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Michelle Foo Fighters - Times Like These
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The National make music for the hours after midnight: anxious, funny, romantic and quietly devastating. Matt Berninger’s baritone and two pairs of brothers, Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Scott and Bryan Devendorf, built a sound that grew slowly from Brooklyn clubs to festival headline slots. They are proof that a band can become huge without ever being loud about it.
The National at a glance
Formed
1999, Brooklyn, New York (members from Cincinnati, Ohio)
Members
Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (bass), Bryan Devendorf (drums)
Genres
Indie rock, post-punk, chamber rock
Breakthrough
Boxer (2007), High Violet (2010)
Grammy
Best Alternative Music Album, Sleep Well Beast (2018)
Formation
All five members grew up in Cincinnati and reunited in New York in the late 1990s. They self-released their debut and spent years building an audience through relentless touring before signing with Beggars Banquet and later 4AD.
The albums
The National (2001) and Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)
Early albums with country and folk influences, still finding their voice.
Alligator (2005)
The critical breakthrough, with “Mr. November,” “Abel” and “Karen.”
Boxer (2007)
Elegant and understated, with Bryan Devendorf’s distinctive drumming. “Fake Empire,” “Mistaken for Strangers” and “Slow Show” made it an indie classic.
High Violet (2010)
Bigger and lusher, with “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” “Terrible Love” and “England.” It took them to arenas.
Trouble Will Find Me (2013)
Melodic and melancholy, featuring “Demons,” “I Need My Girl” and “Graceless.”
Sleep Well Beast (2017)
Electronic textures and guitar noise; it won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” is a highlight.
I Am Easy to Find (2019), First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023) and Laugh Track (2023)
The band embraced guest vocalists and new textures. First Two Pages of Frankenstein features Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens and Taylor Swift, and Laugh Track followed later the same year.
Matt Berninger
Berninger’s lyrics mix anxiety, desire and dark humor with oddly specific detail. His live performances, often wandering deep into the crowd, are legendary. He has also released solo work.
Aaron and Bryce Dessner
The Dessner twins are the band’s musical architects. Aaron has become one of the most in-demand producers in music, working with Taylor Swift on Folklore and Evermore, while Bryce is an acclaimed classical composer.
Legacy
The National showed that slow-burning, literate rock could build a huge audience over time. Their influence can be heard across modern indie and in the way artists now cross between rock, folk and classical music.
About this article: Written and fact-checked by The Alternative One editorial team, the programmers and music writers behind the station’s on-air shows. Official artist website: www.americanmary.com. Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Read our editorial standards or tell us about a correction.
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