THE STROKES

“The first time, it happened too fast
The second time, I thought it would last” 

 

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“D”

Main Decade: 00's

Main Eras:

Indie (2001-???)

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Key Members:

Julian Casablancas, Vocalist

Albert Hammond Jr., lead guitar

Nick Valensi, Second Guitar

Nikolai Fraiture, Bass

Fabrizzio Moretti, Drums

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Key Songs:

Last Nite, Reptilia, 12:51, New York City Cops, Alone Together, Soma, Someday, Metabolism, Under Control, Between Love & Hate, What Ever Happened?, Juicebox, Under Cover of Darkness, Machu Piccu, You Only Live Once, Under Control, Alone Together, Heart In a  Cage, On The Other Side, Ize of the World.

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Although Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Kings of Leon are good bands, it was The Strokes who truly popularized this subgenre in the early 2000s with their debut album, Is This It, opening the doors for other bands. Many say The Strokes were the saviors of rock. And they were, but I don't think it's quite right to put them on a pedestal as the band or album of the decade. They were undoubtedly fundamental in rescuing the basic, raw sounds reminiscent of garage rock, which would soon become the vanguard of what is now known as indie rock—the most important contribution of rock in the first decade of the new millennium. The Strokes came to refresh a sound saturated by DJs, synthesizers, electronic sounds, and sacred cows in freefall during the incredibly difficult transition to the new millennium. Their sound is fresh, sharp, carefree, full of hooks, gritty guitars, and it makes you jump, whether you want to or not. It's intelligent rock from a certain point of view, inaugurating that indie trend of doing a lot with a little; that is, without being virtuosos, they make very good use of their resources and strengths as a band to enrich their sound, a general characteristic of this first decade.

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However, I maintain that neither the band is the best in the universe nor can their albums be among the best of the decade. They opened many doors, but in general, the Strokes and indie bands don't make very profound rock. While still intelligent, the themes are light, talking about partying, everyday things, going to clubs, picking up girls, etc. If they show even the slightest hint of rebellion, it's very adolescent and immature, leaning more towards personal egoism than genuine social criticism, as punk or grunge did in their time. The rhythms are usually frenetic and the atmosphere festive; They use one or two main riffs that manage to work throughout the entire song, but they don't make very complex songs, with hardly any changes; the vocal melodies are very catchy and well done, and in general it is well-made music, with details, that excites and makes you jump at any party, but without any major transcendence.

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Julian Casablancas and Nikolai Fraiture were childhood friends. When Julian was 13, his father sent him to a rehab academy in Switzerland, supposedly to help him with his academic and alcohol problems. Wow, 13 years old and already struggling with alcohol! In Switzerland, he met Albert Hammond Jr., who would later become the band's guitarist. When they returned to New York to attend college, they shared an apartment and started a band in 1998. Nick Valensi joined as guitarist, Fab Moretti as drummer, and Nikolai Fraiture on bass. They spent some time playing the New York bar circuit, with a raw, garage-rock sound reminiscent of the 70s. At the Mercury Lounge, they met Ryan Gentles, the venue's booking agent, who immediately saw their potential and became their manager.

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The group soon began to cause a stir, filling bars and attracting attention for their swagger, their fresh, rocking sound, and their high-energy live performances. In 2000, producer Gordon Raphael saw them and was so impressed with their music and image that he booked them to record a demo. The Strokes went into the studio and recorded a demo of "Last Nite," which didn't make much of an impression in New York, but they sent it to Rough Trade Records in London, who released it as an MP3 on their website, attracting attention across the Atlantic. Due to this success, they released an EP called The Modern Age under the same label in early 2001. The EP sparked interest from all over the world in signing the band, and an unprecedented record label war ensued. They finally signed with RCA and immediately went into the studio with Gil Norton as producer.

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The guys weren't happy with Norton's recording, so they scrapped everything they'd recorded and called on the man who had trusted them from the start: Gordon Raphael. The old friend gave them a lot of freedom and used his experience to bring the sound closer to what The Strokes wanted, making corrections and forging a great partnership.

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The result was a great album, with raw, dirty, retro sounds and dominant guitars. Is This It achieved a sound that contrasted sharply with the futuristic and electronic trends of the time, when even bands that had once relied on the basic guitar sound were now experimenting with computers and electronics. Instead, the band achieved a solid, explosive, energetic sound, and certainly sounded like it had been recorded live, due to the way they recorded it. They deliberately left the mistakes unpolished, aiming for a more natural sound.

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The album was a worldwide smash hit. First in the UK, where the band immediately embarked on a tour, achieving sold-out shows for the album's release. The album was released in Australia shortly after, prompting a tour across the island. It was then released in Japan with similar success, and just as it was about to be released in their home country in September, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center occurred. This event not only delayed the album's release, but the group also decided to remove the song "New York City Cops" from the UK edition and replace it with "When It Started" as a tribute to the police, since "New York City Cops" was considered rather derogatory.

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I don't know to what extent this album saved rock. I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been released. I don't know if record labels would have given Franz Ferdinand, The Kooks, The Hives, The Killers, Kings of Leon, and the countless bands that took the retro, garage-rock foundation of this album to create their own music a chance. The truth is, being something SO unusual for the sounds that predominated in 2001, the band's organic guitar-bass-drums sound captivated everyone. It received multiple awards, was praised by critics (even Rolling Stone (again, exaggerating) gave it 5 stars in their review), dominated radio and MTV, and was named album of the year by NME, Time, and Entertainment Weekly. But the important thing is that it opened doors for numerous bands, giving a new lease of life to 5-on-5 Rock with the so-called Indie Movement, which would finally explode between 2004 and 2005. The group embarked on a monumental tour of Asia, America, and Europe, appeared on TV programs, opened for the Rolling Stones, and for a time were absolute gods of the rock scene. In 2003, they released their second album, Room On Fire, following the same style as their first. Personally, I prefer Room On Fire, although it's true that first impressions are what stick, and Is This It is the one that would go down as the Strokes' best and among the best of the decade according to several media outlets. For me, Room on Fire is more balanced, has better songs overall, and the band sounds more mature, still powerful, but without falling into the excesses of their debut. But that's just my humble opinion. Despite its sales success, it didn't reach the level of their first album.

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In 2006, they released First Impressions of Earth, which debuted at number 1 on the charts. My first impression of First Impressions was that the Strokes were finished and had sold out. However, over time, I've grown to appreciate the album more and more. It's true, the band sounds more polished, but without reaching the heights of their previous two albums, I still think it's a great record, showcasing a more evolved Strokes who didn't stagnate by making a third Is This It, but also didn't lose their essence, unlike Franz Ferdinand's third album, for example. The Strokes spent the rest of 2006 on an extensive tour, playing festivals and TV appearances to promote the album. At the end of the year, the band took a long break after more than five years of nonstop touring.

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The fourth album, Angles, wouldn't be released until 2011, after a five-year wait. Expectations weren't high from the start; the band seemed unenthusiastic. And the truth is, the album now sounds easygoing and commercial, with a production that seems more geared towards dance salsa, more in the style of Franz than the Strokes themselves. Even Casablancas's voice lost its aggressive and menacing edge, sounding more tuned for pop stations, with some tracks being blatant copies of 80s pop, like "Two Kinds of Happiness." Or tracks like "You're So Right," darker, more abstract, and electronic, where I'm not sure if they're parodying Radiohead or if they're serious... The only worthwhile track, which retains the band's original freshness, riffs, and swagger, is "Under Cover of Darkness," but the rest of the songs were a huge disappointment. At least for me.

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They're supposedly already recording their fifth album, although rumors say it's all outtakes from Angles, so theoretically it would be worse! Let's hope they get their act together, that the criticism has been helpful, that inspiration strikes in the studio, and that they once again amaze the world, returning to their rockier, less flashy roots.

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By Corvan 

Aug/1/2010

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