Website: http://www.americanmary.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thenational

The National are a band of New Yorkers transplanted from Cincinnati, Ohio: Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, and Scott Devendorf. What each member of the band does is not that important, but what they do together seems increasingly more so.

Formed in 1999, The National released their first self-titled record through their own label; their second lp, Sad Songs for Dirt Lovers, followed soon after. The group's big breakthrough came with the release of their Beggars Banquet debut, Alligator, an album whose reception closely mirrored the kind of sounds they made on record — it started out quiet, and ended up very, very loud. Alligator became one of the most widely discussed and critically acclaimed independent albums of 2005 — 'album of the year' to one Los Angeles Times critic. It also earned top marks in a poll of America’s bloggeratti and rapturous reviews throughout the U.S. and Europe. (Uncut, selecting it as an album of the month, called the record 'their first masterpiece.')

More importantly, The National became an object of growing obsession among a thriving community of fans — strands of their lyrics decorated MySpaces; during shows, audience members sang along in unison, echoing through concert halls; news of celebrity admirers like Bruce Springsteen shot across the interwebs. The National became famous in an alternate universe — one where the gossip rags talk about the people you actually care about.

Then, in 2007, the group released Boxer, and things got bigger still. Gothic in its detailing but jaunty in its execution, Boxer was something far richer than orch-pop (translation: rock ‘n’ roll topped with violins). Rather, the band found ways to combine the expressive depth of composed music with the urgency of pop. It’s a sound built with guitar, bass, piano and drums and festooned with brass, woodwinds, backing vocals, strings, and organs. A product of dedicated labor, happenstance, and alchemical reactions, the music revealed new layers with each successive listen.

The National are a band making their way in a rough trade — a sport, a pastime, a violent thing. They get cut up and caught up in the ropes. They rip out the stitches though friends urge them not to.

The National's next lp, High Violet, will be out in May.