Introduce Yourself!

There really are plenty of Marks here aren't there?

Okay, to the introduction. I'm Mark, I'm from Ireland, and I'm quite the National fan. I came across them around November through Us Kids Know and after 5-6 listens to Boxer I was completely hooked. I couldn't believe how I'd missed out on them before, and I was quite annoyed when I realised I had just missed them in Dublin, performing with St. Vincent of all people! Since then I've spent plenty of time listening to both Alligator and Boxer, and am currently discovering SSFDL. Oh, and I've just bought tickets to their recently announced Dublin date :D .

And of my other favourite bands artists etc. I'll mention Arcade Fire, Beirut, Battles, British Sea Power, Feist, Holy Fuck, Final Fantasy, Joanna Newsom, LCD Soundsystem, Sunset Rubdown and Radiohead.

So hello all!

hey, another guy from Cincinnati (32 years young). I was checking up on them since they just announced the tour with REM. I'm really excited for them, and glad to see all the support you all are giving them. I've known them for many years (before they even picked up instruments), and I know how hard they've worked and how many personal sacrifices they've made to go at this thing full-time. Thanks for supporting them, they really do appriciate it!

Hello everyone, I thought I'd introduce myself in this handy "introduce Yourself" section. My name is Riley, I'm 22 and I live in Minnesota. The reason I'm here is rather obvious, I love The National. I've been listening to them since about June. We were selling a lot of copies of Boxer at the record store where I work, so I read a few reviews to see if it was something I would be interested in. I liked what I read, so I bought Alligator. After work I went home and put it on. Awesome.
I can count on one hand the number of times an album has blown me away on the first listen, and Alligator is at the top of the list. I read all about it being a "burner" or whatever, but personally I think anyone who doesn't love that album on the first listen must be deaf. So over the next week or two I bought the rest of their albums and, as they say, the rest is history.
Anyway, it's nice to see that there are other people as crazy about The National as I am. You all have a place in my medium-sized American heart.

Riley Odland

Yo, I'm Liam and I'm from the UK, in my first year studying at uni. Got into The National last year with the release of Boxer. Have since bought their debut and Alligator too. Hope they tour the UK this year, I'll definitely come along and see them.

I play guitar, and I've had a shot at working out some songs by the aformentioned band. I did a video of me playing Gospel... link's n my sig if anyone's interested.

Hi, I'm Nick. I just got hold of "Boxer" after a track was on a magazine cover CD, and was immediately hooked. Off to get hold of whatever else Preston's record shops have to offer tomorrow.

My usual brilliant timing has ensured I got into this lot just after they've toured over here. Annoyingly, I remember reading a review last summer, but as it compared The National to U2 I filed them under "Never In A Million Years". I hate U2 with a passion.

Let's see, what else...I'm 32, live with my girlfriend, daughter and our lodger, am a damned fine cook. If you particularly wanted to find out more about me you could try The Myspace, although I hardly bother with it anymore so it's probably not worth adding me. Or if you want to see what I look like you can go to YouTube, search "sandman mastermind", and see my finest hour, appearing on top based-on-Nazi-interrogation smartarse quiz show Mastermind.

Oh aye I forgot, other stuff I like: Nick Cave, Tindersticks, Sparklehorse, Flaming Lips, Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers, Morrissey/Smiths, Manic Street Preachers (yeah, I know, but they were the ones who got me off chartpop when I was 16, cut me some slack), and recently I've been getting into loads of old country/blues stuff.

Oh and my mate's band which I briefly and without notable success managed, The Superkings. Who have recently split, but were a bit National-esque. I'll put up a link to their demos some time.

Hi, I'm a So Cal resident and new. Its nice to be on board

Evening, All. As the name suggests, I'm Beccy, and I'm from Durham, England. I'm also over on the Us Kids Know forum, so I might know a few of you from over there? I'm a student.

Um, yeah, so I only really started listening to The National when I heard Boxer, but now I've backtracked, I'm pretty bummed I never found them earlier.

Other musical likes: The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Beirut, The New Pornographers, Final Fantasy, British Sea Power, Modest Mouse etc etc...

See you all around...

Hi everyone! I'm Lieke, a 16 year old highschool student from Holland. I recently got into The National, I love the leadsingers voice ( I don't know his name

). It's so deep and beautiful. I wish I'd found them sooner.
I'm obsessed with music, it's my life. I like lots of different things, but mainly the more rockish bands with male leadsingers.
Favourites: The Killers, David Bowie, The Smiths, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Interpol, Muse, and I'm going to stop now 'cause I could go on for a while

Here is the link to my Last.fm page if anyone is interested

Hello all,

My name is Michael Vallarelli. I've been a huge admirer of The National's music for a little more than 2 years. I must say that I've never felt this much of a connection towards music in my life. I'm glad that such an honest tone exists in a world full of glossy, and somewhat superficial music and expression. The National are refreshing and so is this message board.

Nice to meet you,

mv

Hi! I'm Michael, 33, from Ireland. Just got into The National recently after taking a chance on the Boxer album and it's now one of my favourite albums...ever! Superb.

Working my way through the back catalogue now and looking forward to seeing the guys in Dublin in May.

Hi, I'm Ray Charles, which is a nickname that has nothing to do with the artist. I'd tell you the story behind it, but it's really lame. Trust me, the mystery is much better.

A little over a year ago a friend sent me a pre-release copy of Boxer and I was blown away.

Soon after, I nabbed Alligator. A year later and I'm still not sick of either. I listen to one or the other every day.

What else? I'm a Yank (but the good kind who loathes Bush, cringes when we torture people in Cuba, and cried when we pulled out of the Kyoto global warming accords; please forgive us for the past seven years Planet Earth, we were taken hostage by an evangelical puppet with Dr. Evil's hand up his arse).

I teach college English. Yank college, which means "the uni" to everyone else.

I have a wide variety of musical tastes, though don't claim to be an aficionado of any. I like many current raves like The National, Iron & Wine, and Interpol. I have a near spiritual relationship with NIN. Charlie Parker makes me sweat silly. James Brown makes me dance. Tool makes me thrash about. Bob Dylan makes me want to write.

Hmm. Yep, that's about it.

Oh wait - I'm 34 years old, soon to be 35.