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The Strokes
The "Can rich kids Rock?" question is not facetious. Rock has always been about desperation because anyone with options would never choose to drag their carcass around, along with some heavy equipment, to play dank clubs in hopes of catching a spark. They only do it because they have to. Music was the only way out.
Over time that sense of desperation has developed psychological and political, as well as economic strands. A key to a Rock group's success is a singer (they usually write the lyrics), who is ten years or so older than the music buyers, with the ability to articulate the audience's reality - fears, concerns and escapist dreams. Sure, why not? The vocalist has already lived through it.
These days everyone, including the upper class (to say nothing of the shrinking middle class), feels stressed and put upon. It's hard having money, and things - the burden of it all. So why not have a band that understands that? That's where The Strokes come in. Singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti attended private NYC prep schools.
Casablancas, whose father ran a top NY modeling agency, added another guitarist, an old friend from L.A., Albert Hammond Jr. The two met when they attended Switzerland's famed (or so they say) L' Institut Le Rosey (great name).
Hammond's dad was the guy who wrote and recorded the lame, not to mention inaccurate, '70s pop pap "It Never Rains In Southern California." Refusing to leave well enough alone, Hammond Sr. penned one of Leo Sayer's most annoying ballads (and Sayer specialized in annoying ballads), "When I Need You." The capper came when he wrote the Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesias karaoke disaster "To All The Girls I've Loved Before." Considering the old man's track record, young Hammond correctly deduced that no one in L.A. was going to give his music the time of day, so he wisely split to New York and film school.
 Albert Hammond Jr. |
After playing NYC clubs and building a solid reputation, The Strokes released a three song EP, "The Modern Age" that was also available in the U.K. The British music press fell over themselves proclaiming The Stokes as the "next big thing" or even more dubious "the new Oasis." The Strokes launched an extensive tour with both U.S. and U.K. dates.
Considering how much was made of the group's image and style, it is odd that it shakes out the way it does. Fraiture is the latest in a long line of nondescript bass players. Moretti fares only slightly better. Casablancas, for all his vocal freshness, is too staid and predicable on stage. While Casablancas' looks are guaranteed keep female fans interested he lacks any real charisma and is easily eclipsed by the group's guitarists. Hammond is reminiscent of Eric Clapton, circa his Cream days (long before Albert was born), right down to wedging a lit cigarette in the guitar strings next to the tuning pegs. He plays with the abandon Casablancas lacks. Valensi has a lean, angular frame possessing a captivating intensity. He appears truly lost when not playing and totally focused when he is. As much as anything those two provide the group with a large does of its appeal.
In October of '01, "Is This It" was released. In the U.K. the cover featured a nude woman's backside with a leather glove resting on her hip. Woolworth's and HMV stores had a problem with that so the cover was changed, with the group opting for an abstract drawing. The album was to have a track entitled "NYC Cops" but after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 the derogatory song was dropped. Not a good time to be dissing the law. The Strokes follow-up LP "Room On Fire" featuring the hit "12:51" arrived in '03.
On the strength of their first two albums and successful tours, The Strokes became a major Rock group. Many bands release an album prior to the holiday shopping season to catch the retail wave. But not The Strokes. They make their own waves. So their third LP "First Impressions Of Earth" became the first major release of '06.
Often a group takes a break to recharge. Only there's one member who is either a workaholic or would rather follow his own vision, now that he has the means to do so. Usually, it's the lead singer. But in the Strokes case, Hammond decided to make it a working vacation. "Yours To Keep" was released in the fall of '06. Unlike many guitarists who produce a solo album, this was not an instrumental venture. Hammond handled the vocals though he did get a bit of help from Casablancas. Hammond issued his second solo album, "Como Te Llama?," in '08. When the dust settled from Hammond's projects, Moretti stepped out with his own venture, the eclectic Little Joy.
There are three elements to The Strokes success - a pair of driving guitarists in Valensi and Hammond, Casablancas' passionate yet off-the-cuff vocals and a tight rhythm section - in that order. On "Is This It" they keep it lean, simple and compact as Casablancas explores the standard fare - sex, love and hanging out - with a tempered world-weariness. There is a seemingly nonchalant, un-practiced nature to his vocals. "Last Night," "Barely Legal" and "The Modern Age" (the title track from an earlier EP) have the most juice. The sleepy "Is This It" isn't much of a title track. Overall though, the album deserved the buzz it got.
There's no let down and barely any let up on "Room On Fire." The group's simplicity (tight riffs and rapid fire single note guitar lines) and directness, main attributes of their debut, are firmly in place. Lead-off single "12:51" and "The End Has No End" are like updated Cars' songs - a synth sound over a hard charging rhythm. The group hits on all cylinders with opener "What Ever Happened?" ("I want to be forgotten") and the chord driven "Meet Me In The Bathroom." The guitar solos on the driving "Reptila" and "Between Love and Hate" kick up the energy. On the mid-tempo "Under Control" Casablancas gets to emote in an appealingly reflective way ("I don't want to change you, I don't want to waste your time"). This album keeps the faithful satiated while creating new legions.
"First Impressions Of Earth" continues The Strokes positive trajectory. The guitars are close to the bone and expressive, the energy is up and Casablancas' vocals are usually effective. When things slow Casablancas tends to whine. Life is tough you know. But it resonates with teen girls and they download songs and buy CDs. Great marketing. But marketing aside, The Strokes can still Rock.
On the first two tracks, "You Only Live Twice" and "Juice Box," which could have been lifted from a Wave-era spy flick soundtrack, it is evident the group still uses the '80s as a major touchstone. There are a pair of great Rockers in the bass driven "On The Other Side" and "Vision Of Division." The latter changes tempo effectively and is the set's most moving song. Another notable track is the repentant "Electricityscape," which contains the line "make me understand why I was wrong."
"Ask Me Anything" is a sparse synth-cello based ballad that doesn't embarrass but that's about all. Still, it's better than the singsong "15 Minutes." "Fear Of Sleep" rides a descending riff and the accusatory put down "you're no fun." "Ize Of The World" is another track that bears repeated listenings. The album closes with the strangely intimate "Evening Sun." You know Casablancas is serious when he sings "I love you more than being 17."
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