THIS IS

L
oads of people were Some of the creme of ‘08’s crop, lips have been ‘when are they

IT
into them, so loads of
bands sounded exactly
like them,”Alex Turner
points out in admiration. The
Strokes, over a few short years
and three LP’s worth of history
incrusted LP’s, have become an
inspiration to the musical world
and changed the lives of many.
including Reggie Youngblood coming back, give us that forth
and Dav Hayes, have publicity record. NOW.’ So what better
spoken of The Strokes great than to exclusively re-introduce
influence on the prodcution of the ‘music scene changing
their own great records. behemoths’ themselves?
Since 2006, when the boys Ogling around Nick Valensi’s
departed their separate ways partially coloured and chaotic
for mediumly successful side ‘art recording studio’ it is clear
projects; the only words on fans the air of innovation is here.

?
THE
Oh yes people. After 3 years,
9 months, 13 days, it’s the
triumphant return of...

STROKES
REVIBE Magazine - May 09
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“ WE JUST
NEED
TO GO ON
A PUB
CRAWL
FIRST "
The band soak
up some spring
rays.
The Side Projects, Yay or Nay?
I
get that musicians must
fulfil their musical ambi-
tions, collaborate, mix,
mash, fill their bodies with
foreign substances that you
might polish your floor with,
write songs etc. But, let’s get it
straight, side projects are just an-
noying reminders that the band
you really want to crank out a
new album, aren’t going to.
For a while, this is certainly the
case with The Strokes. I have
this theory that as soon as one
band member strays, the others
REVIBE Magazine - May 09
get jealous and want to out do
the other and then before you
know it the lead guitarist has
opened a new fusion restaurant
with Mark Wahlberg. these roots/the block are/is The
A situation, dilemma if you
will, which has plagued music
fans since John Lennon left The
Beatles. Sometimes side projects
work, but no matter how good
they just make you want to yell
at said member’s new individual
myspace: ‘stop fluffing around
mofo! Get back in the studio
with your original band mem-
There are demonic paintings
on the walls and decapitated
Les Paul’s blistering in the light
from sky windows – quite liter-
ally the perfect environment for
masterstrokes. 1989 eponymous debut of The
As REVIBE sits down to discuss
the album intensions, live dates,
obvious stuff and fluffy dice;
Julian Casablancas is showing
off his mate’s guitar painting.
Yes, painting.
“I really think it’s bloody
good ya know” he spurts out in
American tenor. “When I got
back from Brooklyn, he (Adam
Westbury) just gave it to me,
totally out of the blue. I really
think it sums up the painted feel
to our music. Should probably
use it for album art.”
Keyword alert: Album.
“Ok, Ok, better get the news
out now I suppose. We’re work-
ing on new material.”
Barely 5 minutes into an in-
terview with the revolutionaries
and we get the answer everyone
wanted. REVIBE bows to you. you know, touring, making al-
Daring to go deeper we ask
about the nature of the material,
everyone’s five and a half side
projects, and what happens to
them?
“We want to go right back to
‘Is This It’. I think that was the
best time before recording that,
as a band. We’ve been gathering
stuff together, trying to replicate
things. Ya know, just be back to
our best.”
That’s good enough for my
ears, and guaranteed to lullaby
countless others. Just to hear
the words ‘album’, ‘replicate’
and ‘The Strokes’ together oozes
anticipation and excitement. via the miniature indie-trove pub
Bringing back reminiscences
of histories’ past, it hasn’t been
since the year of ‘Is This It’
that there has been an album
capable of such raw energy,
Words by
Andrew Sebkhi
bers and return from whence
you came - don’t forget you’re
roots (cue ‘I’m still Jenny, Jenny
from the block’)’. And when
flipping Strokes, well, lets face it,
you’re more awesome making
music with The Strokes than
anything you’ll make as a single
Stroke - I mean how ridiculous
does that even sound.
Let’s break down what the
members of The Strokes have
recently been busying them-
selves with, from best to worst.
pulsating passion and your ‘best
friend after only a couple of
listens’ style that The Strokes
single-handedly masterstroked.
In fact, looking back, only the
Stone Roses and Oasis’s 1994 de-
but ‘Defiantly Maybe’ have had
such aftershocks in the industry.
It’s a credit to the genius of The
Strokes and one that makes you
think how f’ing good it would
be to have another dose.
Julian: “I don’t think it’ll be a
problem (the side projects – see
below). We can all bring in the
experience they’ve given us and
improve our sound. Just get
back to them sometime.”
Continuing the band’s obvious
commitment to the original
cause; Fab ensures us that The
Strokes have been in the fore-
front of the band’s minds.
“I don’t think it’s a reunion,
we’ve constantly in each other’s
lives.” He declares. “We’ve been
doing this stuff since 1998 really,
bums and stuff like that. I don’t
know how other bands do it. We
just needed a short little hiatus,
if you will. But ultimately, we’ve
got a good band together!”
Simply put: it’s a sure good thing
we have them back. Back and
ready to roll. Back and ready to
rock ‘n’ roll, the old fashioned way.
“We just need to go out on a
long pub crawl first. Back to the
stingy little shit holes we bathed
in a few years back.”
As REVIBE continues to delve, it’s
clear The Strokes want to emulate
their past successes. The crave to
‘get back in the swing of things,’
circuit is courageous and stout.
They have acquired all the bearings
of a amazing band.. One that can
definitely eclipse their breathtaking
‘good old days’. R
Albert Hammond Jnr.
Think ripping guitar solos, di-
gestible guitar pop/rock tunes,
catchy riffs. Yay.
myspace.com/alberhammondjr
Little Joy
Raggaeish, folkish, countryish,
at times latin infused, random.
The guitar heavier songs are
quite Strokes-esque too. Yay.
myspace.com/littejoymusic
Nickel Eye
A bit hit and miss. Quicker
paced songs= better. Nay.
myspace.com/officialnickeleye
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