reillykennedy3138 Twin brothers, I believe.
best comment I've seen a while and I've seen a few
Actually guitarists are twin brothers , bass player and drummer are brothers.
Hands down my favorite band of all time. When I was lucky enough to see them live in my hometown and their hometown in Cincinnati, I cried during the whole set. My whole heart belongs to this band
These guys are absolute musical royalty.
Sounds like a therapy session
At the very least, he is an ambitious and thoughtful singer. Any lyric taken out of context can sound absurd or small, but it is the way it's sung, the way the lyric is woven into a larger context that gives the song life and meaning. When I read that the lead singer had read a lot of John Cheever (The Swimmer, etc.) in preparation for this album, that's when a lot of things clicked for me.
meep meep meep meep
Weird to see this note about John Cheever three years later with the latest album calling him out by name (Carin at the Liquor Store)
pretty sure his wife, Carin Besser, is responsible for a lot of those good lines...
This band feels like the Fall, I just realised that's what it's been all these years. (maybe this comment has already happened amidst these many years, but I finally figured out why I felt trepidation and comfort at once while listening)
For me, the National is my adult version of my teen REM.
that makes sense, they were influenced by REM a lot :)
@@pantalaemon OMG. Never thought about it that way, but yes. 100%.
This
i need my girl is one of those songs that just kind of latch on to you
My favourite band of the last 30 years , and in my all time top 10 gigs.
Saw them in August in Manchester . Fantastic gig !
I like how Matt lets his voice break up in the outro to Sea of Love. Way more raw and effective live than the album version with all that reverb
"This Is The Last Time" was the anthem to my final shot of heroin. True story. Pretty emotional moment, but it stuck. It really did feel like saying goodbye to a passionate lover that had been with me through thick and thin. Many of the lyrics apply to my love for heroin quite well, it's eerie actually. I know it's probably not the case, but when I heard the song initially I was convinced he was actually talking about smack addiction veiled as a love song. Now whenever I hear this song I remind myself of how happy I am to be clean. You bet your ass I miss the hell out of that cruel mistress though.
"I wish everybody knew what's so good about you"
"And I said I wouldn't get sucked in"
"You're the only thing I want"
"Baby you left me sad and high"
"I know I'm in trouble... can't get these thoughts out of me... It takes a lot of pain to pick me up"
I'll never feel about a girl like I did about that beautiful drug. Complete, passionate devotion. The absolute definition of a love/hate relationship. Intense feelings of nostalgia and longing when I reminisce about it, which is fucked up because some of my fondest memories are of me sitting alone in a dark room with a needle on the floor and music like "The National" blaring. It's really weird when the peak of your life, no matter how good things get after addiction, will always be while doing the most pathetic thing a human being can do. It ruined me and my life yet I still love heroin with all my soul. Abusive partner I kept crawling back to in desperation. Hopefully she's gone for good now, good riddance despite all the good times. I still think about her everyday. Nobody can love me like she did.
+Bigby Wolf get your shit together brah
+Bigby Wolf Nobody can love you like you can love yourself bruv...take care!
So much music I can't enjoy anymore because of dope...
+Kiedy Silniejsza Fuck off, I care.
+Bigby Wolf We all take different paths in life toward the same destination. You're no less a person than anyone else. Accept it all and come to peace with your choices, all the negatives will leave you and you can move on.
+Bigby Wolf Yup. Like 100% yup. That's how I felt about this song, that's how I feel about heroin.
The songs in this set hit me right in the feels, currently going through a quarter life crisis turning 30 and this is just speaking to me right now. So much love for this band right now.
Pink Rabbits is by far one of my all time favorite songs
Their voice has stolen my soul...
I so want to be around that tiny desk right now.
Hamza Zafar Yea, in and around my mouth.
Bands come and go but I’ll always carry The National deep within for the duration of my lifetime.
The national is so special
"Pink Rabbits" reminds me so much of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks". They're both such hauntingly beautiful songs. The National really have a way with that.
I'm hearing each song thinking to myself "Yes! They choose another one of my favorite songs!" but to be honest, the whole album is pure gold, it wouldn't have mattered which song they chose, it would have been my favorite. SUCH an amazing album. And they perform it so well live.
God, I need my girl is the saddest song from the last album. So sad and lovely.
Really high quality band. Love them
I think its lovely. we played it at my wedding
I SEE YOU RUSHING DOWN!!
I love this version of Sea of Love, wish he shouted it on the original studio version like he does here!
Who's Joe???
+frankieinfrance "I'd been listening to 'Hey Joe' (Hendrix)... then that just stuck. There probably was a time when I was like 'OK, I have to put a woman's name in there', and I quickly just discarded that temptation to change it to a woman's name because I'm a man. It didn't matter, at all. And I just could never let go of 'Hey Joe'." - Matt Berninger on the Song Exploder podcast
@@timmymc2001 I have always transcribed it (in my head) as "Hey Jo" like Joanna :) I didn't know the backstory
I keep watching this video, several times a day, and shaking my head in disbelief. Every listen finds me thinking this will be the one that reveals some fatal flaw and losing interest. Surely I was just blown away and exaggerated it's quality and almost quiet and barely restrained intensity. 100 repeats later and I'm still amazed every single time I hear it. Typhoon's Tiny Desk is another example of NPR's quality and consistency in delivering a gem of a performance that will both resonate with and baffle you. Congratulations NPR, you've managed to captivate my mind and steal my breath.
This one is my favorite version of Pink Rabbits . Beautiful...
this band is so great, never get tired of hearing them... and their new cd - i cant get enough of it... just plays again and again.
I used to run to this on the beach at night. Perfect soundtrack.
Best NPR concert yet! I could listen to this all day.
Beirut lol?
RefugeHellYeah
"lol" no
Yes...I don't mind putting this on loop
I have had some days like that tbh
what about now. What is the best concert
I still cannot believe that after 5 years after I watched this for the first time, I finally saw these dudes live (and got to meet them, oh my, they really are amazing). I am so lucky to live at the same time as The National.
Another National tiny desk please!
I think I've watched this like 2000 times and I never get tired of it
God, i just love the national so much.
When they do Pink Rabbits I'm aghast. Stunning!
+andrew moonbeam I had to look up the meaning of aghast but couldn't agree more!
Elise Bossu
Back again! This performance made me appreciate The National! Great band!
I don't get how someone could dislike this. Pure brilliance.
Wow!! Gorgeous Pink Rabbit version!! Amazing!
discovered The National when they opened for R.E.M. in 2008, and been in love ever since. what a wonderful performance, it wouldn't sound at all out of place on one of their actual albums.
I can't get enough of these guys. It's been years and years, and they're still one of my favorite bands.
'Need My Girl' heart stoping melodies. Beautiful. Just beautiful! x
Never heard of The Nationals until I watched Mistaken For Strangers. Tom is great. The band is great. Music is awesome. Rockumentary was incredible. Thanks all!
I saw them last month and met matt, he was a really nice guy.
Such a great film
I love these sad dads very much and i'm so exited about finally getting to go to one of their shows on Lollapalooza Argentina
Melts me like butter. They have the best album of 2013 IMO
The dynamic between the horn(s) and his vocals is particularly remarkable.
such great sounds...
I need my girl continues to be one of my favorite songs by the national (that guitar melody? simple+heartwarming)
If I had to choose a favourite band this would be it. no question.
I’ve been listening to them since I was five, and I’m now twenty. They are continually a great part of my life, and it really reawakens the soul to watch them like this. Much love
So thankful for Tiny Desk and opening my eyes to such great musicians! Nathaniel Ratliff and the Nightsweats, Leon Bridges, John Mooreland, Justin Townes Earle, and now the National 👏🏼
Absolutely still remains one of my favorite Tiny Desk's. Epic.
I had heard of them, but didn't think they were this good. Wow.
This version of sea of love is off the planet, absolutely incredible
Here's to many more. tyk for what is sensed as a righteous experiences that feels good. 🐬
Weird question: if some of you people really dislike The National, why the hell are you wasting your time watching a video of theirs and posting negative comments? Do you really have nothing better to do?
The National live is like a totally different experience that listening to their albums. So much more depth to the songs. Fricken dope.
I love how specific and particular a lot of the songwriting is with these guys - it really helps the songs to connect, and to carry the meaning.
Same !!!!
Definitivamente Pink Rabits es y sera mi canción favorita por siempre ❤🥹 es hermosa
The singing is so artificially perfect on the album ´- to me this seems to serve the songs much better.
Honestly this is the best live performance I’ve ever heard.
after being a fan for about 7 years, i finally got to see these guys live at primavera sound. they put on the most incredible show, and even songs i dont really like from the recent album were outstanding w matt's sheer stage presence. so strange to come back to this and see them 11 years younger.
That's insane, glad you had that experience❤
"Pink Rabbits" is such a beautiful song.
This channel's a gift.
I love how they opened up with my favorite song. Their music truly is the definition of beauty.
this is like my favorite music video ever. The National + acoustic = the bomb. Thank you, NPR!
how is his voice so effortlessly flawless
Got to love a band that dares to use brass. Not many bands would be brave enough to do this.
Nicely done.
Check out Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' NPR Desk show. They rock the brass too!
Also, Typhoon, which has a magnificent brass section and a cool Tiny Desk concert.
Some guy named Springsteen has been using Brass for 40 years along with everyone from New Orleans.
Calexico... The Antlers...Both of those fine bands utilise a brass sound.
Hell, even Macklemore & Ryan Lewis used live trumpet. Was really good.
just found npr today, such a wealth of talent to inspire even the most hardened of musical writers
I know this was 4 years ago... but NPR tiny desk has returned my faith in musicianship. The performances are so intimate. There is no room for anything but excellence. You cannot perform in this format if you're not amazing.
Congrats four years late :) I was so happy when I found it
ive watched this so many times and im back again. brilliant
Having watched a lot of tiny desk concerts, I keep coming back to this again and again. By far my favorite performance!
Post-Punk Revival is so good - and The National, along with Interpol, are the best!
I am really glad this band exist
Wow, this is so beautiful, I´ve been falling in love with these guys more and more, big ups for this totally indie concert :).
The National are one of the rare bands that you can hear again, again and again. They never get boring. Pure, real, atmospheric!
I can't get enough of these guys.
if matt beringer ever sang one word to me in person id fucking explode. dudes voice is love made audible.
ok. agreed, but his last name is berninger
Thanks NPR for continually expanding my knowledge in so many different areas; news, politics, environment, and arts (musical). Truly appreciate all you do. Like many others that have commented, I've discovered new artists and found new appreciation for familiar artists in the voice that you allow them to share in the acoustic format of Tiny Desk. Thanks.