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Best of the 2000s (so far) – The Strokes

4 January 2010, nancy @ 5:30 pm

I think after Julian Casablancas’ not-so-great effort with Phrazes for the Young, I may be one of the only four people left on Earth who gives a shit about the Strokes. Seriously, I don’t know if it’s just my friends or what but everyone’s reaction to them is “ehhhhhhhh”. To me, they’re so representative of the 00s. And it’s not just my grade school crush on Julian speaking here.

Maybe it’s because with every evolution of a genre, the sound is a little diluted, maybe a little worse. We’ve moved from punk to post-punk to post-punk revival. Is there some kind of loss of sincerity? It’s common knowledge that Julian comes from a well-to-do family (founder of Elite Model Management and Miss Denmark, specifically) so can we even take his songs about first-world inconveniences seriously?

As our lives become easier, our ideologies weaken. For better or for worse, the Strokes’ music and popularity reflects our generation’s values. It’s sort of a whiny “hey, us middle-class sub/urban kids matter too!” But it’s true, we do. We are still passionate, genuine people albeit we care less and fight for not much these days.

Let’s enjoy music for music even if we’re just fucking around and stuck in the ground. Maybe the Strokes are self-aware.

The Strokes – Someday
The Strokes – Reptilia

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7 Comments

1. Ash — January 6, 2010 @ 6:25 am
   
   

   I really think you’ve nailed it on the head here. Their music DID speak to a whole generation of whiney, middle class adolescents (that sounds patronising, but I’m fairly sure I’m part of this group too), even if it contained not much more than tales of drunken love and disappointing one night stand. It had it’s audience. Plus they just made fucking great tunes! It was so fresh at the time. I can still listen to Is This It? from start to finish.

   I’m with you, I still care about The Strokes. They’re like a symbol of my lost adolescence. Nice post.




2. Steve — January 6, 2010 @ 2:18 pm
   
   

   I’m just getting to this post, and I agree whole-heartedly about the Strokes, too. Now, when I fell in love with the Strokes, I wasn’t in grade school, and I wasn’t an adolescent–I had just graduated from college, and was working a crappy job serving pancakes to elderly folks at a crappy restaurant. I drove a 1977 Lincoln that barely had brakes in the cold North Dakota winter. And still Is This It? spoke directly to me–”Is This It?” was a good question for me right then. That album is full of tales of, as I see it, disaffection with the modern age and its hollow attachments, and I can get down with that. Foremost for me The Strokes have always been about Julian Casablancas’s lyrical gift; he sees life and society very piercingly, and I don’t really give a damn what social strata he’s from as long as he can do that. I rank him as an All-Time lyricist/poet, right up there with Bob Dylan and Canada’s own Leonard Cohen. And I love the swirling, nearly grating guitars and synths that the band have always wrapped around him, which also speak to disaffection, modern paranoia, etc. I love the Strokes. I’m glad you gave them some love here Nancy.

   -Steve, AKA The Pop Librarian (I’m switching to Steve now so I don’t feel like I’m spamming you guys too much




3. Todd — January 6, 2010 @ 5:44 pm
   
   

   you’re not alone the strokes kick ass…. meet me in the bathroom that’s what she saidddd




4. Kish — January 6, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
   
   

   Oh us Strokes fans are a dying breed but we’re out there.

   I still manage to listen to their music and love it. I agree with Steve, Julian Casablancas is an amazing lyricist.

   P.s. awesome post.




5. Chris — January 7, 2010 @ 9:17 am
   
   

   I hope they hurry up with the new album and get touring its been too long. Check out the progression of Indie music over the last decade and how The Strokes played their part here http://bit.ly/7e2SfY some really great bands are featured.




6. Raquel — January 7, 2010 @ 9:31 am
   
   

   Phrazes for the Young may not be the best from Julian Casablancas but I LOVE The Strokes, and at this point I will take whatever I can get. I have faith, when they get on a new album together again, it will be great.




7. John — January 30, 2010 @ 4:48 pm
   
   

   I’m sorry to disagree with the whole solo effort comment of Julian being “not so great” but I think the new album is pretty extraordinary at moments. Besides what was everyone expecting, another recreation of Is This It? You can’t carry out the same sound album to album while keeping it refreshing. I think it was a move in the right direction. But alas I still keep their first two albums in heavy rotation.

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