The Strokes - Is This it?

[Mootsy]

Sounds like i'm too harsh on the Strokes? My excuse is i like Weezer (similar eccentricities) although i could tear strips off "Pinkerton" like you wouldn't believe!

Love weezer...

 

[HeavyPop]

Great record. I don't think Room on Fire was a bad follow up, but FIOE is a bit underrated, the first 8 tracks are very good. I think they stagnated a bit in terms of success because people wanted them to be the defining band of that era, which maybe they are, but the Strokes were happy to just write whatever kind of music they wanted so people turned to bands like the Arctic Monkeys who always seemed aware of what people wanted and were happy to deliver. I don't think they really wrote another Is This It kind of song until Under Cover of Darkness.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I like it.

 

[2006_Eagles]

Seminal album

Reminds me of early Uni days

 

[charcoalchicken]

Nothing wrong with The Strokes, they were great at what they did, have listened to their music pissed and had a great time on numerous occasions.

 

[La Dispute]

I just picked up 'Meet Me In The Bathroom' by Lizzy Goodman, which chronicles music from New York circa 2001-2011. There is naturally a massive section on The Strokes, with running commentary from all 5. Kind of adulates their drug use and pretty much confirms they had their career handed on a platter (basically their equipment and rehearsal times were paid for by Albert's old man) and they were a bunch of private school stoners nobody in the scene really liked or admired. They were around at the right time when major record companies were desperate to sign any semi-decent rock band that didn't sound like the excessively bland alt-rock bands of the era (aka Creed, Puddle of Mudd et al).

Keen to hear what they say about Interpol.

 

[Mootsy]

I just picked up 'Meet Me In The Bathroom' by Lizzy Goodman, which chronicles music from New York circa 2001-2011. There is naturally a massive section on The Strokes, with running commentary from all 5. Kind of adulates their drug use and pretty much confirms they had their career handed on a platter (basically their equipment and rehearsal times were paid for by Albert's old man) and they were a bunch of private school stoners nobody in the scene really liked or admired. They were around at the right time when major record companies were desperate to sign any semi-decent rock band that didn't sound like the excessively bland alt-rock bands of the era (aka Creed, Puddle of Mudd et al).

Keen to hear what they say about Interpol.

Whilst all maybe very true, they still wrote those great songs as if they were poor broke musicians with everything to prove, they were also really lucky to be privileged which always helps with things like funding and marketing and connections, but i would say that with an album that great, they would have found success anyway..

when the Modern Age EP came out in 2000 Triple J was one of the first on it, and then college radio in America, it wasn't because they were lucky, it was because a lot of people loved the music, after the Modern Age EP the hype was building for the debut record and it was 100% because the music was exciting, i remember those days clearly and i remember Triple J playing that EP when it was released and i was a fan.....

As for rehearsal time and equipment, not that hard to purchase even if you're living on minimum wage and so multiply that by 5 or more people, rich or not, they could have still made music. Let's say Julian makes his vox effect through a peavey amplifier and a mixer, they aren't that expensive and favourite guitars maybe a couple of thousand, buy some second hand gear, not that big a deal....

 

[La Dispute]

Whilst all maybe very true, they still wrote those great songs as if they were poor broke musicians with everything to prove, they were also really lucky to be privileged which always helps with things like funding and marketing and connections, but i would say that with an album that great, they would have found success anyway..

when the Modern Age EP came out in 2000 Triple J was one of the first on it, and then college radio in America, it wasn't because they were lucky, it was because a lot of people loved the music, after the Modern Age EP the hype was building for the debut record and it was 100% because the music was exciting, i remember those days clearly and i remember Triple J playing that EP when it was released and i was a fan.....

As for rehearsal time and equipment, not that hard to purchase even if you're living on minimum wage and so multiply that by 5 or more people, rich or not, they could have still made music. Let's say Julian makes his vox effect through a peavey amplifier and a mixer, they aren't that expensive and favourite guitars maybe a couple of thousand, buy some second hand gear, not that big a deal....

It definitely helped to fast-track them, although I agree they would have become famous one way or another. They spent a lot of time post-gigs handing out flyers and they knew a lot of people in the scene. They were good friends with Karen O and Paul Banks and their manager was a promoter around New York who had a million connections. They're popularity wasn't any coincidence, but they certainly got a head start.

Again, not saying they wouldn't have been famous if they didn't have video clips, but how many bands had a catalogue of clips at such an early stage of their career? They were on MTV straight away because they had these things, along with a few well-produced live performances. Their trajectory was massive in part due to how solid their foundations were right from the beginning. They had everything they needed all at once.

 

[Mootsy]

It definitely helped to fast-track them, although I agree they would have become famous one way or another. They spent a lot of time post-gigs handing out flyers and they knew a lot of people in the scene. They were good friends with Karen O and Paul Banks and their manager was a promoter around New York who had a million connections. They're popularity wasn't any coincidence, but they certainly got a head start.

Again, not saying they wouldn't have been famous if they didn't have video clips, but how many bands had a catalogue of clips at such an early stage of their career? They were on MTV straight away because they had these things, along with a few well-produced live performances. Their trajectory was massive in part due to how solid their foundations were right from the beginning. They had everything they needed all at once.

If a debut album is hyped then the record deal usually has all that as apart of the contract, if the label is over the moon with an album, history shows that it gets a lot of promotion. The Vines had a similar experience on the first album and y'know, the strokes aren't the only ones, other bands had that too.

The only video that i can remember that was on the charts was the single, Last Nite. The rest were very low budget and 70s stylee. On purpose of course. The real hype came from all the press they got in music mags.

 

[La Dispute]

If a debut album is hyped then the record deal usually has all that as apart of the contract, if the label is over the moon with an album, history shows that it gets a lot of promotion. The Vines had a similar experience on the first album and y'know, the strokes aren't the only ones, other bands had that too.

The only video that i can remember that was on the charts was the single, Last Nite. The rest were very low budget and 70s stylee. On purpose of course.

But they had these clips out well before the album came out and The Modern Age came out at a very similar time to Last Nite. They were incredibly popular before they'd even released the album.

Shame The Vines never kicked on, but I guess in some ways The Strokes were pretty flash-in-the-pan too.

 

[Mootsy]

But they had these clips out well before the album came out and The Modern Age came out at a very similar time to Last Nite. They were incredibly popular before they'd even released the album.

Shame The Vines never kicked on, but I guess in some ways The Strokes were pretty flash-in-the-pan too.

they were although, i am a big fan of Angles and the other records are all nice to haves....

ROF was great, reminds me of the days going out with friends in 03' and playing it in the car...

i am very happy that the strokes exist, even if they haven't had the consistently solid career that they could have had. I still rate them highly in terms of post 2000's bands..

 

[Mootsy]

I ******* hate Jack White and The White Stripes.

Seriously???

I don't understand you sometimes, we don't always get on, but i really don't get your gripe with the white stripes,
you then proceed to call them out as lame. Jack wrote one of my favourite james bond themes, wrote some great music on white elephant and a few other of his albums..
then there is this...i mean some respect maybe, lol.



just my opinion...

 

[t_94]

I just picked up 'Meet Me In The Bathroom' by Lizzy Goodman, which chronicles music from New York circa 2001-2011. There is naturally a massive section on The Strokes, with running commentary from all 5. Kind of adulates their drug use and pretty much confirms they had their career handed on a platter (basically their equipment and rehearsal times were paid for by Albert's old man) and they were a bunch of private school stoners nobody in the scene really liked or admired. They were around at the right time when major record companies were desperate to sign any semi-decent rock band that didn't sound like the excessively bland alt-rock bands of the era (aka Creed, Puddle of Mudd et al).

Keen to hear what they say about Interpol.

I think your overplaying the gear thing. It's a head start but as Mootsy alluded too not that much money in the scheme of things.

If you want to go down that path of detracting credit / 'the strokes are a poser band' path then a much bigger deal imo is Julian / Albert's guitars teacher, J.P Bowersock had a huge role in writing the guitar solos for Is This It (for which he was credited).

 

[MadEyeEmmy]

Oh man, I love this record. It was on heavy rotation during my teens. And agree that it still sounds great today. I saw The Strokes live in 2006 and had a very long lasting crush on Julian.

I actually went through another phase of The Strokes a few months ago.

I feel like rock music really is dead now. The early 00s had an awesome wave of post punk bands come through, and now there seems to be nothing. Everyone is listening to EDM. It depresses me. I don't mind some EDM but where's the next great band?

 

[Blue1980]

If a debut album is hyped then the record deal usually has all that as apart of the contract, if the label is over the moon with an album, history shows that it gets a lot of promotion. The Vines had a similar experience on the first album and y'know, the strokes aren't the only ones, other bands had that too.

The only video that i can remember that was on the charts was the single, Last Nite. The rest were very low budget and 70s stylee. On purpose of course. The real hype came from all the press they got in music mags.

Still in the days when an nme could hype a band and it could make a difference.

They kept doing it until they late 2000s when they just kept doing it for shitty landfill indie types which made guitar based music generally very uncool and the perception has yet to change.

 

[superfraser]

I just picked up 'Meet Me In The Bathroom' by Lizzy Goodman, which chronicles music from New York circa 2001-2011. There is naturally a massive section on The Strokes, with running commentary from all 5. Kind of adulates their drug use and pretty much confirms they had their career handed on a platter (basically their equipment and rehearsal times were paid for by Albert's old man) and they were a bunch of private school stoners nobody in the scene really liked or admired. They were around at the right time when major record companies were desperate to sign any semi-decent rock band that didn't sound like the excessively bland alt-rock bands of the era (aka Creed, Puddle of Mudd et al).

Keen to hear what they say about Interpol.

What they say?

 

[Mootsy]

found it!