A year ago this week, the best album of 2007 was released. This week last year, The National dropped Boxer, a melancholy tour de force that captivated the many of the rest of the year. Not only was I one to sit on the Album of the Year bandwagon, but Paste did as well, having them on front of their year-end issue with the statement: "These men made the best album of 2007, but do you even know who they are?" or something close to resembling that.
To celebrate the anniversary of Boxer (or maybe it is just sheer coincidence,) the Brooklyn five-piece release the DVD/EP combo A Skin, A Night / The Virginia EP this week. Where Night is the long-awaited documentary from famed Takeaway Show maker Vincent Moon, Virginia is a 12 song EP filled with Boxer b-sides (the amazing "Blank Slate,") demos ("Slow Show,") a new song ("You've Done It Again, Virginia") and a near nine-minute live take on their typical set closer ("About Today"). Night is an hour long piece showing the band hard at work on Boxer and the tension that may or may not be there (?) set to some beautifully shot footage of train tracks and city lights.
View: A Skin, A Night clips [here] // Buy: A Skin, A Night / The Virginia EP [here]
It was almost a year ago when The National graced us all with this little album called Boxer. By the year's end, it was included on many year end lists, and topped many (including Paste and some silly blog you are reading right now.) At the same time, the band announced a web site featuring clips from the documentary A Skin, A Night, filmed during the recording of Boxer by Takeaway Show and current R.E.M. do-gooder Vincent Moon. And here we are a year later, and the documentary is finally going to see the light of day, and with an extra goody as well for hardcore fans of the band.
A Skin, A Night + The Virginia EP will be out from the lovely folks at Beggars on May 20th, about 52 weeks after Boxer was unleashed. While the DVD will be the documentary fans have waited to see over the last year, the "EP" will feature 12 tracks (hence why I keep writing "EP," it's like the Fiery Furnaces EP which had 10 songs) culling together b-sides, demos, radio sessions, and two brand new songs. To quote Borat, I very excite.
The Virginia EP: 1. You Done it Again, Virginia 2. Santa Clara 3. Blank Slate 4. Tall Saint 5. Without Permission 6. Forever After Days 7. Rest Of Years 8. Slow Show 9. Lucky You 10. Mansion On The Hill 11. Fake Empire 12. About Today
Until then, the band will play Coachella and a one-off at Messiah College (back near my home land! Yay Central PA!) before hitting the road with that R.E.M. band some people know and Modest Mouse.
05/23 Vancouver--Deer Lake Park 05/29 Los Angeles--Hollywood Bowl 05/31 Berkeley--The Greek Theatre 06/03 Denver--Red Rocks Amphitheatre 06/06 Chicago--United Center 06/08 Toronto--Molson Amphitheatre 06/10 Raleigh--Walnut Creek Amphitheatre 06/11 Washington, DC--Merriweather Post Pavilion 06/13 Boston--Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts 06/14 Long Island--Jones Beach Theater 06/18 Philadelphia--Mann Center for the Performing Arts 06/19 New York City--Madison Square Garden 06/21 Atlanta--Lakewood Amphitheatre
Download Audio/Video Tracklisting
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A year ago this week, the best album of 2007 was released. This week last year, The National dropped Boxer, a melancholy tour de force that captivated the many of the rest of the year. Not only was I one to sit on the Album of the Year bandwagon, but Paste did as well, having them on front of their year-end issue with the statement: "These men made the best album of 2007, but do you even know who they are?" or something close to resembling that.
