Boxer (album)

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Boxer
Studio album by The National
Released May 22, 2007
Recorded Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Genre Indie rock, post-punk revival
Length 43:24
Language English
Label Beggars Banquet
Producer Peter Katis and The National
The National chronology
Alligator
(2005)		 Boxer
(2007)		 The Virginia EP
(2008)
Singles from Boxer
  1. "Mistaken for Strangers"
    Released: April 30, 2007
  2. "Apartment Story"
    Released: November 5, 2007
  3. "Fake Empire"
    Released: June 23, 2008

Boxer is the fourth studio album by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National. It was released on May 22, 2007 by Beggars Banquet Records, and has since sold over 300,000 copies worldwide.[1] The album features a guest performance by Sufjan Stevens on "Ada" and "Racing Like a Pro"[2] and backing vocals by Marla Hansen.[3] Following its release, the album debuted at #68 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 9,500 copies in its first week.[4] The song "Slow Show" contains lyrics from the band's song "29 Years," first found on their self-titled debut album. A film by Vincent Moon documenting the creation of the album, titled A Skin, a Night,[5] was released along with a collection of B-sides and rarities titled The Virginia EP on May 20, 2008.

The album cover is a photo of the band performing "The Geese of Beverly Road" (from the band's third album Alligator) at producer Peter Katis' wedding.[6]

The album has had pop-cultural reach, with lyrics from "Racing Like A Pro" having been excerpted in the novel Imperial Bedrooms by American author Bret Easton Ellis.

The songs "Slow Show" and "Fake Empire" were used in TV Series Chuck.

Contents

[edit] Promotion

The National made their television debut on July 24, 2007, performing "Fake Empire" on The Late Show with David Letterman. The band later performed "Apartment Story" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on September 26, 2007. Two songs off Boxer appeared in episodes of the NBC series Chuck. "Slow Show" appeared on "Chuck Versus the Tango" which aired October 8, 2007, while "Fake Empire" appeared in "Chuck Versus the Break-up" on October 13, 2008.

"Slow Show" was also featured in Gossip Girl, in the episode "O Brother, where Bart Thou?" while "Fake Empire" appeared in the final scenes of the pilot episode of NBC's police drama Southland, as well as the concluding scenes of the 2008 movie Battle in Seattle. "Fake Empire" also featured in Barack Obama's campaign video "Signs of Hope and Change." "Start a War" appeared on an episode of The Riches, which aired March 25, 2008, as well as in the 2011 film Warrior.

"Mistaken for Strangers" made an appearance in an advertisement for E4's Skins series. The fifth season premiere of the teen drama One Tree Hill was titled "Racing Like a Pro," and during the episode the songs "Fake Empire," "Green Gloves," and "Slow Show" were featured. The tenth episode of the science fiction drama Defying Gravity, titled "Deju Vu," featured the song "Start a War."

[edit] Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars [7]
AbsolutePunk (9.5/10) [8]
Pitchfork Media (8.6/10) [9]
PopMatters (9/10) [10]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars [11]
Slant 5/5 stars [12]
Stylus (A) [13]
Tiny Mix Tapes 4/5 stars [14]

In the year-end issue of Paste, Super 45 magazine, and The Pop Cop music website, the album was named the best record of 2007. "Mistaken for Strangers" was #92 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Songs of 2007."[15] Popular internet publication Pitchfork Media ranked the album #17 in their annual end-of-the-year "Top 50 Albums of 2007" list,[16] as well as on Stylus Magazine's "Top 50 Albums of 2007" list at #5.[17] Stylus also ranked "Fake Empire" at #7 on their "Top 50 Songs of 2007" list.[18] Boxer also garnered the #1 position on WOXY.com's "97 Best of 2007.".[19]

Boxer has made numerous "album of the decade" lists including Pitchfork Media,[20] Aquarium Drunkard,[21] Paste,[22] The Pop Cop,[23] and more.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written and composed by The National, except where noted. 

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Fake Empire"     3:25
2. "Mistaken for Strangers"     3:30
3. "Brainy"   The National, Carin Besser 3:18
4. "Squalor Victoria"     2:59
5. "Green Gloves"     3:39
6. "Slow Show"     4:08
7. "Apartment Story"     3:32
8. "Start a War"     3:16
9. "Guest Room"     3:18
10. "Racing Like a Pro"     3:23
11. "Ada"   The National, Carin Besser 4:03
12. "Gospel"   The National, Carin Besser 4:29
Japanese CD and iTunes bonus tracks
No. Title Length
13. "Blank Slate"   3:17
14. "Santa Clara"   4:06

[edit] Credits

  • Produced by Peter Katis and The National.
  • Additional production by Aaron Dessner.
  • Recorded and mixed by Peter Katis at Tarquin Studios, Bridgeport, CT.
  • Second engineer: Greg Georgio; assisted by Nathan Curry and Cory Foley-Marsello.
  • Home recording by The National and Brandon Reid in Brooklyn, NY and White Sulphur Springs, WV.
  • Additional recording by Greg Georgio and Josh Clark at The Seaside Lounge, and Bennett Paster at Benny's Wash n' Dry, Brooklyn.
  • Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering, New York, NY.
  • Orchestration by Padma Newsome.
  • Additional arrangements by Bryce Dessner and Aaron Dessner.
  • Cover photo by Abbey Drucker.
  • Interior photos by Clara Claus.
  • Design by Distant Station Ltd.
Additional musicians
  • Tim Albright – trombone
  • Thomas Bartlett – keyboards
  • Carin Besser – vocals
  • CJ Camerieri – trumpet
  • Rachael Elliott – bassoon
  • Pauline de Lassus – vocals
  • Marla Hansen – vocals
  • Ha-Yang Kim – cello
  • Padma Newsome – viola, violin, organ
  • Sara Phillips – clarinet
  • Alex Sopp – flute
  • Sufjan Stevens – piano on "Racing Like a Pro" and "Ada"
  • Jeb Wallace – French horn

[edit] References

  1. ^ "en-us > Main Body Tabbed". En-us.nielsen.com. http://en-us.nielsen.com/tab/industries/media/entertainment. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
  2. ^ "The National's Berninger Talks Boxer, Baseball, CYHSY". Pitchfork Media. 2007-03-01. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/41460-the-nationals-berninger-talks-iboxeri-baseball-cyhsy. Retrieved 2007-07-06. 
  3. ^ "The National Enter the Ring with Boxer". Pitchfork Media. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41400-exclusive-the-national-enter-the-ring-with-iboxeri. Retrieved April 1, 2007. 
  4. ^ Katie Hasty, "Maroon 5 Nudges Linkin Park From Atop Billboard 200", Billboard.com, May 30, 2007.
  5. ^ "The National ''A Skin, a Night'' microsite link". Thenationalboxer.com. http://www.thenationalboxer.com/. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
  6. ^ "The National's Berninger Talks Boxer, Baseball, CYHSY". Pitchfork Media. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41460. Retrieved December 20, 2008. 
  7. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1042225
  8. ^ http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2559382
  9. ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10242-boxer/?utm_campaign=search&utm_medium=site&utm_source=search-ac
  10. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/33095/the-national-boxer/
  11. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13933172/review/14459239/boxer
  12. ^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1129
  13. ^ http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-national/boxer.htm
  14. ^ http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/national-boxer
  15. ^ No byline (December 11, 2007). "The 100 Best Songs of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  16. ^ Pitchfork Media - Top 50 Albums of 2007
  17. ^ Stylus Magazine - Top 50 Albums of 2007
  18. ^ Stylus Magazine - Top 50 Songs of 2007
  19. ^ WOXY.com - The 97 Best of 2007
  20. ^ "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 150-101". Pitchfork. 2009-09-29. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7707-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-150-101/5/. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
  21. ^ "Decade :: The National, Boxer (2007)". Aquarium Drunkard. http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2009/11/24/decade-the-national-boxer-2007/. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
  22. ^ Hughes, Ken. "The 50 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009) :: Blogs :: List of the Day :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/the-best-albums-of-the-decade.html. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
  23. ^ "The best albums of the decade (2000-09)". The Pop Cop. http://thepopcop.co.uk/2010/02/05/the-best-albums-of-the-decade-2000-09. Retrieved 2010-02-08. 

[edit] External links

The National
Matt Berninger • Aaron Dessner • Bryce Dessner • Bryan Devendorf • Scott Devendorf
Studio albums
EPs
Singles
"Abel" • "Secret Meeting" • "Lit Up" • "Mistaken for Strangers" • "Apartment Story" • "Fake Empire" • "Bloodbuzz Ohio" • "Anyone's Ghost" • "Terrible Love" • "Conversation 16" • "Think You Can Wait" • "Exile Vilify"
Related articles
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