Wake Up Your Saints

When I get on a kick, it's difficult to get off it.

Last night at work I listened to three hours worth of The National and now I'm home with VH1 Soul (the 24 hour music video channel) on mute in the background and am still listening to nonstop National songs.

I miss The National. I haven't been listening to them as much as I used to but the second I start it up, it all comes rushing back. They're a tough band to listen to if nothing dramatic is happening in your life. There's a lot of drama and emotion packed into three minutes. I can't get my mind around it if I'm feeling stable. Luckily, I'm not usually feeling all too stable.

I wrote up a new 'about me' for the site and it came about when I realized I'm not very good at communicating in social settings like work, school, bars, sidewalks... I'm not relatable unless I'm writing or talking about music. It's the only place I seem to fit in. I can never find the perfect words to express my feelings and never know what to say to people when it's my turn in the conversation. I love my little blog though.

Getting back to The National, I specifically love that Matt Berninger's lyrics don't just talk about love gone wrong and all the usual things packed into a song. They're about career woes, vulnerability to life, and filled with irony or strange metaphors that normal people could never think of. In my writing class we're always discussing writing about the same things in a different way. The National does this better than anyone. Just the sound of their songs makes me feel different about everything. My entire mood shifts when they're on.

I don't know if it's worth talking about but why aren't they more famous? I was reading an interview with Matt Berninger from a couple years ago that mentioned he still had a day job designing pop up ads for websites. This man is someone I would consider one of the most talented people on earth. To think that he's wasting even a fraction of his time on things other than living life and making music is upsetting to my soul. This is not just "indie" music he's making, it is something otherworldly. I'm not sure how someone could hear these songs and not be moved by at least one line or one sound or one phrasing...

The National is the best band on earth.