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The Strokes are an American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists
Nick Valensi Nicholas Valensi (born January 16, 1981) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his role as lead and rhythm guitarist in the American rock band The Strokes. Since 2001, the band has released six studio albums, some of which Valen ...
and
Albert Hammond Jr. Albert Hammond Jr. (''born'' Hammond III; born April 9, 1980) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his role as rhythm and lead guitarist, as well as occasional keyboard player and backing vocalist ...
, bassist
Nikolai Fraiture Nikolai Philippe Fraiture (born November 13, 1978) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the American rock band The Strokes. Since co-founding the band in 1998, he has released six studio albums with them. Among other creative pr ...
, and drummer
Fabrizio Moretti Fabrizio Moretti (born June 2, 1980) is a Brazilian-American musician and visual artist best known as the drummer for American rock band The Strokes, with whom he has released six studio albums since 2001. A collaborative artist, he has been pa ...
. They were a leading group of the early-2000s
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
revival. The release of their EP '' The Modern Age'' in early 2001 sparked a
bidding war A bid price is the highest price that a buyer (i.e., bidder) is willing to pay for some goods. It is usually referred to simply as the "bid". In bid and ask, the bid price stands in contrast to the ask price or "offer", and the difference between ...
among major labels, with the band eventually signing to
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
. That summer, they released their debut album, ''
Is This It ''Is This It'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. ...
'', to critical acclaim and strong sales. It has since appeared on numerous "best album" lists. It was followed by ''
Room on Fire ''Room on Fire'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is derived from a lyric in the song "Reptilia". ''Room on Fire'' received positive reviews upon its rel ...
'' (2003) and ''
First Impressions of Earth ''First Impressions of Earth'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released through RCA Records first on December 30, 2005, in Germany, and January 3, 2006, elsewhere. Three singles were released from the album: " ...
'' (2005), both of which sold well but failed to match ''Is This It'' in critical success. Following a five-year hiatus, they released ''
Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
'' (2011) to a generally positive reception, and ''
Comedown Machine ''Comedown Machine'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on March 26, 2013, through RCA Records. The band decided to pull a media blackout for the album, with no promotion in the form of television appearan ...
'' (2013) to lukewarm critical reception, both with dwindling sales. Following the end of their initial contract with RCA, they released the ''
Future Present Past ''Future Present Past'' is the second EP by American band the Strokes, released on June 3, 2016 through Cult Records. The title represents each song: "Drag Queen" refers to the "future", "Oblivius"—the "present", and "Threat of Joy"—the "pas ...
'' EP (2016) through Casablancas' label Cult. The band were relatively inactive throughout the decade, making infrequent live appearances and directing most media attention to individual projects. In 2020, they released their first studio album in seven years, ''
The New Abnormal ''The New Abnormal'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on April 10, 2020, through Cult and RCA Records. It was their first full-length album since '' Comedown Machine'' (2013), marking the longest gap between ...
'', produced by
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
and released through Cult and RCA. Critics considered the album a return to form. It went on to win
Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sev ...
at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
.


History


Formation and ''The Modern Age'' EP (1998–2001)

Lead singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarist
Nick Valensi Nicholas Valensi (born January 16, 1981) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his role as lead and rhythm guitarist in the American rock band The Strokes. Since 2001, the band has released six studio albums, some of which Valen ...
, and drummer
Fabrizio Moretti Fabrizio Moretti (born June 2, 1980) is a Brazilian-American musician and visual artist best known as the drummer for American rock band The Strokes, with whom he has released six studio albums since 2001. A collaborative artist, he has been pa ...
started playing together as teenagers while attending Dwight School in Manhattan, and formed an informal band in 1997. They later added bassist
Nikolai Fraiture Nikolai Philippe Fraiture (born November 13, 1978) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the American rock band The Strokes. Since co-founding the band in 1998, he has released six studio albums with them. Among other creative pr ...
to their ranks, a close childhood friend of Casablancas who had attended the
Lycée Français de New York The Lycée Français de New York (LFNY), commonly called the Lycée (in English, "The French High School of New York"), is an independent bilingual French school serving an international community of students from Nursery-3 to twelfth grade based ...
with him. At the end of 1998, the group invited guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. to play with them. He had just moved to New York City and reconnected with Casablancas, whom he knew from their brief stints at the private boarding school
Institut Le Rosey Institut Le Rosey (), commonly referred to as Le Rosey or simply Rosey, is a private boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. Founded in 1880 by Paul-Émile Carnal on the site of the 14th-century Château du Rosey in the town of Rolle in the can ...
, near
Nyon Nyon (; outdated German: or ; outdated Italian: , ) is a municipality in Nyon District in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Ge ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. The two soon became roommates. In the following two years, the band practiced and performed tirelessly in New York City. Many of their contemporaries have credited the band's earliest successes to their dedication and hustle, as well as their engaging personalities. They practiced most nights, with many rehearsals taking place in
The Music Building The Music Building is a music rehearsal facility at 584 Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. It is the largest music rehearsal facility in Manhattan with 69 studios on 12 floors that are leased to musicians. It is ...
in Midtown Manhattan. They played their first show as The Strokes on September 14, 1999, at The Spiral. They soon frequented Manhattan's rock clubs including HiFi Bar and the
Luna Lounge Luna Lounge was a bar and music club located at 171 Ludlow Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Opened in 1995 by Dianne Galliano and Robert Sacher, it was a popular venue for local bands and stand-up comics (the rock band Interpol played there ...
on the Lower East Side of New York, and later Manhattan's popular
Mercury Lounge The Mercury Lounge is a live music venue in the Lower East Side of New York City. Like its brother venue The Bowery Ballroom, The Mercury Lounge is celebrated as an iconic indie venue due to its acoustics, its fostering and even launching of up ...
. Mercury Lounge's young booker
Ryan Gentles Ryan Michael Gentles (born November 28, 1977) is an American music manager and the CEO of Wiz Kid Management. He is best known as the longtime manager of the New York City-based band The Strokes, whom he managed from 2000 until 2020. Career ...
eventually quit his job to become the band's manager. The band began rehearsing a fourteen-song set (an early blueprint of the Strokes' 2001 debut, ''Is This It'')—including, "Alone, Together", "Barely Legal", "
Last Nite "Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album, ''Is This It'' (2001). It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. Background ...
", "The Modern Age", "New York City Cops", "Soma", " Someday," "Take It or Leave It", and "This Life" (an early version of "Trying Your Luck"). Most of these songs now feature different lyrics. The band connected with producer
Gordon Raphael Gordon Raphael is an American record producer and musician from Seattle, Washington, and New York, currently living in Hebden Bridge (UK), after a few years in Berlin. Raphael is most widely known for his work with The Strokes, whom he met while ...
in 2000 following a show at Luna Lounge and made a demo, ''The Modern Age'' EP, with him. The band sent the demo to the newly reformed Rough Trade Records in the UK, sparking interest there, and leading to their first release (via the website of the UK magazine, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
,'' who gave away a free MP3 download of "
Last Nite "Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album, ''Is This It'' (2001). It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. Background ...
" a week prior to the physical release as part of ''The Modern Age'' EP in 2001). The EP sparked a bidding war among record labels, the largest for a rock band in years. In August 2001, the Strokes made their first appearance on the cover of the publication ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...
'' in its ninth issue.


''Is This It'' (2001–2002)

The Strokes released their debut album, ''
Is This It ''Is This It'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. ...
,'' in the US in October 2001. The album was produced b
Gordon Raphael
as was their follow-up album ''
Room On Fire ''Room on Fire'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is derived from a lyric in the song "Reptilia". ''Room on Fire'' received positive reviews upon its rel ...
''.
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
delayed the North American (US) release over concerns with the album's cover and lyrics. The UK-released cover features a black-and-white photo of a gloved hand on a woman's naked backside, shown in semi-profile (photographer Colin Lane's then-girlfriend) while the North American version replaced it with a photo of particle collisions in the
Big European Bubble Chamber The Big European Bubble Chamber (BEBC) is a large detector formerly used to study particle physics at CERN. The chamber body, a stainless-steel vessel, was filled with 35 cubic metres of superheated liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium, or a neon-h ...
. RCA replaced the track "New York City Cops" with "When It Started", as the former featured potentially inflammatory lyrics in the wake of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
. The track "New York City Cops"—featuring the refrain, "New York City Cops, they ain't too smart"—was listed as No. 12 on ''New York'' magazine's "Ultimate New York Playlist" on March 1, 2010. Despite its delayed release (and the potential controversy), ''Is This It'' received critical acclaim—among other accolades, four stars from ''Rolling Stone'', and a 9.1 from
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
. The album made many critics' top-ten lists, was named the best album of the year by ''Entertainment Weekly'' and ''Time'', and (in an article previewing summer concerts) ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' urged readers to attend the Strokes' shows—as they were touring some of the "best pop songs ever". While critics noted the influence of
CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kr ...
stalwarts
Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, Casablancas and bandmates said they had never heard the band, instead citing
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
as a reference point. After the release of ''Is This It'', the band toured around the world—including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America (the band opened for the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
on numerous occasions during the North American leg of their tour). The self-made mini-documentary "In Transit" was filmed during the summer tour of Europe. In August 2002, the band headlined the UK's
Carling Weekend The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
festivals for the second time, subsequently playing at New York's
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
on a bill with
the White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums wit ...
.
Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
joined the Strokes on stage to perform the guitar solo on "New York City Cops". During that period, the band also appeared as musical guests on numerous late-night talk shows. ''Is This It'' yielded several singles and music videos, all of which were directed by
Roman Coppola Roman François Coppola (born April 22, 1965) is an American director, screenwriter, producer and the son of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola. For the 2012 film ''Moonrise Kingdom'', he and co-writer Wes Anderson were nominated for the ...
. ''Is This It'' has had an enduring impact on fans and critics alike. In 2009, ''NME'' named ''Is This It'' as the Greatest Album of the Decade (2000s). The album placed second on a similar list compiled by ''Rolling Stone'' (the same issue featured a list of the '100 Best Songs of the 00s', featuring "
Hard to Explain "Hard to Explain" is a song by American Rock music, rock band the Strokes. It was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, ''Is This It'' (2001), June 25, 2001. It peaked at number 10 in Ireland and number 16 in the United King ...
" and "
Last Nite "Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album, ''Is This It'' (2001). It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. Background ...
" at Nos. 59 and 16, respectively). In January 2011, Rolling Stone conducted a survey among their Facebook fans to determine the top ten debut albums of all time. ''Is This It'' came in at number ten and was also the most recent behind Pearl Jam's 1991
debut Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to: * Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society * Debut novel, an author's first published novel Film and television * ''The Debu ...
.


''Room on Fire'' (2003–2004)

The group began recording their follow-up in 2002 with producer
Nigel Godrich Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). ...
(best known for his work with
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
), but later split with him in favor of Gordon Raphael, the producer of ''Is This It''. Recordings with Godrich were never revealed. In August 2003, the band toured Japan, playing a couple of the upcoming songs: "
Reptilia Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...
", "Meet Me in the Bathroom", "The Way It Is", "Between Love & Hate" (formerly known as "Ze Newie") and " 12:51" (formerly known as "Supernova"). The band also played
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
's "My Way" with Japanese lyrics. The Strokes released their second album ''
Room on Fire ''Room on Fire'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is derived from a lyric in the song "Reptilia". ''Room on Fire'' received positive reviews upon its rel ...
'' in October 2003. It received praise from critics but was less commercially successful, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as
the Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...
,
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of ''
Spin Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. Histor ...
'' for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover. They also made the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' for the first time. Additional media coverage of the band came from the relationship between Moretti and actress
Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...
, which ended in January 2007. The first single taken from ''Room on Fire'' was the song " 12:51", which used distinct keyboard-like sounds produced by Valensi's guitar. The video was also directed by Roman Coppola, and was inspired by the futuristic look of the 1980s film ''
Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action- adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer ...
''. This consisted of a mainly black scene, with instances of glowing picton blue and riptide. In November 2003, the Strokes played on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', performing "
Reptilia Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...
", "What Ever Happened", "Under Control" and "I Can't Win". During the 2003-2004 "''Room on Fire'' Tour", the band played with
Kings of Leon Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern rock and ga ...
as support act and
Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
. While on tour, Spektor and the Strokes recorded the song " Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men", released as a B-side on the "Reptilia" single. Also during the tour, the band included
the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
's "Clampdown" as a cover, which was released as the B-side for " The End Has No End". In late 2004, the Strokes revealed plans to release a live album. The ''Live in London'' LP was planned for release in October 2004, but was abandoned, reportedly due to recording quality problems. The chosen gig was one held at the legendary
Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...
in North London.


''First Impressions of Earth'' and hiatus (2005–2007)

In late September 2005, " Juicebox", the first single from the Strokes' then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single's release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. "Juicebox" became the Strokes' second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success. During November and December 2005 the Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world. Their third album, ''
First Impressions of Earth ''First Impressions of Earth'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released through RCA Records first on December 30, 2005, in Germany, and January 3, 2006, elsewhere. Three singles were released from the album: " ...
'', was released on December 30, 2005, in Germany and January 3, 2006, elsewhere. It received mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the U.S. and number one in the UK, the latter being a first for the band. In Japan, it went gold within the first week of release. It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. Fraiture claimed that the album was "like a scientific breakthrough". In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' playing "Juicebox" and " You Only Live Once". The album was somewhat a departure from the band's two previous albums. One reason for this was a switch of producers from Gordon Raphael to David Kahne. Despite its initial strong sales, ''First Impressions of Earth'' received the worst reception, both commercially and critically, of all their albums. In 2006, the band played 18 sold-out shows during their UK tour. In February 2006, the Strokes won "Best International Band" at the NME Awards. In March, the band returned to the U.S. with their longest tour yet. The second single off ''First Impressions of Earth'', "Heart in a Cage", was released in March 2006. During the summer of 2006, the Strokes played several festival dates in Europe, including the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, the
Oxegen Festival Oxegen was a music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festival, and, by 2009, it was being ci ...
in Ireland, the
Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...
in Switzerland, the FIB (
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (), commonly abbreviated to simply FIB, is an annual music festival that takes place in the town of Benicàssim, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica arti ...
),
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japa ...
and headlined the
Pentaport Rock Festival Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival () is a rock festival which is held annually in Incheon, South Korea for three days in August. Launched in 2006, it is considered one of the biggest live music events in South Korea. The festival covers various ge ...
in South Korea. They then toured Australia and Mexico in late August and early September, followed by the second leg of the United States tour. While in the U.S., the Strokes opened for
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...
for five shows during their Highway Companion tour. The Strokes went on to complete another US tour. During this final tour Casablancas stated to fans that the band would be taking an extensive break after it finished. An e-mail was sent out soon afterwards by Strokes manager
Ryan Gentles Ryan Michael Gentles (born November 28, 1977) is an American music manager and the CEO of Wiz Kid Management. He is best known as the longtime manager of the New York City-based band The Strokes, whom he managed from 2000 until 2020. Career ...
, confirming that "much needed break". A new band website went online in May 2007 along with the release of an alternate video to their single "You Only Live Once" directed by
Warren Fu Warren Fu is an American music video director, illustrator and designer. He has directed videos for artists such as Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, The Strokes, the Killers, Hayley Williams, Mark Ronson, and Julian Casablancas. Fu is signed to ...
. The video also featured a brief interlude with "Ize of the World", also from ''First Impressions of Earth''. The song "You Talk Way Too Much" was used in a commercial for the Ford Sync. Aleksandra Cisneros became the Strokes' assistant manager in late 2007.


''Angles'' (2009–2011)

The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi started writing material for the album in January 2009, intent on entering the studio that February. Julian commented in ''Rolling Stone'' that they had completed about three songs that sounded like a mixture of 1970s rock and "music from the future". On March 31, 2009, from their MySpace account, the band announced the end of their "much needed hibernation period" and the commencement of new writing and rehearsing for a fourth full-length album, entitled ''
Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
''. This album would be different from the first three in that it would feature music written by the other four Strokes, rather than Casablancas writing ninety-five percent of the material again: "It's supercollaborative, and it sounds different," said Valensi, "but it has a Strokes vibe to it." In an ''NME'' article, Pharrell Williams expressed interest in producing this upcoming album. This followed the news that Casablancas had collaborated with Williams and
Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. '' Billboard'' presented her in 2022, saying: "Spanning punk rock, hip-hop, and dance music, S ...
on "
My Drive Thru "My Drive Thru" is a collaborative single by The Strokes lead vocalist Julian Casablancas, American singer-songwriter Santigold, and The Neptunes producer and N.E.R.D member Pharrell Williams. The song was created for Converse's centennial and ...
", a track commemorating the 100th anniversary of
Converse Converse may refer to: Mathematics and logic * Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement ** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication ** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...
's
Chuck Taylor All-Stars Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars (also referred to as "Converse", "Chuck Taylors", "Chucks", "Cons", "All Stars", and "Chucky Ts") is a model of casual shoe manufactured by Converse (a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. since 2003) that was ...
shoe. The song was available as a free download from the official Converse site. The album was due to be released in late 2009, but disagreements about the songs' readiness forced the Strokes to scale back this date. On February 1, 2010, the Strokes announced on their website that the recording of the fourth album was being helmed by award-winning producer
Joe Chiccarelli Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
. According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters, the two camps first met in 2009 and, after finding they shared a similar mind space and similar thoughts on the potential direction of the new record, tried out some tracking. Not long after recording began, however, the band became frustrated with Chiccarelli's reserved production style. Only one song from these recording sessions, "Life Is Simple in the Moonlight", remained on the album's track listing. Inspired, in part, by bands like MGMT,
Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...
, and
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were know ...
, the Strokes decided to experiment with various production techniques, and recorded the rest of the album's material at Albert Hammond, Jr.'s home studio in upstate New York with award-winning engineer Gus Oberg. The Strokes confirmed that they would be headlining the
Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
, Lollapalooza, Roskilde Festival,
Hurricane Festival The Hurricane Festival, also just Hurricane, is a music festival that has taken place at the Eichenring, a speedway race track, in Scheeßel, Germany, since 1997. With more than 80,000 attendees (2022) it is one of the largest music festivals in ...
,
Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
, Rockness,
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is a music festival held annually in San Francisco, California, at Golden Gate Park. The festival is produced by Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents, and Starr Hill Presents. It is the l ...
, On The Bright Side, and
Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...
in 2010. Additionally, the Strokes were announced as the 2011 headliner for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
in May,
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (), commonly abbreviated to simply FIB, is an annual music festival that takes place in the town of Benicàssim, in the Valencian Community, Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica arti ...
,
Oxegen Oxegen was a music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festival, and, by 2009, it was being ci ...
, Paléo, Peace & Love and Super Bock Super Rock in July, and
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
and
Summer Sonic The , also known as Supersonic, is an annual two- or three-day rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba, Japan. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa. The line-up co ...
in August. They were also sub-headliners to
Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...
at
Leeds Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
during the bank holiday weekend in August. On June 9, 2010, at
Dingwalls Dingwalls was a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden, London, England. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, ...
London, England, the band played a secret show under the name 'Venison' to a crowd of just 487. This was their first live gig since October 2006. The band did not play any new material. The lead single from the new album, " Under Cover of Darkness", was released on February 9, 2011. The 7" was officially released on March 1, 2011, and contained another track from ''
Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
'', "You're So Right", as the B-side, followed by the album on March 18, 2011. "
Taken for a Fool "Taken for a Fool" is a song by American rock-band The Strokes, mostly written by guitarist Nick Valensi. It is the second single for their fourth studio album, ''Angles'', and was released as a 7" vinyl and digital download on July 1, 2011. Tra ...
" was confirmed as the second single, which was sent to U.S. radio on May 24, 2011. On June 9, the Strokes announced that a music video for "Taken For a Fool" was in the works, and that it is directed by Laurent Briet. They revealed that the music video should be finished by the end of the month. The Strokes put out the music video for "Taken For a Fool" on July 8, 2011. In mid-March 2011, an interview with ''
ShortList A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
'' magazine revealed that the Strokes had already begun working on their fifth studio album. However, sessions were delayed due to the mixing process of ''Angles''. Julian Casablancas and Nick Valensi both confirmed that there was material in the works as well as plenty of leftover material. Frontman Julian Casablancas claimed that the band was eager to begin working on new material and were already supposed to, but it took longer than expected to master ''Angles''.


''Comedown Machine'' (2012−2015)

In April 2012, bassist Nikolai Fraiture posted a tweet announcing that the band was heading into the studio to work on some new ideas. The Strokes later revealed that they were planning to record a new album as soon as possible. Fraiture added that the band would record their fifth album in the same manner as they put together ''Angles'', with each member bringing in his own ideas and putting them together in the studio. On January 17, 2013, Seattle alternative radio station 107.7 The End posted on their Facebook page that they were previewing a new song by the Strokes entitled " All the Time". It was later confirmed that "All the Time" would be the lead single from the untitled fifth album. On January 25, 2013, the song "
One Way Trigger "One Way Trigger" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. Written primarily by Albert Hammond Jr. and Julian Casablancas, it was released as a free download ahead of their fifth studio album, ''Comedown Machine'' and was made available for ...
" was published on their official website, and made available for free download. The song was initially met with a mixed reaction from fans of the band. On January 28, a Reddit user discovered what he correctly assumed to be the new album cover within the subpages of the band's official website, which led to a widespread rumor that the new album would be titled ''
Comedown Machine ''Comedown Machine'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on March 26, 2013, through RCA Records. The band decided to pull a media blackout for the album, with no promotion in the form of television appearan ...
''. On January 30, the title for the fifth album was revealed to be ''
Comedown Machine ''Comedown Machine'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on March 26, 2013, through RCA Records. The band decided to pull a media blackout for the album, with no promotion in the form of television appearan ...
'', set to be released on March 26 in the U.S. and March 25 in the UK. On February 13, 2013, the first single from the band's fifth album premiered on the radio, named "All the Time". The single was released for download on February 19, and was described as a return to the classic Strokes sound of first albums ''Is This It'' and ''Room on Fire''. The album was released on March 25, 2013, in the UK and March 26 in the United States. The band decided to pull a media blackout with the album: no promotion in the form of TV appearances, interviews, photos, shows, or tours. On October 15, 2013, the band revealed that they were looking to "return to the scene" in 2014. In May 2014, the Strokes performed their first U.S. show in three years at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, performing songs from ''Comedown Machine'' for the first time. The band played at three other shows in 2014, including two headlining slots at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City and
FYF Fest FYF Fest (short for "Fuck Yeah Fest Fest") was an annual three-day music festival held at the Los Angeles Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Sean Carlson in 2004 and is now solely produced by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary o ...
in Los Angeles. On November 12, 2014, it was announced the band would headline
Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espanyo ...
in 2015 for the festival's 15th anniversary. On March 2, 2015, the band announced their second 2015 European festival headline appearance would be at
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's annual British Summer Time: Hyde Park festival on June 18, 2015, the band's first London show in five years. The announcement takes the band's number of appearances slated for 2015 up to six, with them also playing Big Guava Music Festival in
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, Landmark Festival in Washington, D.C., and
Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...
in Austin, Texas, as well as the previously announced Primavera Sound 15th Anniversary. During their performance at Landmark Music Festival lead singer Julian Casablancas stated that the band was back in the studio working on a follow up to their 2013 album ''Comedown Machine''. In late 2015, the Strokes announced another date; at Monterrey, Mexico, during the festivities of the newborn festival Live Out.


''Future Present Past'' EP (2016–2017)

The Strokes played their first show of 2016 at Samsung's Galaxy Life Fest in Austin, Texas. On May 24, 2016, the Strokes announced another New York show on May 31 at the Capitol Theatre. On May 26, 2016, Julian Casablancas premiered " OBLIVIUS" on the debut of his monthly radio show ''Culture Void'' on
Sirius XMU SiriusXMU (formerly XMU, and known as Sirius U on Sirius Canada, although Sirius receivers list it as Sirius XM U) is an indie pop, indie rock, unsigned artist music channel on XM Satellite Radio channel 35 (previously 43). On November 12, 2008, ...
.
Cult Records Cult Records is an independent record label founded by Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) in 2009. Initially used as an imprint for Casablancas' solo releases, Cult later became a standalone label, and in June 2014 entered a label services ag ...
announced the release of ''
Future Present Past ''Future Present Past'' is the second EP by American band the Strokes, released on June 3, 2016 through Cult Records. The title represents each song: "Drag Queen" refers to the "future", "Oblivius"—the "present", and "Threat of Joy"—the "pas ...
'', a four-song EP by the Strokes, in addition to the exclusive signing of the band to its roster. The EP includes three original songs ("Drag Queen", "OBLIVIUS", and “ Threat of Joy”), along with an additional remix of "OBLIVIUS" by drummer, Fab Moretti. The EP was released on June 3, in both digital and physical formats to coincide with the band's headlining performance at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. "Future Present Past" was recorded over the past year in Austin and New York with the help of producer, Gus Oberg. The band played at the
Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
festival in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia on July 22, 2016. They followed this performance with the inaugural City of Angels Benefit concert in Los Angeles to support charities such as Waste Not Want Not Now, the Center in Hollywood, and the Downtown's Women's Center on July 25, 2016. The band performed a series of festival dates taking place throughout early 2017. Festival dates include performances in Estéreo Picnic Festival as well as
Lollapalooza Brasil Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Mus ...
,
Lollapalooza Chile Lollapalooza Chile is the Chile-based version of the popular music festival Lollapalooza (). It is held in Santiago, Chile. History The annual festival launched in April 2011 in Santiago’s O'Higgins Park and features alternative rock, heav ...
, and Lollapalooza Argentina. The band's first live performance of the year took place headlining the Estéreo Picnic Festival. The crowd in attendance of their Argentina show was reportedly 90,000 people. After the Lollapalooza Argentina show, it was revealed that their headlining slot at the festival was, to this day, their "biggest show ever" by Fraiture on social media.


''The New Abnormal'' (2019–present)

In October 2016, guitarist Valensi indicated that the band were "slowly but surely working on an album, we’re kind of just in writing sessions". In July 2017 Albert Hammond Sr. said the Strokes are working with Rick Rubin. Albert Hammond Jr. took to Twitter to clarify that "we met and played a few music ideas for Rick to feel out a vibe but even a theoretical album plan would be years away, if at all". He also tweeted, "Sorry everyone we are not in the studio recording" and that there were "a lot of unknowns and nothing worth speaking about at this time." In May 2019, the band performed for the first time in over two years at a benefit show in Los Angeles. At this venue, the band debuted a new song entitled " The Adults Are Talking". The show kicked off the band's "global comeback" tour. However, this tour was met with many obstacles early on, from sound issues to rained-out shows to entire festivals being cancelled. In September 2019, Valensi, in an interview on C104.3 Out of the Box, hinted at the production of a sixth studio album, stating "When, I don’t know. If – I would say, it’s a strong likelihood." During the band's 2019 New Year's Eve show in Brooklyn, Casablancas announced that the band's sixth studio album would be released sometime in 2020. At the show, they also debuted a new song, titled "
Ode to the Mets "Ode to the Mets" is a song by American rock band the Strokes, the ninth and closing track on their sixth studio album, ''The New Abnormal'' (2020). Singer Julian Casablancas began writing the song while waiting for a subway train following t ...
". On February 10, 2020, the band performed at a rally for presidential candidate
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
at the University of New Hampshire. At this performance, Casablancas formally announced the band's sixth studio album and that the title would be ''The New Abnormal''. He confirmed the release date of the album to be April 10 of that year. The band reportedly played two new songs at this show. On February 11, the band released a new song, "
At the Door "At the Door" is a song by American rock band The Strokes. The song was released on February 11, 2020, as the lead single from their sixth studio album, '' The New Abnormal'' (2020). An accompanying animated music video was released on the same ...
", the first single off of their sixth studio album. Two more singles followed, " Bad Decisions", and "Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus". Their sixth studio album, ''
The New Abnormal ''The New Abnormal'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on April 10, 2020, through Cult and RCA Records. It was their first full-length album since '' Comedown Machine'' (2013), marking the longest gap between ...
'', was released worldwide on April 10, 2020. On October 24, the band was confirmed for their fourth appearance as the musical guest for the October 31 episode of Saturday Night Live with
John Mulaney John Edmund Mulaney (born August 26, 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He first rose to prominence for his work as a writer on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2013, where he contributed to numerous ...
hosting, where they performed "The Adults are Talking" and "Bad Decisions" from ''The New Abnormal''. On June 21, 2021, the band shared a video in support of New York City mayoral candidate
Maya Wiley Maya D. Wiley (born January 2, 1964) is an American lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist. She has served as president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights since May 2022. Wiley served as counsel to New York City ...
featuring a clip of a new song "Starting Again" co-written with
Gregg Alexander Gregg Alexander (born Gregory Aiuto; May 4, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer. He is best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who had an international hit with " You Get What You Give" in late 1998. He dissolv ...
.Throughout 2022, the band were as present as ever in touring, including headlining at Lollapalooza dates in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, as well as other high profile music festivals in Europe. On June 17, 2022, the band performed a benefit concert in support of Chicago-based congressional candidate Kina Collins. That summer, they toured as an opening act on the Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 Global Stadium Tour. In October 2022, Rubin revealed he recorded a new album with the Strokes in
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
.


Musical style

The band's sound has been described as
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
,
garage rock revival Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
, and post-punk revival by media outlets. Casablancas has cited
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
of
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
as a major influence on his lyrics and singing style. "The way Lou Reed wrote and sang about drugs and sex, about the people around him – it was so matter-of-fact," Casablancas stated in a ''Rolling Stone'' interview. "Reed could be romantic in the way he portrayed these crazy situations, but he was also intensely real. It was poetry and journalism." Additionally, he has stated that
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
,
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
and Pearl Jam are major influences on his work, the latter being the reason that he started making music after hearing the song "
Yellow Ledbetter "Yellow Ledbetter" is a song by the American band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, "Yellow Ledbetter" was an outtake from the band's debut alb ...
".


Legacy and influence

The Strokes' debut album ''Is This It'' was named number one album of the year by
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
and number two by ''Rolling Stone,'' ''Is This It'' earned The Strokes tremendous respect across various artists in the alternative music scene''.'' The lead singer of LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy, has said, "''Is This It'' was my record of the decade." The album won Best International Album in 2002, nominated by NME, and ASCAP College Vanguard Award.
Brandon Flowers Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, best known as the lead singer, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers. In addition to his ...
of
the Killers The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...
told ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' that he felt "depressed" after hearing the Strokes' album ''Is This It''. "That record just sounded so perfect", he said. "We threw away everything e were working onand the only song that made the cut and remained was "
Mr. Brightside "Mr. Brightside" is the debut single of American rock band the Killers. It is taken from their debut studio album, '' Hot Fuss'' (2004). Written by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, it was one of the first songs the Killers ever w ...
"'. The Strokes have been said to be, "as influential to their era as the Velvet Underground or the Ramones were to theirs", by Lizzy Goodman in her book on the New York City music scene, claiming that, "almost every artist I interviewed for this book – from all over the world – said it was the Strokes that opened the door for them." The band was named Band of the Year in 2002 by ''Spin'' and have heavily influenced bands like
The Killers The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...
,
Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...
, and Franz Ferdinand.
Alex Turner Alexander David Turner (born 6 January 1986) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is well known as the frontman and principal songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has released seven albums. He ...
, lead singer of Arctic Monkeys, sang "I just wanted to be one of The Strokes" in their 2018 song 'Star Treatment'.


Band members

* Julian Casablancas – lead vocals (1998–present) *
Nick Valensi Nicholas Valensi (born January 16, 1981) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his role as lead and rhythm guitarist in the American rock band The Strokes. Since 2001, the band has released six studio albums, some of which Valen ...
– lead and rhythm guitar (1998–present); keyboards (2005–present); backing vocals (1998–2000, 2010–present) *
Albert Hammond Jr. Albert Hammond Jr. (''born'' Hammond III; born April 9, 1980) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his role as rhythm and lead guitarist, as well as occasional keyboard player and backing vocalist ...
– rhythm and lead guitar (1998–present); keyboards (2010–present); backing vocals (1998–2000, 2010–present) *
Nikolai Fraiture Nikolai Philippe Fraiture (born November 13, 1978) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the American rock band The Strokes. Since co-founding the band in 1998, he has released six studio albums with them. Among other creative pr ...
– bass guitar (1998–present) *
Fabrizio Moretti Fabrizio Moretti (born June 2, 1980) is a Brazilian-American musician and visual artist best known as the drummer for American rock band The Strokes, with whom he has released six studio albums since 2001. A collaborative artist, he has been pa ...
– drums, percussion (1998–present); keyboards (2019–present)


Discography

* ''
Is This It ''Is This It'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. ...
'' (2001) * ''
Room on Fire ''Room on Fire'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is derived from a lyric in the song "Reptilia". ''Room on Fire'' received positive reviews upon its rel ...
'' (2003) * ''
First Impressions of Earth ''First Impressions of Earth'' is the third studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released through RCA Records first on December 30, 2005, in Germany, and January 3, 2006, elsewhere. Three singles were released from the album: " ...
'' (2005) * ''
Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
'' (2011) * ''
Comedown Machine ''Comedown Machine'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on March 26, 2013, through RCA Records. The band decided to pull a media blackout for the album, with no promotion in the form of television appearan ...
'' (2013) * ''
The New Abnormal ''The New Abnormal'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on April 10, 2020, through Cult and RCA Records. It was their first full-length album since '' Comedown Machine'' (2013), marking the longest gap between ...
'' (2020)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strokes, The 1998 establishments in New York City Grammy Award winners Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups from New York City Post-punk revival music groups Musical groups established in 1998 RCA Records artists Rough Trade Records artists Brit Award winners NME Awards winners Musical quintets Cult Records artists