The Strokes
The Strokes performing Juicebox in March 2006
Background information
Origin	New York City, USA
Genre(s)	Indie rock Garage rock revival Post-punk revival
Years active	1998–Present
Label(s)	Sony BMG RCA Rough Trade
Website	thestrokes.com
Members
Julian Casablancas Nick Valensi Albert Hammond, Jr. Nikolai Fraiture Fabrizio Moretti

The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1998 that rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the garage rock revival. The band consists of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals, songwriting), Nick Valensi (lead guitar), Albert Hammond Jr. (rhythm guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass guitar) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums and percussion). Upon the release of their acclaimed debut album Is This It in 2001, many critics hailed the group as the "saviors of rock."^[1] NME made Is This It their Album of the Year. Since then, the band has maintained a large fan base, notably in the UK, US and Australia. Stroke can mean: In medicine, a cerebrovascular accident (or cerebral accident) A sunstroke In writing, a single line without any break such as stroke in graphics or Chinese characters, see stroke order. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1429x486, 67 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): The Strokes ... Juicebox is the first single from The Strokes third album, First Impressions of Earth released in the US in October 2005. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of American bands in the mid-1960s. ... The post-punk revival is a movement in modern rock music consisting of Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Goth Rock, and Electronic bands that draw from the conventions of the original Post-Punk sound of the early 1980s, as well as the early 90s Britpop, 80s New Wave and... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Bertelsmann is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in G tersloh, Germany. ... RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... Rough Trade Records, now a member of the RIAA[1], began as an independent record label, based in London, England. ... Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978) is the vocalist and songwriter of the alternative rock band The Strokes. ... Nick Valensi (born Nicholas Valensi, January 16, 1981, in New York) is a guitarist for the New York based rock band, The Strokes. ... Albert Hammond, Jr. ... Nikolai Fraiture born November 13, 1978 in New York City) is the bassist for the New York City-based band The Strokes. ... Fabrizio Moretti (nicknamed Fab) is the drummer in the American band The Strokes. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of American bands in the mid-1960s. ... Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978) is the vocalist and songwriter of the alternative rock band The Strokes. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A songwriter is someone who writes either the lyrics or the music for songs. ... Nick Valensi (born Nicholas Valensi, January 16, 1981, in New York) is a guitarist for the New York based rock band, The Strokes. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... Albert Hammond Jr. ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... Nikolai Fraiture born November 13, 1978 in New York City) is the bassist for the New York City-based band The Strokes. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Fabrizio Moretti (nicknamed Fab) is the drummer in the American band The Strokes. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ...

History

Beginnings and The Modern Age EP: 1998-2001

Lead singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarist Nick Valensi, and drummer Fab Moretti started playing together while attending Dwight School in Manhattan. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture had been friends with Casablancas and was attending the Lycée Français de New York. At age 13, Casablancas was sent to Le Rosey, a boarding school in Switzerland to resolve his drinking problems and improve his academic performance. In Switzerland, Casablancas met guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr.. The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Julian Fernando Casablancas (born August 23, 1978) is the vocalist and songwriter of the alternative rock band The Strokes. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... Nick Valensi (born Nicholas Valensi, January 16, 1981, in New York) is a guitarist for the New York based rock band, The Strokes. ... For the comic book character, see Drummer (comics). ... The Dwight School is a selective, combined elementary and secondary private school on the Upper West Side in New York, N.Y. It is widely known as a playground school for Manhattans elite and wealthy families. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Deon Rexroat of Anberlin. ... Nikolai Fraiture born November 13, 1978 in New York City) is the bassist for the New York City-based band The Strokes. ... The Lycée Français de New York is a bilingual school based in Manhattan, New York which follows the French curriculum of study and allows students to study for the French general Baccalauréat, the international option of the French Baccalaureate, and the American High School Diploma. ... Institut Le Rosey, established in 1880, is the oldest private boarding school in Switzerland and one of the most exclusive educational institutions in the world. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... Albert Hammond, Jr. ...

Later, when Hammond came to New York to attend New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he shared an apartment with Casablancas. They started a band which performed on the dull, cocoa bean accented Lower East Side of New York, and at Manhattan's popular Mercury Lounge. Ryan Gentles, the Mercury Lounge's booker, quit his job to become the band's manager. New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in New York City. ... Tisch School of the Arts (known more commonly as Tisch or TSOA) is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University (NYU). ... Categories: Manhattan neighborhoods | Stub ... The Mercury Lounge is a music venue in the Lower East Side section of New York City. ... Ryan Gentles is the manager of the strokes, a rock band based in new york city. ...

The band began rehearsing a twelve song set which included "Last Nite", "The Modern Age", "This Life" (an early version of "Trying Your Luck"), "New York City Cops", "Soma" and "Someday". Most of these songs now feature different lyrics. The Modern Age EP was released in 2001, and sparked a bidding war among record labels; the largest for a rock and roll band in years.^[2] The Strokes became the subject of enormous hype, causing a great divide among rock fans. Last Nite is a single lifted from On The Air, the debut album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band Taranee Cook. ... The Modern Age is a single by The Strokes. ... New York City Cops (or NYC Cops) appears on the international versions of The Strokess debut album Is This It. ... Someday is a single lifted from Is This It, the debut album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band The Strokes. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... First release from The Strokes. ... An extended play or EP, is the name given to vinyl records or CDs which are too long to qualify as singles but too short to qualify as albums. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ...

Is This It: 2001-2003

The Strokes released their debut album Is This It in the US in October 2001 on RCA after some delay due to changes made from the UK-released version (released 27th August 2001). The cover of the latter features a black-and-white photo of a gloved hand on a woman's naked backside, shown in semi-profile, and is said to reference Spinal Tap's fictitious Smell the Glove. The naked model the the cover was photographer Colin Lane's girlfriend at the time. The North American version replaces this with an image of particle collisions consisting of a curious blue and anzac and the song "New York City Cops" with "When It Started". The replacement of "New York City Cops", which contains the refrain "New York City Cops, they ain't too smart", was made in good faith following the September 11 attacks. Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... Black-and-white or black and white) can refer to a general term used in photography, film, and other media (see black-and-white). ... For other uses, see Spinal Tap (disambiguation). ... The revised artwork for Smell the Glove. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

The melodic garage rock sound of Is This It received positive reviews from both mainstream and independent publications, including 4 stars from Rolling Stone, and a 9.1 from Pitchfork Media; it made many critics' top 10 lists, and was named the best album of the year by Entertainment Weekly and TIME. NME, in an article previewing summer concerts, urged readers to attend their shows, claiming that the band was touring on the strength of some of the "best pop songs ever". The influence of 1970s CBGB stalwarts Television was noted by many reviewers, although The Strokes themselves have stated that they are not fans of the band. Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... This article is about the magazine. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... This article is about the concept of time. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... CBGB (Country, Blue Grass, and Blues) was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. ...

After the release of Is This It, the band toured around the world, featuring dates in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America staging for the Rolling Stones. The band headlined UK's Carling Weekend festivals in 2002, largely chronicled by a relatively hard-to-find mini-documentary entitled "In Transit" which was released to members of the now-defunct "Alone, Together" fan club. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North American redirects here. ... This article is about the rock band. ... The Reading and Leeds Festivals, officially called the Carling Weekend, are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. ...

In August 2002, the band played at New York's Radio City Music Hall on a bill with The White Stripes. Jack White 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 various late-night talk shows. Is This It yielded several singles and music videos, all of which were directed by Roman Coppola. Radio City Music Hall at Christmas 2005 Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... This article is about the American duo. ... kicks ass --clayton kicks ass hard! ... Roman Coppola (born 22 April 1965 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is an American film director and music video director. ...

The group began recording their follow-up in 2002 with producer Nigel Godrich (best known for his work with Radiohead), 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", "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's "My Way" with Japanese lyrics. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Oxfordshire. ... Paul Albert Anka, OC (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor. ...

As of 2007, Is This It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Room on Fire: 2003-2005

They released their second album Room on Fire in October 2003, to good reviews, but to less success commercially, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as The Cars, Bob Marley, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of Spin Magazine 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, which ended in January 2007. Room on Fire is the second album by the band The Strokes. ... The Cars were an American rock band, fronted by Ric Ocasek, that emerged from the early punk scene in the late 1970s. ... This article is about the reggae musician. ... Blondie is the name of an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s, and which has sold over 140 million records. ... Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ...

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. 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", "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 as support act and Regina Spektor. 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's "Clampdown" as a cover, which was released as the B-side for The End Has No End. Tron is a 1982 science fiction film starring Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn (and his counterpart inside the electronic world, Clu), Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley (and Tron), Cindy Morgan as Lora Baines (and Yori) and Dan Shor as Ram. ... Reptilia is the second single lifted from Room on Fire, the second album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band The Strokes. ... Kings of Leon are a rock band made up of three brothers and one cousin, based in Mt. ... Regina Spektor (Russian: ; born February 18, 1980) is a Soviet-born American singer-songwriter and pianist. ... Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men is the b-side on Reptilia, the second single lifted from Room on Fire, the sophomore album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band The Strokes. ... This article is about the English punk rock band. ... The End Has No End is the third single lifted from Room on Fire, the second album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band The Strokes. ...

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 in northern London. In February 2005, Julian Casablancas wed long-time friend and assistant band manager Juliet Joslin. The Strokes had a three-concert South American tour in October 2005, with dates in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Live in London is a live album by the Strokes. ... Set in Alexandra Park, Alexandra Palace was built in an area spanning Wood Green and Muswell Hill, North London, England in 1873 as a public recreation, education and entertainment centre and North London counterpart of The Crystal Palace. ...

First Impressions of Earth: 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. Juicebox is the first single from The Strokes third album, First Impressions of Earth released in the US in October 2005. ...

Their third album, First Impressions of Earth, was released in January 2006 to mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the US and number one in the UK, 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".^[3] In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on Saturday Night Live playing "Juicebox" and "You Only Live Once". First Impressions of Earth is the third album by the American rock band The Strokes. ... The iTunes Store is an online business run by Apple Inc. ... SNL redirects here. ... You Only Live Once is the opening track and third single from First Impressions of Earth, the third album from American rock band The Strokes. ...

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 US with their longest tour yet. The second single off First Impressions of Earth, "Heart in a Cage", was released in March 2006. The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ...

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 in Ireland (during this concert they were to be followed by The Who but due to the overwhelming reaction of the crowd they ended up staying on longer than scheduled),the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the FIB (Festival Internacional de Benicàssim) in Benicàssim (Spain). 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 US, The Strokes opened for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers for five shows during their Highway Companion tour. Hultsfred Festival (Swedish: Hultsfredsfestivalen) is an annual music festival held in Hultsfred, Sweden. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Oxegen is an annual music festival, held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken International. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland. ... The FIB or Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (Benicàssim International Festival) is a famous music festival held in Benicassim (Spain). ... Thomas Earl Tom Petty (born October 20, 1950) is a singer and guitarist. ...

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, confirming that a "much needed break" would be taken. 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. In late 2007, the song "You Talk Way Too Much" was used in a commercial for the Ford Sync. You Only Live Once is the opening track and third single from First Impressions of Earth, the third album from American rock band The Strokes. ... Ford Sync is a factory-installed, in-car communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. ...

It is said that their fourth album should be released sometime in late 2008/early 2009. While The Strokes have not been making music, people have seen them around the New York City area as they work on their various projects.

Discography

Main article: The Strokes discography

A discography of the rock band The Strokes // Is This It (27 August 2001) Room on Fire (28 October 2003) First Impressions of Earth (2 January 2006) The Strokes originally planned to release a live album from their performances at Alexandra Palace on the 5th & 6th of December 2003. ...

Studio albums

• Is This It (2001)
• Room on Fire (2003)
• First Impressions of Earth (2006)

Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... Room on Fire is the second album by the band The Strokes. ... First Impressions of Earth is the third album by the American rock band The Strokes. ...

Awards and nominations

2002

Won

• ASCAP Pop Awards – College Vanguard Award
• BRIT Awards – Best International Band
• Meteor Ireland Music Awards – Best International Album (Is This It)
• NME Awards – Best Album (Is This It), Band of the Year, Best New Act

Nominated

• MTV Video Music Awards – MTV2 Award (Last Nite)
• MTV Video Music Awards - MTV2 Award (Sam Mason Bell)
• MTV Europe Music Awards – Best New Act
• Q Awards – Best Live Act

2003 The Brit Awards are the annual United Kingdom pop music awards founded by the British Phonographic Industry. ... The Meteor Ireland Music Awards (colloquially called The Meteors) are the national music awards of Ireland. ... Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ... Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. ... Last Nite is a single lifted from On The Air, the debut album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band Taranee Cook. ... The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. ... The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. ... The Q Awards are the UKs annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Best New Act: Corinne Bailey-Rae (also nominated: Lily Allen, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys and Orson) Best Live Act: Muse (also nominated: Oasis, Razorlight, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arctic Monkeys) Best Track: Gnarls...

Nominated

• NME Awards – Best International Band

2006 The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ...

Won

• NME Awards – Best International Band

Nominated The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ...

• MTV Europe Music Awards – Best Rock Band

2007 The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. ...

Nominated

• NME Awards – Best International Band

The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express). ...

Samples

Image File history File links Last_Nite. ... Alternate cover US cover Is This It is The Strokes debut album, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... Image File history File links The_End_Has_No_End. ... Room on Fire is the second album by the band The Strokes. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Strokes Official Website
• The Strokes at MySpace
• NME Artist page
• Guardian Unlimited bio from December 16, 2001
• The Strokes' 'Is This It' cover model revealed