At long last, new National

May Gray continues its grip on San Diego, and the timing couldn't be more perfect with the new album from The National out today. Some albums just sound better on a cloudy or rainy day, and in San Diego, you have to take advantage of those days when they come.



The National play the Casbah on Monday, June 25.

New National album streaming NOW

Ba-ba-da-bum!



With a week and a day until the release of the most anticipated album of the spring season, The National is streaming its new album, The Boxer, on it's Myspace page. This is another one that I've avoided so I can hear it all at once when it comes out, just to bottle up the magic, but if you just can't wait, go to...

Stream "The Boxer" on The National's Myspace

San Diegans got a taste of the songs during the band's last stop, and they're certainly going to get more when they play The Casbah June 25, which is going to be an absolute don't-miss show.

Abel, come on? Oh, he's comin'.

My City's NOT a Sucker: The National

We indie folk probably would be more into emo if we were younger. The sweeping, theatrical music with its do-or-die seriousness, the bloated song titles, the over-the-top videos ... they all speak to that high school urgency where everything is the most important thing ever.

Calling The National grown-up emo may give you the wrong impression if you haven't heard them before. But spend some time with the band's amazing last record, "Alligator," or its criminally overlooked "Cherry Tree" EP, and you'll see what I mean. The music is still deathly serious, but all the theatrics are stripped away, replaced by the wisdom that comes from struggling for success but finding failure more often and deciding to aim for the middle ground.

It makes for some of the most raw, authentic, crushingly beautiful music in the indie world right now.

The National have been good to San Diego, stopping back in October at the Casbah. They're coming back around this summer in support of their upcoming album, "The Boxer."
Album is out May 22.
The show is June 25.
The MP3s below are highly, highly recommended

The National — Abel (MP3)
The National — The Geese of Beverly Road (MP3)