The National have shared a new song 'New Order T-Shirt' from their forthcoming album 'First Two Pages of Frankenstein'. “To me the line ‘I keep what I can of you’ means something about everyone I’ve ever known or loved,” the National’s Aaron Dessner said in a statement, adding “there’s a simplicity to ‘New Order T-Shirt’ that reminds me of our earlier records, but with the full maturity and experience we have now. It feels like a really important song for the future of our band.” The band has partnered with New Order for a limited edition T-shirt drop. 'First Two Pages of Frankenstein' is out April 28 via 4AD, featuring contributions from Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers.

The National have announced a merch-sale campaign to help out their road crew while everyone’s grounded due to coronavirus. "We will direct all profits from merch sales through our webstore, new Cherry Tree fan club enrollments, and sales from the Cherry Tree members-only store to support our crew members throughout this crisis to the best of our ability" - the National announced. Soccer Mommy did a similarly generous thing - Sophie Allison took to Twitter to announce that she would be selling T-shirts and posters and giving all the proceeds to her band and crew while they aren’t able to work.

The National have covered INXS’ 'Never Tear Us Apart' to 'Songs For Australia', a compilation album put together by Australian singer-songwriter Julia Stone to benefit brush fire relief efforts. Kurt Vile has taken on Nick Cave’s 'Stranger Than Kindness', Rice remade Sia's 'Chandelier', Martha Wainwright covered Nick Cave’s 'Ship Song', and Stone herself made a cover of 'Beds Are Burning' Midnight Oil, along with a music video that pays tribute to Australian culture and wildlife.

Brooklyn Vegan combed through the 2010s as well and came up with 141 best albums of the last ten years (it was a shame to kick out Leonard Cohen, right?!? :_) ). The first ten are: 10. The National – 'Trouble Will Find Me Read More' 9. PJ Harvey – 'Let England Shake' 8. Beyonce […]

The National frontman Matt Berninger is releasing a solo album 'Serpentine', produced and arranged by Booker T. Jones of Memphis soul group Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Rolling Stone reports. The first song out from it is 'Walking on a String', a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, which appears in Zach Galifianakis’ Netflix film 'Between Two […]

The National have their eight studio album out, 'I Am Easy to Find', and critics like it: "It’s rarely sounded as vulnerable as it does here--song after song" - the A.V. Club; "It might challenge some fans and may not ever grow on others, but more than anything, it proves that the National are not […]

A great read in the Guardian - part-biography, part-interview with the National, starting point being their Paris concert held on the very same evening the Notre-Dame burned. Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Bryce Dessner, a Parisian now, was having second thoughts about playing (they did), and later concluded - “When so many institutions are crumbling, basic concepts of liberalism, […]

Game of Thrones returned for the eight and final season, and Billboard celebrates it with an article about music and musicians in the show. The Hold Steady did a rousing punk “cover” of song 'The Bear and The Maiden Fair' from the show, The National and Sigur Rós have contributed haunting soundtrack versions of song […]