Bryce Dressner, Sufjan Stevens & Nico cover “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”

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The National contribute to a children’s story app, “Dragon Brush”

Matt Berninger and Aaron and Bryce Dessner have contributed to a new children’s iPad story app called Dragon Brush.

The story, which is based on a traditional Chinese folktale, was narrated by Matt. The music was done by Aaron & Bryce. The illustrations were done by John Solimine of Spike Press, who has done the artwork for many of The National’s posters.

Matt Berninger said in a press release: “The story has all my favorite things: waterfalls, magical dragons, and the sound of my own voice.”

preview it below

 

 

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video: Bryce and Aaron Dessner Perform and Chat With St. Vincent

St Vincent goes into the crowd and goes wild. well worth watching.

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Bryce Dessner joins Sufjan Stevens & Nico to debut new song: “Venus”

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You Aint No Picasso Interviews Bryce Dessner

via

YANP: So this will be the seventh year of music now, what are the biggest lessons that you’ve learned what do you wish you would have known?

B: When I started out I was over idealistic about it. I didn’t work through booking agents and managers you know? I went directly to artists and it turned out I could only really book friends, I guess. A lot of artist are willing to take that risk.  And I was on to something with that on some level but as the festival grew I had to book artist I didn’t know and then I can have those relations ships. But the festival is this organic, home grown, intimate event and then the reputation is that a place where you come and take risk and hang out and feel the pressure. Big festivals can be a lot of pressure because you’re playing in front of a large crowd and the media is there. People always ask me if we will move it to a bigger city and I say no because it definitely wouldn’t function in the same way. And I’ve been burned by that, by occasionally having an artist who doesn’t get it. There on tour and their tired and that’s unfortuante/ But in seven years that’s happened to me once or maybe twice.

read the entire thing by clicking below:

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The Bridge Session Viewing Party in Brooklyn

via Jambands.com

“The National’s Bryan Devendorf and Scott Devendorf will perform with Bob Weir at his San Rafael, CA TRI studios on Saturday, March 24. Organized by HeadCount, the collaborative The Bridge Session will feature a mix of Grateful Dead classics, National songs and other politically-themed covers as well as a round table discussion moderated by Disco Biscuits bassist Marc Brownstein.”

“The entire evening will be broadcast via TRI’s website. For those unable to make it to the performance, Brooklyn, NY’s Littlefield will host an official viewing party on The National’s home turf. Admission is $5 and will include a stream of the entire concert. The show is slated to start at 9 PM. All proceeds will benefit HeadCount.”

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The Guardian reviews The Long Count, praises Dessners

There is no question the Dessner brothers have a musical reach well beyond the saturated rock songs of their day job.

Read the entire review HERE

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Aaron Dessner talks about The Long Count to The Quietus

I was watching a video interview with him about The Long Count which was interesting – he said that for him, it also extended to ideas of games and combat, conflict and play in every day life. Was that of significance to you too?

AD: Yeah, definitely. I remember… early on, it was very much about games and play and tests, and we tried to affect that in the music. A lot of the music involves these chases, or mirroring – my brother and I can play guitar in really unique ways together because of how we grew up. Literally I can look at his hand and play the exact same thing or the exact opposite thing, or a key off. What usually happens is that I’m playing something and he plays a mirror or echo of it, and a lot of music is like that, and it’s extended into the ensemble also, so it’s like twins also. That extends into the film as well – you see the film, the two diamond shape films, and then they reflect down off of this mirror floor, so everything is doubled or quadrupled, so this has this interesting effect where it’s all very playful.

You must both be acutely aware of the ways in which you and Bryce work together and apart.

AD: I think we have this instinctive feeling that if we hit a wall at some point, that the other will be able to break through it. We have different tendencies: he’s much more academic about music than I am, and I’m more visceral or spontaneous. It’s probably easier for me to generate lots of new ideas, a constant stream, and in a way it’s easier for him to finish those ideas, and maybe elevate them beyond a simple idea. But then he’ll do some work and I’ll take it further. There are very few times where either of us is working on something where the either isn’t in some way part of it. Bryce is writing more orchestral work now, and some of that I’m not involved in it, some of that I am, and in some ways that’s a different exercise when you’re writing in a more traditional way, as opposed to collaborating. We’re always finishing each other’s ideas, and it works really well in The National, and in some ways it works even better in these more expansive, experimental ways. There aren’t these restraints. With The Long Count, there are a lot more musicians to bounce things out of and draw on, different voices and things. It’s liberating.

read the rest HERE

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The National talk about their love for REM

From Uncut.com,

The National’s Bryce Dessner has revealed that the band wouldn’t have formed without REM.
In the new issue of Uncut, in stores on January 31, the guitarist explains that the legacy of the Athens, Georgia band, especially the influence of singer Michael Stipe, has allowed groups like his to flourish.
“For American musicians especially,” he says, ”they opened up a door in terms of what they symbolised.
“They provided an alternative to the mainstream, especially Michael as a frontman. The National wouldn’t have existed if REM hadn’t.”
Dessner goes on to reveal that his most treasured REM album is 1986’s ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’.
For more of Bryce Dessner on the most important albums of his life, check out the new March issue of Uncut, out January 31.

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Aaron Dessner discusses The Long Count with Barbican Podcast

Aaron gives a nice overview over his collaborative musical project about mythological “hero twin brothers”; the origins; his relationship with Bryce (and how they sync up on stage) and much more. He calls it “our personal mythology” and says that each time they perform The Long Count, they interpret it differently.

Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud.

more information can be found at Barbican’s website

watch the trailer below:

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