Mmm, Slow Show and Brainy.

great band, saw them at the start of the summer.

top songs:

Start A War
Fake Empire
Cherry Tree
All The Wine
Mr. Novemeber
Secret Meeting
Mistaken For Strangers
Available

*bump*
Amazing band, I saw them at the John Peel Stage of last years Glastonbury and they were amazing. I only have Boxer and Alligator but both are fantastic. I love how the drums seem to be the driving force on Boxer and the singers baritone voice may draw comparisons between them and Interpol, but that's the only line I can draw between them.

I find that I enjoy The National in spurts. I'll listen to them a sizable amount for a few weeks and then not listen to them at all for the next few weeks. I still count them among my favorite bands, though.

I saw them open for REM last year with Modest Mouse. I thought they were really good. Still haven't gotten around to buying any of their music :S

Boxer is well worth a listen.

I think they are a superior band. Of all the current Joy Division copycats, these guys rise well above the rest.

How do they sound like Joy Division copycats?

Well it would probably be easier for me to explain how they sound like Joy Division than how they sound like the other copycats.
But both questions get pretty much the same answer: the similarities are in the vocals, phrasing, beats, rhythms, and melodies of their songs.

Sure the singers both use a baritone singing style but in that respect you can say Ian Curtis was ripping off Jim Morrison (which he was). The National and Joy Division are both melancholy bands for the most part I'll give you that but Joy Division were a simple minimalist band where as National's music tends to be more complicated.