I didn't need to learn that they've "advanced" by listening to Elvis Costello.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 01:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Is This It is one of the greatest albums ever made, and Room on Fire is one of the worst. First Impressions was a bit better, but I only listened to it maybe four times before moving on to other stuff. The way rock music is going I wouldn't surprised if album #4 turns out to be as wretched as that new Franz Ferdinand album. Strokeman mentioning "bizarre music from the future" is definitely not a good sign. :(
― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
The first album is, indeed, pretty darn classic. That being said these guys have given off the impression of being more about style and attitude than about content, and now that the zeitgeist has moved on without them (and in fact uses them as a sort of cultural time capsule for the early part of this decade) their transition between albums and styles is that much harder - if that makes any sense.
― Cunga, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 03:10 (fifteen years ago) link
future v catchy is the new artistic integrity v radio friendly
― phantompenguin, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 03:21 (fifteen years ago) link
Is This It is one of the greatest albums ever made, and Room on Fire is one of the worst.
I can't tell the difference, except that ROF is slightly more assured.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 03:31 (fifteen years ago) link
Taking Sides: The songs on Animal Collective that you actually enjoy listening to v.s. the inaccessible tracks that you are saddened to skip because you know this music is just too ahead of it's time for your reactionary ears.
― Cunga, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 04:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Room On Fire>Is This It>>>>>First Impressions
― Plaxico (I know, right?), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 08:13 (fifteen years ago) link
i've never heard the third album in full, but 'juicebox' is my third fave single of theirs (after modern & explain)
― balls by titleist (electricsound), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 08:52 (fifteen years ago) link
Taking Sides: listening to Animal Collective v.s. shoveling bees down your dick v.s. listening to The Strokes.
― Sickamous Mouthall (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Strokes >>> dick >>> AC
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:06 (fifteen years ago) link
How big are the bees?
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:12 (fifteen years ago) link
Won "Best Band" on the Isle of Wight, seven years running.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:13 (fifteen years ago) link
I really shouldn't have laffed.
― Sickamous Mouthall (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:16 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't understand the Room on Fire hatred. I think it's more or less the equal of Is This It?, and Under Control is their best song. First Impressions on the other hand was very dreary, with the exception of Evening Sun.
― Freedom, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 14:37 (fifteen years ago) link
First Impressions is too long, but take out some of the weaker songs and it's my favorite Strokes album. You Only Live Once, Electricityscape, and Red Light are all a+.Also, Room on Fire is a really good second album: basically sounds like the debut, but with a few twists here and there.
― mizzell, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 14:42 (fifteen years ago) link
ROF might suffer slightly because there's no 'hard to explain', but for me there's no perceivable drop-off to speak of. i liked them both a lot. i probably heard a total of 4 tracks off 1st impressions - one was great (you only live once?), a couple of other decent ones and then that abomination they released as the first single.
― now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 14:53 (fifteen years ago) link
"12:51" is my favorite Strokes song, no question.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:01 (fifteen years ago) link
12:51 is just as catchy as anything off the debut.
― mizzell, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:02 (fifteen years ago) link
I do agree that ROF is pretty close to the debut in terms of quality : "12:51" and "the end has no end" are great.FIOE was awful to my hears (except "only live once").
― AleXTC, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:11 (fifteen years ago) link
^ agree, never gave FIOE much chance tho
― Hard House SugBanton (blueski), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:11 (fifteen years ago) link
true. me neither. but it sounded like such an awful mess (and that video where they went all hard rock. don't remember the title of the track).
― AleXTC, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:20 (fifteen years ago) link
"juicebox" - that was it. not very good at all.
― now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:20 (fifteen years ago) link
no no, not "juicebox". one of the singles they released later. black/white. classic rock postures. horrible.
― AleXTC, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:23 (fifteen years ago) link
heart in cage when they were as big as buildings!i like all the metal-y guitar leads, though.
― mizzell, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:24 (fifteen years ago) link
oh yeah sorry, i was posting to myself re: first single "abomination"
― now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:26 (fifteen years ago) link
FIOE needed to be like 3-5 songs shorter, with the chaff saved for julian's eventual solo album or something.
― Beatrix Kiddo, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:36 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah, "heart in cage" !I think it was the point when I realized they had jumped a whole heard of sharks...(and I don't remember the song at all)
― AleXTC, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 15:51 (fifteen years ago) link
couldn't stand to listen to anything by them after juicebox
I liked the first two records though
― dmr, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:30 (fifteen years ago) link
Julian usually provides great quotes.
It's been more than three years since First Impressions of Earth, and what's helping the process is good vibes and honesty. "It feels like we're new," says Casablancas. "We didn't used to be honest -- there would always be minifeuds over stupid shit. Now, if Nick and Fab or anyone are saying they like it fast or slow, we'll talk about it, as opposed to saying, 'Well, I never liked you sister.'"
― mizzell, Thursday, 2 April 2009 16:45 (fifteen years ago) link
first two records and the first track on the third are A+, and the rest of the third album is like B-.
― 69, Thursday, 2 April 2009 16:58 (fifteen years ago) link
― 69, Thursday, April 2, 2009 11:58 AM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark
wow, this is so otm
― strøm thurmond (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 2 April 2009 17:21 (fifteen years ago) link
never heard the 3rd but yeah the first 2 are awesome - dont really get how anyone can like the 1st and not the 2nd? 12:51 is a summer jam for all time
― just sayin, Thursday, 2 April 2009 17:24 (fifteen years ago) link
We could go and get 40sFuck goin' to that partyOh really, your folks are away now?Alright, let's go, you convinced me.
― just sayin, Thursday, 2 April 2009 17:31 (fifteen years ago) link
i was definitely on some 2>1 shit for a while after the initial thrill of overplaying IS THIS IT wore off, but im coming back around. title track, modern age, someday, LAST NITE, nyc cops -- these songs are just so so so good. the only thing i dont get is why british people love HARD TO EXPLAIN so much. definitely one of the two or three worst songs on the rec...
― 69, Thursday, 2 April 2009 22:39 (fifteen years ago) link
like every brit review of (and ilx post about) hard to explain spent so much time praising the ROBOTIC DRUMS OF FAB MORETTI, which i think just sound super-awkward and choppy
― 69, Thursday, 2 April 2009 22:41 (fifteen years ago) link
i stan for this band so hard and i'd like to say 69 otm
― strøm thurmond (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 2 April 2009 22:51 (fifteen years ago) link
high-five dogg
― 69, Thursday, 2 April 2009 23:40 (fifteen years ago) link
ya like Interpol they're first album is better
Leif.
― Choose Leif, Thursday, 2 April 2009 23:47 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't see how anyone familiar with Jonathan Fire*Eater could canonize Is This It?. It's a decent record, but it's neither life-affirming nor great.
― litcofsky, Friday, 15 May 2009 23:47 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm starting to think we're being linked to by a Jonathan Fire*Eater album, containing all three people who are familiar with them in 2009.
― Enormous Epic (Matt DC), Friday, 15 May 2009 23:49 (fourteen years ago) link
The Strokes themselves have admitted their massive debt to JF*E.
I think the initial UK gaga explosion was from people who never heard JF*E, and even if it is misguided, the gaga train can't be block on its trip across the Atlantic ocean since it is powered by that grossly invincible NME fuel. That's how we ended up where we are unfortunately.
― litcofsky, Saturday, 16 May 2009 00:09 (fourteen years ago) link
I like JFE but their kinda slow-ass compared to the Strokes
― da croupier, Saturday, 16 May 2009 00:13 (fourteen years ago) link
they're, rather.
and that doesn't mean better-worse per se, but it's not like the Strokes were a photocopy
― da croupier, Saturday, 16 May 2009 00:15 (fourteen years ago) link
They were called Jonathan Fire*Eater, they got what they deserved
― Niles Caulder, Saturday, 16 May 2009 02:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Also I never heard a fun JFE song, were there any?
these little monkeys and when prince was a kid probably the funnest jfe songs.
― mizzell, Saturday, 16 May 2009 02:31 (fourteen years ago) link
new member!http://www.brooklynvegan.com/img/music/strokes/tommyhilfiger/16.jpg
― mizzell, Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:09 (thirteen years ago) link
I don't get why peeps upthread are comparing them to Jonathan Fire*Eater (they likely doomed their whole career with the band name alone) but while we're at it I'll give my 5 cents and say the 'tremble under boom lights' ep is the only thing even worth listening by those guys.
― Moka, Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:32 (thirteen years ago) link
But then, 'Is this it' is the only album even worth listening by the Strokes. I like to pretend that 'Little Joy' solo project was their following album before they disbanded. Hope they prove me wrong next time.
― Moka, Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:34 (thirteen years ago) link
Some of you must spend 98% of your day walking around in an uncontrollable rage and I feel very sorry for you.
― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 30 September 2010 21:39 (thirteen years ago) link