Featured photo by Amber Knecht
“Rylan” isn’t a new song, but it’s definitely a rare one from the indie titans that call themselves The National. Back in 2011, the band offered up a studio-quality rendition of it on CBC Radio’s “Q” show, but since then it’s been relegated to live performances, a unicorn in the band’s catalog.
Last month, however, the band dusted it off again during an in-studio performance at Seattle’s KEXP. It’s a touch more muscular in this recording, with the percussion amped up alongside the addition of some brass. Watch it above.
Catch the full KEXP set below, which features live cuts of three Sleep Well Beast tracks: “Nobody Else Will Be There”, “Guilty Party”, and “Carin at the Liquor Store”. Sleep Well Beast, yet another gem from one of the most consistently great living bands, was among our top 50 albums of the year.
