the national

The National: Bloodbuzz Ohio [mp3]

Andy Fenstermaker
March 25, 2010March 24, 2010

Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for, people: a new track from The National!? Man, just when you thought the buzz behind this band would dissipate, they go and hand out a power track like “Bloodbuzz Ohio”. And it leaves people like you and me pining for that deep voice and off-beat percussive drum slap. Oh those piano notes and building guitars — now that’s the stuff! “Bloodbuzz Ohio” has the potential to match the favorites from past albums by The National; yes, we’re talking about you, “Fake Empire” and “Mr. November”. The song is off the band’s new LP, High Violet, which hits soon via 4AD. Read More »The National: Bloodbuzz Ohio [mp3]

A Retrospective Top 33 and 1/3: Best Albums of 2007

Andy Fenstermaker
December 18, 2009May 13, 2023

Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the Capitol Hill Block Party. We hit it off and ditched the after-party to get a sprite (her) and coffee (me) at Denny’s in Ballard (sadly no longer there) at 1:30am. I still have the mustache and I’m still dating Andi. A lot of pretty notable things happened that year, and a lot of great releases came out…