Matt Berninger News

Today, Los Angeles non-profit assisting homeless youth Safe Place for Youth (S.P.Y.) announced Safe and Sound, a virtual benefit concert that will take place on May 19 at 5pm PT/8pm ET [RSVP].

Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martin released today a new song 'Quarantine Boogie (Loco).' Recorded at home in isolation, the song features guest vocals from Matt Berninger of The National (who also appears in the video) along with horn accompaniment by Stuart Bogie.

After premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival followed by a year-long festival run, the documentary Other Music by Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller was set to open in 30 cities around the world on April 17th to coincide with Record Store Day.

Today Grammy nominated, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird releases his timely new single, “Capital Crimes.”

The National have announced they will be releasing a 10-year anniversary expanded edition of their 2010 album High Violet, on June 19th, 2020.  Originally released May 11, 2010, the critically acclaimed fifth studio album features the now-classics “Terrible Love,””Bloodbuzz Ohio,”“England,” and perennial show closer, “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.” In addition to the 10 original tracks, the triple LP package includes a third LP which includes tracks never before available on vinyl, including “Wake Up Your Saints,” an alternate version of “Terrible Love,””Walk Off” and more. The vinyl comes in three different versions, Standard (white & purple marbled vinyl), Cherry Tree (white & purple split color vinyl), and Vinyl Me Please (white & purple splatter vinyl). See full tracklisting below and pre-order HERE.

Container opens with a cacophony of deconstructed and broken wave forms, organic samples manipulated to simulate something mechanical, unidentifiable sounds twisting on themselves until, startlingly, from zero to sixty, the full band abruptly blasts in. Container is all forward momentum, even in its quieter moments there is a feeling of restless stirring, guiding the listener through dark alley-ways towards the singles that are more traditionally written within the canon of mainstream pop sensibility and songwriting.

Today sees the highly anticipated release of new solo material from Phoebe Bridgers. “Garden Song”, accompanied by a video directed by Bridgers' brother Jackson Bridgers, is out now on Dead Oceans. 

The 2020 Sundance ASCAP Music Café kicked off on Friday, January 24th with a special introduction by Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Film Music Program and performances from a dynamic group of some of today's most accomplished songwriters and composers. Cuban-born composer Jorge Aragón and Gene Back (formerly of the group The Books) started the day off with a beautiful set of instrumental music. The two originally met last year at the Sundance Composers Lab. Then musical force of nature Ron Artis II from Hawaii delivered a powerful solo acoustic set highlighted by masterful guitar work and deeply soulful songs that earned a standing ovation. Swedish pop singer-songwriter León brought some contemporary European cool to the stage while Americana troubadour Aaron Lee Tasjan, out of Nashville, delivered a set of left-of-center songs that were by turns poignant and provocative. And CYN, an emerging artist who is signed to Katy Perry's record label, capped the day with a captivating set of songs, several of which will appear in film projects in 2020. Several film composers stopped by the Music Café as well including Amanda Jones, who scored this year's Sundance short Baldwin Beauty and who also has music in the new BET series Twenties, and Bear McCreary, who scored this year's Sundance doc Crip Camp, which was produced by Barack and Michelle Obamas' new production company.

Grammy Award winning, The National have announced they will perform two intimate shows at London O2 Academy Brixton this June. Both shows will see the award-winning band  perform two unique sets, captivating fans for two separate experiences. Tickets go on general sale Friday 24 January 2020 at 10am at LiveNation.co.uk

ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) announces an eclectic music lineup for its 22nd Annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café, taking place January 24 - 31, 2020 during the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Beginning at 2 p.m. each day, the Café will feature a dynamic mix of both established and emerging songwriters and artists such as Matt Berninger (of The National), Derek Smalls (formerly of the band formerly known as Spinal Tap), the bird and the bee, Barry Zito, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Matthew Koma (of Winnetka Bowling League) and ZZ Ward.

On February 21, 2020, Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero, the feature-length documentary about the seminal 90's band Brainiac, will be released on DVD, I-Tunes, Amazon, Vimeo and others after its year long run on the international festival circuit. The film was directed by Dayton native and Brooklyn based filmmaker Eric Mahoney (Madly, North Dixie Drive), edited by musician Ian Jacobs (Monograms) and made its world premiere at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival. The DVD will include over 40 min. of bonus material featuring rare live performances, unseen interviews, deleted scenes and more. MVD Entertainment Group will be distributing the film in all territories.

Continuing a tradition that began in 2017 with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” Phoebe Bridgers has released a song just in time for the holidays. This recording - “7 O'Clock News/Silent Night” - features Fiona Apple, on joint vocals with Bridgers, and Matt Berninger (The National, El Vy) in the role of “newscaster.” Produced by Tony Berg(guitar), Ethan Gruska (keyboards) and Phoebe Bridgers (vocals, guitar) it was recorded at Sound City Studios in the San Fernando Valley. The track is available today via Dead Oceans. 100% of the profits from this recording are being donated to Planned Parenthood, as inspired by the song's “newscaster” Matt Berninger, co-founder of the 7-inches For Planned Parenthood project. 

The New Group announces full casting for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, with Jennifer Damiano, Ana Nogueira, Joél Pérez and Michael Zegen joining, as previously announced, Duncan Sheik, in this world premiere production. Arriving as part of The New Group's 25th Anniversary Season, this production features Book by Jonathan Marc Sherman, Music and Lyrics by Duncan Sheik, Additional Lyrics by Amanda Green and Choreography by Kelly Devine. Scott Elliott directs. Previews begin January 16 in advance of an Official Opening Night on Tuesday, February 4.

Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martin will release his new album The World At Night on January 31st via Ile Flottante Music. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman (The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, The War On Drugs), the album is Martin's most richly orchestrated and grandly cinematic collection to date, as well as his most poignant. Today he shared two new songs from The World At Night: 'The Soldier,' a vivid character portrait sung from the perspective of his 96-year-old grandfather-in-law, and 'That's All I Need,' a burst of humor and celebration about familial love.

Today, The National has released Juicy Sonic Magic via Americanmary.com, a 10-minute mini-documentary in conjunction with their Black Friday Record Store Release of the three-cassette box set entitled The National: Juicy Sonic Magic, Live in Berkeley, September 24-25, 2018. Directed by David DuBois, the film tells the story of late, great concert taper Mike “The Mike” Millard and an homage to his work that was undertaken by archivist and producer Erik Flannigan, who attempted to recreate the legendary taper's methods by using the same vintage cassette deck and microphones Millard employed in the '70s to record The National at two Greek Theatre concerts last year. Watch the minidoc below and find a record store near you at recordstoreday.com.

Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce The Memphis Masters—a limited video series celebrating various albums from the iconic Stax Records label, showcasing its enduring musical legacy, as well as its influence on Memphis, TN. Created in partnership with Memphis Record Pressing and Memphis Tourism, and directed by Andrew Trent Fleming of TheFilmJerk Media, the multi-part series was shot in several locations around the city—also known as the home of blues, soul and rock 'n' roll—including such historic landmarks as Sam Phillips Recording Service, Royal Studios and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. With interviews spanning multiple generations of artists, The Memphis Masters offers insight from the likes of Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Grace Potter, Matt Berninger (The National), Walshy Fire (Major Lazer), Steve Selvidge (The Hold Steady) and producer Boo Mitchell—all of whom were inspired by the label's music and the albums being reissued. The Memphis Masters also includes interviews with Stax legends like Steve Cropper, Big Star's Jody Stephens, James Alexander (the Bar-Kays) and Booker T. Jones, plus longtime label publicist Deanie Parker and songwriter Bettye Crutcher, who share their memories from the label's heyday.

The cleverest part of adaptor/director Erica Schmidt's new musical based on Edmond Rostand's classic CYRANO DE BERGERAC is that the two times a character makes mention of the title fellow's very large nose, there is a pause before the word, making it clear that the speaker was about to say something else, but thought better of it.

Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martinannounced today his new album The World At Night will release on January 31st via Ile Flottante Music. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman (The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, The War On Drugs), the album is Martin's most richly orchestrated and grandly cinematic collection to date, as well as his most poignant. Dedicated to his dear friend and late Jonathan Fire*Eater bandmate Stewart Lupton, it balances soul-baring intimacy with sophisticated arrangements as they walk a delicate tightrope between despair and hope, faith and doubt, security and uncertainty.

The New Group's Cyrano is playing a limited Off-Broadway engagement through December 22 at The Daryl Roth Theatre, where it just celebrated opening night!

The New Group's Cyrano is playing a limited Off-Broadway engagement through December 22 at The Daryl Roth Theatre.