The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of singer Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. Following the conclusion of five-album deals with RCA and Rough Trade, the band has continued to release new music through Casablancas' Cult Records. Met with widespread critical acclaim, the Strokes' 2001 debut, Is This It, helped usher in the garage rock revival movement of the early-21st century--and ranks number eight on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time, number two on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the '00s, 199 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and number four in the NME top 500 albums of all time.
Is This It (2001-2002)
The Strokes released their debut album, Is This It, in the US in October 2001. The album was produced by Gordon Raphael, as was their follow-up album Room On Fire. RCA 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. 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 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. The album made many critic's top-ten lists, was named the best album of the year by Entertainment Weekly and TIME, and (in an article previewing summer concerts) NME 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 stalwarts Television, Casablancas and bandmates claimed to have never heard the band, instead citing the Velvet Underground 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 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 UK's Carling Weekend festivals for the second time, subsequently playing 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 numerous late-night talk shows. Is This It yielded several singles and music videos, all of which were directed by Roman Coppola.  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 00's', featuring "Hard to Explain" and "Last Nite" at No. 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. As of 2010, Is This It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.
What was Is This It?
The Strokes released their debut album, Is This It,
The Strokes released their debut album, Is This It,