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The National contribute songs to 'Bob's Burgers' and 'Boardwalk Empire'

The National at Beacon Theater in 2011 (more by David Andrako)
The National

The National are no longer settling for merely having their songs from old albums placed in every episode of Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. The Brooklyn band are now active parcipants in the TV game. Earlier this year, the band recorded a version of “Rains of Castamere” (which appears, lyrically, throughout George R.R. Martin’s ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ series) for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Now in one week, the band has contributed songs to two more Sunday night shows.

First, while their version doesn’t actually appear in the episode, The National cover “Thanksgiving Song” which features in the holiday episode of Bob’s Burgers (as sung by Bob’s wife, Linda, it’s a good episode). It’s a typically somber take gives gravitas to the line “kill the turkey” that certainly wasn’t there in original. Compare and contrast the two versions in a video (via Vulture) below.

Then they contributed a closing credits cover of a 1924 song, “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” to this week’s episode of Boardwalk Empire. The series has done this before — Regina Spektor, Nelly McKay and Saint Vincent have contributed covers too in the past. Listen to it below (via Fuck Yeah! The National).

Speaking of TV shows starring Eugene Mirman (Bob’s Burgers), Eugene will be hosting a free premiere viewing party for his new one-hour Comedy Central special “Eugene Mirman: An Evening of Comedy In a Fake Underground Laboratory” at The Bell House in Brooklyn on 12/14. Party starts at 11pm. Meanwhile, catch Mirman at the same venue this Sunday (11/25), and then at Symphony Space on 12/7 (both benefits).

Streams are below.

The National – Thanksgiving Song

The National – I’ll See You in My Dreams
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