The National

While indie rock stalwarts the National emerged from Brooklyn in the early 2000s amidst 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.

The National was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio by garage punk band Nancy in 1999. The band's debut album was released on Brassland Records in 2001. It was their first album to land at the Hot 100. Their next album was the 2010 High Violet, which was the Top Three hit. They won the Grammy for the Sleep Well Beast album in 2018. The band also had several side projects, including Pfarmers and LNZNDRF. The National came back in 2019 with their eighth studio album, I am Easy to Find. Inspired by a collaboration with filmmaker Mike Mills, the album also featured cameos by a variety of female vocalists, including Gail Ann Dorsey, Eve Owen, and Sharon Van Etten.