Band of the Week #1 - The Strokes

Stompbox

Meant to get the ball rolling on this ages ago after we settled on the nomination and voting arrangements but I've been really busy; I've finally got some free time so here we go!

Here are Jeff's rules:
-As people post they can also nominate a band for next week's thread.
-Please nominate at the bottom of your post in bold so people can clearly see it.
-Only one nomination per poster per thread.
-At the end of the week the nomination post with the most thanks will get to start the new thread on the band they nominated.

Band of the Week #1 - THE STROKES:

When I attempted a first draft a few weeks back I initially plumped for Grizzly Bear (which I was too lazy to finish) but I've been binging on the back catalogue of these fellow NYC-er's for quite a few weeks so I've revised my decision.

The thing I love about the Strokes is they have such a discerning approach to their songsmithery which has resulted in a lean sound, shorn of all the trimmings and excess. Every guitar part seems purposeful, never gaudy; there's almost a clinical precision in how they tailor their tunes. 'Is This It?' is frequently touted as their finest work (with just cause too, the chorus to 'Hard To Explain' is the closest music has ever brought me to the feeling that MDMA produces) but I think it's careless to overlook it's almost identical twin brother, 'Room On Fire'. 'Under Control' has such a breezy, swooning melody and the guitar lines running underneath are effortlessy woozy. 12:51 contains such a relentlessy infectious guitar riff that MRSA seems paltry in comparison, and Julian distorted vocals on tracks like 'Whatever Happened?' and 'The End Has No End' are just terrific.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkEA2BJOhxo

The latter half of their back catalogue has not been so warmly received and while some of the criticisms are levelled fairly, I would encourage those who maligned the albums to invest a bit more time in them. If you were to section the first half of 'First Impressions of Earth' and manage to reproduce another half that was of the same quality, the Strokes would have had a stone cold classic on their hands. Seriously, some of the tunes on this album are stunning. I remember Nikolai was quoted as saying that the album was 'like a scientific breakthrough' and I don't disagree; the guitar lines on 'Vision of Division' and 'Razorblade' are so clinical (the way the lead guitar transitions into the final chorus in Razorblade is also gorgeous).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBRQ1zpNdSE

'Angles' was a mixed bag tbh, it also suffered the fate of it's older brother in that a clutch of the songs were classic Strokes tunes who's greatness was allayed due to the surrounding mediocrity. However, 'You're So Right' could well stake a claim as one of my favourite Strokes jams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-5Tdlhmh0Y

Another excellent quality of these lads is that they are a seriously impressive live outfit. No gimmicks, no pre-sequenced loops, just tightness. Had the pleasure of seeing them at Oxegen there last year but the intimate setting of the following clip seems like the ideal venue for them.

Halloween Jack

Nice work mate.

Got the first album when it came out, those were dark days for mainstream music, with all the Brittney's and Xtina's and Mandy Moore's dominating the charts, i had high hopes for the strokes when they broke, but the record left me pretty empty. Thought it was pretty derivative stuff, they had that garagey sound, the right clothes and attitude but precious little else.

However, they have lasted, when i probably thought they would disappear when the garage revival thing ran out of steam, so maybe i should have a listen to the album again and check some of the other stuff out, and i suppose that's the point of the thread

pinksoir

I really like the first two records. Reptilian is the song that won me over. Though I did get into them pretty late, only in the last few years.

I think Julian Casablancas' record Phrazes For The Young is an amazing album and far better than Angles which came out the following year (which, I think, was written mostly by the other members). But most importantly it shows how good a songwriter he is and how important he is to The Strokes' as a whole, where before I would have maybe written him off.

Tough to pick one to nominate...

Erm...

Ok. Deerhunter.

iamanengine

Only ever really got into Is This It, which is a fantastic album, i never got into the other albums except i think 12:51 is one of there best songs. Have to agree with you on the chorus of hard to explain, absolutely amazing! Also Juicebox on first impressions is quality, good choice stompbox!

shamtastic

Hard to Explain was the song that hooked me. Nick Valensi's synth sounding guitar parts on 12:51 and The End Has No End is incredible! It makes Room On Fire as strong an album as Is This It for me. Third album was slated but it should have been limited to 10 songs. Starts off so well, but apart from Ize of the World, the latter half is quite poor.

Xavi6

I think I'm the only person I know that wasn't sold on Is This It (and still isn't) and thinks Room On Fire is a far superior record.

For me Room On Fire is one of the best albums of the 2000s and waaaay above anything else they've done. Used to play it constantly back in the college days when it first came out.

mada999

i have been a fan of The Strokes from day 1.... Is it it is one of my fav albums of all time.. great riffs and melodies...

I can't see them writing a better album.... although they had some good tunes on their other albums...razorblade, red belt etc....and under control are great tunes also...

Is this it is an album that's just indie rock... it's a real winner compared to the 'dancey' and throwaway quirky stuff of today,...

Morrison J

Fantastic band
My favourite song from each album:

MrStuffins

I think Room on Fire was one of those albums that was initially dislikes in certain quarters because people expected an instant classic like the first album. But over time people have realised it really is a great album.

The 3rd record is bad though. Some great songs on there on Side A as people have been saying, but it loses it badly on Side B. it says A LOT that Albert Hammond, whose songs had been turned down, released his first solo record around the same time as First Impressions and it was far superior!

I actually really liked the latest record!

But they never need to be defended in my opinion, because they have Is This It? in their back catalogue....... which really is a perfect album for me!

loyatemu

1st record was great, but I've gotten somewhat bored of it over the years
2nd record would've made a good EP
3rd record was dreadful and as a result I haven't bothered with the latest one

they're a band who promised more than they delivered - they're important because their debut kickstarted a whole movement, but they just didn't have the ideas to sustain a lengthy career.

Jim_Kiy

Good post stompbox .I'd have preferred if you did do Grizzly Bear because I have'nt heard him/them..everyone already has ingrained opinions about the strokes loyeatmu echoes my sentiments xactly about the strokes..I think interpol who might be considered to have tread a similar path will have more influence on coming generations.
I'll give you thanks this week so you can do Grizzly Bear(or someone more obscure next week)!

Basq

I absolutely love 'Under Control'..

'Is This It' and 'Room On Fire' are 2 absolutely cracking albums... but 'Room On Fire' wins it for me. It feels more poppy than 'Is This It' but it's also a finer listen in my eyes.

It's just a shame everything since has just felt a tad lazy and sub-standard IMO.

Miguel_Sanchez

Don't forget to nominate a band if you have one that you'd like to start a thread about next week.

elefant

Love the first two albums, and marginally prefer Room on Fire. Reptilia, 12:51 and Automatic Stop are three of my favourite songs ever.

Don't own a copy of the third album, and can see why it got such a negative response, but there are still some cracking tunes on it (Ize of the World being my favourite there).

Absolutely hate the newest album. The songs sound like they were stapled together; bits of melody that seem totally disjointed and nothing to compare with the earlier stuff. Under Cover of Darkness is a catchy enough number, but other than that I have no desire to hear any of the other tracks again. I was hugely, hugely disappointed with Angles after having waited so long for it.

handsomecake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knU9gRUWCno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8EmjX-otJ4

the epitome of cool.will always think of this band when i think of the noughties.

"is this it" is an all time classic. room on fire equally as good. handful of cracking tracks on the latter two , and actually taken for a fool and razorblade rank as some of their best songs.

cracking band with hopefully more to come. surprised they never do arena shows here. only ever festivals it seems.



kings of leon my nomination.

Amirani

Strokes are definitely amongst my favourite bands. Is This It for me defined a decade of indie music and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a better album from the noughties. 'Hard to Explain', 'Last Nite' and 'Someday' are great singles that show the depth of quality to the album. I'm a massive fan of the bass playing in 'Is This It' as well as the vocal anthem that is 'New York City Cops'. From start to finish, I'm fairly sire they'll never make a better album.

Highlight:

Room on Fire is a great follow up album. Quite similar to Is This It but there wasn't much need to change from something that worked. So many bands struggle to recreate the successes of their debut album but The Strokes did a pretty good job of doing so. There's a smoother, guitar-led sound with less imposing bass lines. I don't think the album has quite the same great-album feel of its predecessor. '12:51' and 'Reptilia' were definitely the stand out singles for me, 'The End Has No End' is an enjoyable track also.

Highlight:

First Impressions of Earth was a let down for me. The album does start pretty well though there's a clear drop in quality from their earlier stuff. That all 3 singles from the album - 'You Only Live Once', 'Juicebox' and 'Heart in a Cage' are the first 3 tracks on the album tells you all you need to know. The second half of the album is very forgettable. A five year gap was to follow.

Highlight:

When it came time to write a fourth album, the band had spent almost as long apart as together. Most members had become involved in various side-projects with varying degrees of success. Angles for me is a return to what they did best. It's never going to be their best album but it's a sign of what they can still do. I'm a big fan of some of the tunes on this album but there's still something lacking. Songs like 'Taken For A Fool' have the same sing-along qualities of 'Last Nite' and the retro sound has returned. 'Under Cover of Darkness' and 'Machu Picchu' are solid singles, some of my favourites of 2011. I'm hoping this isn't the last we've seen.

Highlight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U_jGVEKr9s

Nomination for next week: Radiohead

Stompbox

pinksoir wrote: »

I really like the first two records. Reptilian is the song that won me over. Though I did get into them pretty late, only in the last few years.

I think Julian Casablancas' record Phrazes For The Young is an amazing album and far better than Angles which came out the following year (which, I think, was written mostly by the other members). But most importantly it shows how good a songwriter he is and how important he is to The Strokes' as a whole, where before I would have maybe written him off.

Tough to pick one to nominate...

Erm...

Ok. Deerhunter.

Looks like you've got the winning post so it's over to you, Pinksoir; looking forward to what you have to say!

pinksoir

Cool. I shall get to it at the weekend.

Jim_Kiy

I guess post by Monday finish roughly saturday..I think hard and fast rules in such a laid back forum with random vistors as well as regulars its best not to be pedantic.
Looking forward to deerhunter..am thinking they got the name from the flick..