The Strokes

The Strokes is a group of American Rock really formed with New York in 1998, raising its fame as of the beginning of the year 2000 and considered today as one of the headlights groups of the revival Garage rock'n'roll (post- Punk). Profiting from criticisms eulogistic characterizing them like the " savers of the Rock'n'roll " , as well as the worthy heirs to the Velvet Underground, of the Clean or of Television whose one notices a certain influence, this New Yorkean group incarnates the gavée crude energy of the urban romanticism of the poets seventies. It currently left three albums is, Is this it? in October 2001, Room one Fire in October 2003 like First Impressions off Earth in January 2006.

Formation

Born from a Spanish father (John Casablancas, founder of the agency of mannequin Elite) and from a Danish mother (Mannequin elected Miss Denmark in 1965)

This young boy, equipped with a remarkable voice and a direction of the inimitable writing, has an unsuspected charisma and a neglected class which make of it the undeniable leader of a group resolutely to its image. He wrote the relative entirety of the songs of the group.

Its nickname is Jules . ----

Born from a Tunisian father and a French mother

This Guitariste of genius represents today a rising value of the Rock, from its irreproachable musical prowesses and its incredible agility.

It uses a Guitare " Epiphone Elitist " Nick Valensi " Riviera P94" or even a " Gibson the Paul Black".

Its nickname is The bird . ----

Born from a Brazilian father and an Italian mother

The effectiveness and the cleanliness of the interventions of the famous follower of the tee-shirts Coca-Cola prove to be of a singularity suitable for the group. Even if its play is far from being a revolutionist, it has the merit to have an irreplaceable place from now on, so much his importance is capital.

Its nickname is Fab . ----

Born from an English father (Albert Hammond, Song writer and performer) and from an Argentinian mother

The talent of this Guitarist, now put at the light through a round solo, is not any more to show so much its energy and its aggressiveness is invaluable assets with the marvellous quintet which Strokes represents.

It uses a Guitare " Fender Stratocaster 1985 reissue '72".

Its nickname is Albie . ----

Born from a French father and a French mother, having however a Russian family of origin

In spite of a real timidity, effectiveness of the " pal of toujours" of the leader Julian Casablancas does not remain less astonishing about it, by posting a serenity and an incomparable control at the time of its services with the group.

It uses a low Guitare " Fender Low Jazz " , or even a " Rickenbacker 4001", what it used on the round of Is this it? for the piece Alone Together , requiring a special tuning (the cord of Mi is descended in Ré).

Its nickname is The bulldog .

Biography

The beginnings (first years and The Modern Old (EP) ) (1998 - 2001)

It is in 1984 that two of the members of the group met. Indeed, Julian Casablancas made by chance knowledge at the school of Nikolai Fraiture, its future bass player who quickly became a friend. The two comrades being then old only six years, a few years will have to be still waited before the combo does not take truly form. Seven years later, in 1991, Julian Casablancas sympathize with the beater Fabrizio Moretti and the guitarist Nick Valensi (which as for them, had played in the same group a few months before) with the Dwight School , a college of the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But it is only the following year which it meets Albert Hammond Jr with the prestigious Institut Rosey in Suisse, the guitarist who will supplement the " line-up" without nobody being aware yet of it at the time. Meeting a few years later in Manhattan completely by chance, Julian Casablancas invited Albert Hammond Jr to join its group lately formed, and is given the responsability to name the complete quinquet from now on: it will be " The Strokes ".

In June 2001, Strokes - which dreamed at a moment given to become a gang as impossible to circumvent as Guided by Voices, formation of the underground US prolific to wish - are what if few groups never manage to be: a true phenomenon!

Their popularity grows quickly with New York shortly after their formation, particularly in the Lower East Side and they started to occur with the Mercury Lounge. At this place, Ryan Gentles was in load of the booking , impressed by the sound of the group, it decided to leave its employment to become their manager.

Contacted after a spectacle by Gordon Raphael, a producer of the scene underground New Yorkean, The Strokes thus started to repeat several days per week in preparation for recording a EP. Their repertory included/understood at this time at most 10 to 12 titles of which Last nite , old The modern , This life (now known under the name of Trying your luck ), New York City Cops , Soma and Someday . The majority of these titles contain somewhat different words now. At this time, there were also titles which are to date always new officially whose Sagganuts , In her premium , Rythm song , has minor 4-4 , Babies and Clear ski .

The Modern Age (EP) had left the 29 January 2001 in England and the 22 May 2001 with the the United States and followed some from there hype on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Criticisms acclaimed the recording and the recording companies are reflected in war to sign the group. The group was now proclaimed like the savers of the Rock “roll by certain dithyrambic articles.

Is this it? (2001 - 2003)

Did The Strokes launch finally their first opus Is this it? the 27 August 2001 with the the United Kingdom under the label Rough Trade Records. The 9 October 2001, after a time, the album was lance in America under the label RCA Records. The time was caused initially by a European small pocket considered as obscene (a leather hand ganté posed on posterior female) as well as the withdrawal of the song New York City Cops , considered moved shortly after the events of the September 11th, 2001. The album accepted good criticisms so much large magazines, including one four stars of the Rolling Stone Magazine, that independent publications, including one 9.3 of Pitchfork Media. It made the “ Top Ten ” of 2001 several criticisms and was named album of the year by Entertainment Weekly. The influence of groups like the Velvet Underground, Television or Blondie was evoked on several occasions in criticisms at this time.

Following this exit, The Strokes began a world tour where they stopped for some dates with the Japan, in Australia, in New Zealand, England, France, Germany, Italy, with the Canada and in their native land: the the United States. They have, inter alia, makes the first part of the Rolling Stones for a few evenings and were regarded as heads of poster to the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2002. The group played, always in August 2002, with the Radio City Music Hall of New York with The White Stripes in opening, Jack White joined the group on scene to interpret the solo of New York City Cops . At this time, The Strokes also appeared with Saturday Night Live and the emissions of end of evening of Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O' Brien.

The group turned also three videos clip to promote the album: Hardware to Explain , Last Nite (recorded live in studio) and Someday , all three were carried out by Roman Coppola, wire of Francis Ford Coppola and brother of Sofia Coppola.

Room one Fire (2003 - 2005)

Before did the end of 2002, the group enter in studio to record one following Is this it? with Nigel Godrich (producing having worked with, inter alia: Radiohead, Beck and Paul McCartney), but following certain divergences on the way of recording the album they decided to turn over towards Gordon Raphael, producer of the first opus. In margin of these sessions, the group turned to the Japan and presented some of its new titles whose Reptilia , Meet me in the bathroom , The way it is , Between coils & hastens (then known like Ze newie ) and 12:51 (sometimes called Supernova ).

The Strokes launched their second opus Room one Fire the October 28th 2003 throughout the world, the album generally accepted good criticisms but was accepted more coldly by the public. Although it went up until in 2nd position of the sales to the the United Kingdom and the 4th position of the Billboard 200, the album was sold “only with” 575.000 specimens (in date of January 2006), number to be compared with more than one million for Is this it? in the United States only.

First the individual drawn one from the album was 12:51 with the sound of guitar a little keyboard (keyboard) of Nick Valensi, the video clip was as for him carried out once more by Roman Coppola and presented an image very inspired of the film Tron . This title was, to the exit of Juicebox the largest success of the group to the the United Kingdom going up until the seventh position. In November 2003, the group played every Tuesday with the emission Late Nite with Conan O' Brien to present its new titles to the general public. Of end 2003 with mid- 2004, the group turned with Kings off Leon and Regina Spektor like first parts. Whereas they turned with the latter, The Strokes recorded the title Modern girls & old fashionned men with Regina Spektor, the song was launched as a b-side of their second individual is Reptilia . The third individual one of Room one fire was The end has No end which had as for him like b-side Clampdown , a resumption of The Clash.

Towards the end 2004, the group envisaged to launch an album live, Live in London . But this plan fell to water for reasons nebulas, the pretexting group of the problems in the quality of the recording.

First Impressions off Earth (2005 - 2007)

With the current of the year 2005, the group was done quiet and the rumors on the third opus made good progress. The first individual one envisaged, is Juicebox was found on Internet as of September 2005, to the great displeasure of the group. The group and their companies of disc were thus obliged to launch the new individual one much earlier than envisaged, that is to say at the beginning of October 2005. The title was accompanied by the b-side Hawaii on the individual one, and this one became (in date of January 2006) largest hit of the group (#5 with the the United Kingdom) and the first to reach the Billboard Hot 100 (#98).

The launching of the album followed the January 2nd 2006 in Europe and the January 3rd 2006 in America. Was heading First Impressions off Earth , it recorded in the personal studio of Strokes under the control surface of the producer David Kahne, with the assistance of Gordon Raphael (producing of Is this it? and Room one fire ) on certain titles, as well as the presence of famous Andy Wallace behind the console of mixing. Second the individual drawn one from the album envisaged at the beginning 2006 is Heart in has cage . The new individual one of Strokes, You only live ounce , was turned to Los Angeles by Sam Bayer. For the b-side, Eddie Vedder, of Pearl Jam, and Josh Man, of Queens off the Old Stone, is part with Strokes to take again the piece " Mercy mercy me" of Marvin Gaye. This individual left in July 2006.

The " break"

In 2007, the members of the group announce a significant pause in their joint project, and specify that no project would leave for this year.

Before a return awaited, normally not before beginning 2008, Strokes rest logically following one testing turned made up of long series in concerts aiming at promoting off their last album First Impressions Earth .

In parallel, the musicians do not remain however inactive. Indeed, Albert Hammond Jr finished on its side a world tour which supported the exit of its album solo Yours to keep . While Julian Casablancas took part in the individual last of the Queens off the Stone Age carried out by Josh Homme, entitled Sick, sick, sick (album Era Vulgaris) while playing there of the synthetic guitar and would be about to assemble a label. Nick Valensi briefly appeared in the last opus of Devendra Banhart. Fabrizio Moretti left in round with Har Mar Superstar, an old friend of the group. And finally, Nikolai Fraiture took part in a cinematographic project of art and of test entitled kind off dream has.

Rewards and nominations

2002

Rewards

Nominations

2003

Nominations

2006

Rewards groups Nominations

2007

Nominations

Anecdotes

  • the name The Strokes is itself, like their music, a contradiction: has stroke means at the same time caress and blow. Indeed the music of Strokes is rough, with the use of electric guitars to the sounds saturated as in the Hard rock, but also very mélodieuse, with pure sounds Blues.

  • Their first album Is this it? left under two different grindings, international and especially American. The first with a jacket representing a nude woman with a glove over the hip, the second subjected to the censure with an abstract drawing (for the the United States). In this second version was also removed the title New York City Cops , considered to be politically incorrect only one month after the attacks of the September 11th, 2001, the refrain saying “New York City Cops, they ain' T too smart” (" The cops of the town of New York, they are not very fûtés").

  • During the clip of Last nite , which was recorded completely live, one can see Albert Hammond Jr accidentally hanging a microphone of the battery of Fabrizio Moretti, trying one after the other to correctly give it, seeing with final the beater making collapse 2 microphones with a blow of rod, one carrying the other in its fall.

  • the singer of the group Julian Casablancas is the son of the cofounder of the agency of mannequins Elite, John Casablancas. At the beginning of 2005, Julian marries Juliet Joslin, old friend and manager of Wizkid management, in charge of the group.

  • the title The End Has No End was used in a publicity of EDF.

  • Following criticisms recent of the The Star Spangles , qualifying Strokes of “small Bourges without interests”, Julian Casablancas ironically says current groups in " The…." “they all are of the holes of C **”.

  • Albert Hammond Jr left an album solo, Yours to keep , whose certain sequences are at the end of the credits of the film Strokes In transit .

  • With the launching of the 2nd album Room one Fire, Strokes wanted to change producer in order to see what they were able to make, thus giving up the producer of the first album Is this it? Gordon Raphael, for Nigel Godrich. This last has as a characteristic to bring its personal key on the sound of the groups with which it works. And for this reason, Nigel Godrich would have liked to make them record this second album entirely into live, contrary to the identity even of the group. For this reason Strokes preferred to keep their producer of origin.

  • Julian Casablancas in connection with the Institute Swiss Rosey located in , boarding school in which it passed part of its childhood: “I was punished all the time. I was to awake me at 6 o'clock in the morning to run around the school. I got caught to have smoked and so on. There was a good number of Turkish people over there. They were nice, but you know… they carried all of the jeans Versace. Ca was the greatest cultural shock of my life. All these kids left downtown, whereas me I did not have pocket money like the others, and I all alone spent all my weekends sitted in my room. In fact, I was bloody depressed. I turned in round. Times I played all alone tennis shoe. I often did that”.

  • the clip of You only live ounce was entrusted to Sam Bayer, it is also him which carried out that of Heart in has cage . Nick Valensi tells in connection with the turning of the clip: “It made us play in a room that it then filled of an oil noirâtre. Whereas we were sprinkled and that this trick wet and sticking made the situation painful, we must continue to play. Turning lasted one day and Bayer did not need any faking. After, he explained us that he preserved this idea since he had left the FAC. He had asked has thousands of groups but none had accepted. I do not know if one showed oneself very intelligent or really stupid! ”.

  • the group never takes meal before a concert, but only after this last.

  • the initial title of their tube entitled today Juicebox was Dracula' S buffet . The final choice of the title was based on the consonance of the term, judged " cool" by Julian Casablancas itself. In other term, the title does not have a priori any bond of direction with the song.

Discography

External bond

  • Official site

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