Is This It The Strokes __exclusive__
In 2020, The Strokes released a live album, , which captured the band's energetic live performance. The band has also been teasing new music on social media, with fans eagerly anticipating their next release.
A slower, melancholic waltz. "And I'm trying your luck / And I'm trying your luck / And I'm trying your luck / I won't." It’s the sound of giving up, but sounding gorgeous doing it.
The title poses a question: "Is this it?" Is this all there is to life? To love? To rock and roll? Is This It The Strokes
But more importantly, Is This It taught indie rock that it was okay to be cool without trying. It taught us that imperfection is more relatable than perfection. And it taught us that you don't need a concept album about a dystopian future to capture the anxiety of right now.
was released to widespread critical acclaim, with many praising the album's raw energy, catchy hooks, and nostalgic sound. The album's success was not limited to the critical sphere, however; Is This It also resonated with fans, who responded to the band's unique blend of garage rock and post-punk. In 2020, The Strokes released a live album,
On July 30, 2001, five guys from New York City walked into a recording studio with a producer named Gordon Raphael. They walked out with a 36-minute earthquake.
Is This It: The Album That Saved Rock and Roll When Is This It arrived in the summer of 2001, the musical landscape was a cluttered mess of post-grunge angst and polished teen pop. Then, five young men from Manhattan—decked out in Converse, skinny jeans, and disheveled hair—walked into the frame. With a lean 36-minute runtime, didn’t just release an album; they provided a hard reset for 21st-century guitar music. The Sound of New York Cool "And I'm trying your luck / And I'm
The album was recorded with producer Gordon Raphael, but the legend of the album is inextricably tied to the "BBC Session" sound. Initially, the band had recorded with legendary producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters). Norton’s version was too clean, too polished, too American . The Strokes scrapped it.
If track one introduces the vibe, track two confirms the genius. The guitar riff is jubilant, almost surf-rock. Casablancas sings about "working for the Yankee dollar" and "post-modern propaganda." It is a three-minute thesis on the exhaustion of being young in a capitalist hellscape.
To understand the impact of Is This It , you have to understand the musical landscape of 2000. Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water was topping charts. Creed was selling millions. The legacy of Kurt Cobain had been co-opted into a morass of self-pity and muscle tees. Meanwhile, the slick production of pop and hip-hop (think *NSYNC and Dr. Dre) dominated the radio.