A Muso's Top 10: The National

This month, Matt Berninger talks about his mentors and doles out the tunes currently populating his headphones.

"Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Neil Young, definitely Morrissey is also another... Bob Dylan, there's a way that some of them have, Leonard Cohen does this too... where they can talk about things in a very down to earth and very base, instinctual way, you know? They're talking about sex or they're talking about depression or they're talking about being drunk... they're very honest about some of those things and sometimes it's embarrassing. Those writers have no fear of saying ugly things and embracing it. So when the stuff that we're doing is compared to theirs I feel like 'OK, I must be pretty good at this then..."

1. Nick Cave - Easy Money
2. CYHSY - Mama, Won't You Keep Them Castles in the Air and Burning?
3. Crooked Fingers - Black Black Ocean
4. Arcade Fire - Ocean of Noise
5. Bob Dylan - Not Dark Yet
6. Grizzly Bear - Knife
7. Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash
8. Paul McCartney - Every Night
9. Neil Young - Without Rings
10. Tom Waits - God's Away on Business