The Strokes

[Kimkhuu]

I am still hesitating on wether or not I should buy their new CD or just save my money for something better...

The problem with the Strokes and other similar bands is this (a step by step guide on how to fail badly as a so called indie rock star

1) They start out as nobodies doing really cool garage rock with insane references to older rock bands... But nobody really knows them.

2) They have their first CD out... NME and other critics hail them as the hottest rock act of the year/month or whatever .....

3) They think they are super cool and have tons of groupies after them and success gets to their head.

4) Their second CD comes out and it is much more commercial. Success has obviously gotten to their heads. They hire stylists and try their best at looking really really cool to hide the fact that their music has gotten quite terrible....

5) You don't hear much about them until their 3rd CD comes out. Now they are super known and a lot more "mainstream" people know them. The 3rd CD is SUPER commercial and catchy. They hire in SUPER stylists to try to improve their style even more to hide the fact that their music has gotten SUPER terrible.

6) Game over. the End.

 

[lemeray]

I think it's a good album.

Just cos they hired stylists doesn't mean they are covering up "bad" music.

I love their new album, it's great.

 

[Fox in the Snow]

I think it's a good album.

Just cos they hired stylists doesn't mean they are covering up "bad" music.

I love their new album, it's great.

and to KimKhuu:

Who are their stylists? I hadn't heard this one. They're the kind of guys and run in circles that would naturally have lots of make up artists/stylists/photographer types but i've never heard they hired any. How else can you explain Julian's horrible Ghostbusters tshirt in Room on Fire days? Also, he wore that military jacket in the first tour.

As for them being 'indie' that was just the way the British media categorised them relative to, say, Girls Aloud. In terms of the mainstream finally catching up to them, that's always the way with good bands. Once upon a time, U2 and REM were 'indie'. So were Nirvana! How many people who bought In Utero actually owned Bleach?

The 2nd album was a typical sophomore flop. It had stellar moments. Problem was, their management, who are their friends, are pretty terrible because they know nothing about good promo. The Strokes always wanted good radio play, but Ryan Gentles is a bit of a joke. Julian was heavy into drugs and drink, was generally a mess, and basically pulled that second album out of his ****. All things considering, the fact they're still around is pretty amazing. It's so typical that as soon as people decide a band is no longer 'cool', they act like they thought they were always crap!

p.s. all bands have groupies. The Strokes had attitude and were well liked by the ladies well before they got famous!

 

[Taper-Jean Girl]

I am still hesitating on wether or not I should buy their new CD or just save my money for something better...

The problem with the Strokes and other similar bands is this (a step by step guide on how to fail badly as a so called indie rock star

1) They start out as nobodies doing really cool garage rock with insane references to older rock bands... But nobody really knows them.

2) They have their first CD out... NME and other critics hail them as the hottest rock act of the year/month or whatever .....

3) They think they are super cool and have tons of groupies after them and success gets to their head.

4) Their second CD comes out and it is much more commercial. Success has obviously gotten to their heads. They hire stylists and try their best at looking really really cool to hide the fact that their music has gotten quite terrible....

5) You don't hear much about them until their 3rd CD comes out. Now they are super known and a lot more "mainstream" people know them. The 3rd CD is SUPER commercial and catchy. They hire in SUPER stylists to try to improve their style even more to hide the fact that their music has gotten SUPER terrible.

6) Game over. the End.

ahh the power of a good stylist! They can take ya from this:

To this! Work it Jared! *snaps*

But I do agree with you about NME, I honestly think they pay chimps to write their articles because ALL they seem capable of doing is hailing some skinny band as the "NEXT BIG THING!!!!" Its such bullsh*t, all you need to considered huge in that magazine is a guitar, shaggy hair, and an apparent eating disorder! Bleh!

 

[Vixx]

Im going to see the Strokes in February. Cant Wait.

 

[Kimkhuu]

and to KimKhuu:

Who are their stylists? I hadn't heard this one. They're the kind of guys and run in circles that would naturally have lots of make up artists/stylists/photographer types but i've never heard they hired any. How else can you explain Julian's horrible Ghostbusters tshirt in Room on Fire days? Also, he wore that military jacket in the first tour.

the ROF album promo photoshoots obviously shows how styled their look is... very big clue... it's to make them more marketable.....

 

[lola belle]

Okay, so I bought the ID with the Strokes in it ... only my scanner is being totally weird and the pictures are really horrible quality. So I'm going to get my dad to look at it and hopefully sometime tomorrow I'll have good quality scans up

 

[ysljunkie]

I am still hesitating on wether or not I should buy their new CD or just save my money for something better...

The problem with the Strokes and other similar bands is this (a step by step guide on how to fail badly as a so called indie rock star

1) They start out as nobodies doing really cool garage rock with insane references to older rock bands... But nobody really knows them.

2) They have their first CD out... NME and other critics hail them as the hottest rock act of the year/month or whatever .....

3) They think they are super cool and have tons of groupies after them and success gets to their head.

4) Their second CD comes out and it is much more commercial. Success has obviously gotten to their heads. They hire stylists and try their best at looking really really cool to hide the fact that their music has gotten quite terrible....

5) You don't hear much about them until their 3rd CD comes out. Now they are super known and a lot more "mainstream" people know them. The 3rd CD is SUPER commercial and catchy. They hire in SUPER stylists to try to improve their style even more to hide the fact that their music has gotten SUPER terrible.

6) Game over. the End.

life story of so many bands
its sad.

 

[Brazilian Girl]

yeah it sucks when it gets mainstream... bleh.

as for the songs I thing it's a matter of taste... They have changed but, I mean, I love their 1st CD, but I love the 2nd one as well. *shrugs*

 

[Taper-Jean Girl]

Sorry, both my images are credited to o-dusty.com/images

 

[moreproductive]

You can listen to Julian Casablancas talk about First Impressions of Earth on xfm.co.uk London.

 

[Taper-Jean Girl]

Okay, jury's in. The new album sucks. What the hell is up with Julian proclaiming "I have nothing to say" a million times over. I have the grave feeling that this may, in fact, be the last Strokes album.

 

[kellyt]

the ROF album promo photoshoots obviously shows how styled their look is... very big clue... it's to make them more marketable.....

But doesn't everyone get hair/makeup/wardrobe for photoshoots and promo stuff? That doesn't mean they have a stylist. All bands that are moderately successful do styled photoshoots. Fox in the Snow, you have a lot of good points. Actually I think there were a few songs on ROF that are awesome, but overall it wasn't good. and they definitely could use some better management, b/c this new album seems to be kind of under the radar.

 

[*Tmsta*]

Okay, jury's in. The new album sucks. What the hell is up with Julian proclaiming "I have nothing to say" a million times over. I have the grave feeling that this may, in fact, be the last Strokes album.

That's how I felt when Ilistened to it the first time. I almost cried! And yes I still feel that some of the songs should never have seen the light of day but some songs are really really good. Razorblade is awesome and I really like You only Live Once as well as Killing Lies, Ize Of The World and Red Light. I like Juicebox and Fear of Sleep as well but I've heard them both soooo many times now I'm sick of them.
At first I was like "Oh great, I don't like all the songs on there." But I only really love 4 songs from Kings Of Leon's Aha Shake Heartbreak and that was enough to make them one of my fave bands.
So for those of you that don't want to buy the whole album, at least listen to Razorblade and You Only Live Once!
Julian obviously wanted to experiment and good on him for doing that but even though the critics have been giving good reviews (i've seen a few now including and 8 out of 10 from one newspaper) I think they'll lose some fans and maybe gain some new ones?

 

[twilight fairy]

To be honest, I like some selective songs of theirs (Last Nite, Automatic Stop, Reptilia, etc.) but I find that their albums all have the same beat and style and they get uninteresting. But I think Julian is a hottie.

 

[lemeray]

It took me about 10 times to listen to each song and actually like them. Now I love most of their new songs.

 

[Annu]

well.. maybe i have to give it another change

 

[Taper-Jean Girl]

That's how I felt when Ilistened to it the first time. I almost cried! And yes I still feel that some of the songs should never have seen the light of day but some songs are really really good. Razorblade is awesome and I really like You only Live Once as well as Killing Lies, Ize Of The World and Red Light. I like Juicebox and Fear of Sleep as well but I've heard them both soooo many times now I'm sick of them.
At first I was like "Oh great, I don't like all the songs on there." But I only really love 4 songs from Kings Of Leon's Aha Shake Heartbreak and that was enough to make them one of my fave bands.
So for those of you that don't want to buy the whole album, at least listen to Razorblade and You Only Live Once!
Julian obviously wanted to experiment and good on him for doing that but even though the critics have been giving good reviews (i've seen a few now including and 8 out of 10 from one newspaper) I think they'll lose some fans and maybe gain some new ones?

I'll give their album another shake, it's just not easy listening! And I was the same way with KOL, I bought Aha Shake Heartbreak soley because I saw the Four Kicks video and fell in love with the song (and Jared's dancing is second to none! ) But I ended listening to the album start to finish the first time it was in my CD player. The problem with the Strokes is that they lack passion in my book. I mean as much as I loved ITI and ROF, and as much as they define an era in my life, there has yet to be one song I can put on of theirs and it just moves me. You know? Whether it be to tears, or to dance, or to just make me think, their music to me is more of background music. Even in concert, they aren't passionate, they look like their they're posing as musicians. I don't really consider The Strokes to be artists, I see them more as 5 bored kids from New York that kinda just threw a band together. There's no urgency with them, and I guess that's why I have so little incentitive to invest in them. They all seem bored now. All five of them (some more than others) have this terrible "been there, done that' attitude. Almost as if they are entitled to all the hype and attention. Did any of that make sense?

 

[Fox in the Snow]

the ROF album promo photoshoots obviously shows how styled their look is... very big clue... it's to make them more marketable.....

yeah but i think most of that was Juliette's input

 

[sleazie ninja]

It took me about 10 times to listen to each song and actually like them. Now I love most of their new songs.

I've listened to each song about 17.5 times, but my feelings are closer to a range between "sort of dig" and "eh, that was alright."