The National

While indie rock stalwarts the National emerged from Brooklyn in the early 2000s amid a garage rock revival that included bands like the Strokes, the Walkmen, and, in the U.K., the Libertines, they distinguished themselves by drawing from a wider set of influences. Merging elements of alternative country-rock, Americana, and chamber pop as well as post-punk into their moody, crafted indie rock, their earliest albums won a dedicated fan base and critical praise before they made an impact on the charts with their fourth LP, 2007's Boxer. It marked a gradual shift away from some ...